Newbie to this,Please Help!

So for an introduction, i've been fish keeping for 2 years now and have 3 african cichlid tanks, 1x 75g mixed malawi, 1x 46g bowfront with 6x red zebras, and 1x 30g with 40+ fry (demasonis and red zebras) with that being said, I've decided to venture away from cichlid keeping and explore the saltwater world. I am breaking my 75g down, donating the fish back to the LFS and turning this tank into a reef aquarium. I'm new to all this but have majority of the equipment needed to do so as i bought the tank used on craigslist and it originally was a saltwater tank.

What I have:
I have the light strip ( it has 2, blue actinic bulbs and 2 white) but i will need to rebuild the tank canopy to house them because the original housing sat atop of glass tops and from what i hear, can block out needed light for the corals and its a huge eye sore. I also have a hang over the back protein skimmer although most of the tubing is in pieces so ill have to guess at assembly and the overflow that goes with. (Please help direct me which goes where and how it works. I will attach pictures to this thread). I have 7x powerheads 2x 295gph 2x 230gph and 3x100 gphs but am thinking about replacing all with 2x new 800gps. i also have a 750gph mag drive pump (not seen in pic) so with that being said, i would like to build a sump. The lady at the pet store recommended a 20g long for my sump and stated that the skimmer i have can hang on the back or sit in the sump but if i sit it in the sump, the tubing will be different. my heater is a 250 watt marineland visi-stealth and keeps my cichlid tank at a constant 80 degrees ferinheight.

Based on what i have, what do i need? if this was your tank (keep in mind, im a beginner), how would you stock it and what would you recommend i.e. corals, fish, invertebrates, anemones . I like a lot of color, movement, and want something peaceful and pleasant. and last but not least, the gf said she would let me do this if i stocked a "sea horse"... is this possible?

pictures











thanks in advance for your time and advice.

this is the tank as it stand right now.... with the cichlids



and it with the blue and white actinic light strip

Sadly, horses will need to be kept by themselves in a separate tank, they also require a lot of special care and knowledge, with that being said I would wait for the seahorse expedition.

You just broke the girlfriends heart lol, this is a huge learning experience so now i know, thanks Cathic! Andddd ROLL TIDE!

Roll tide baby!

But to get this back on track, the first thing you should do is make a checklist of things you will need to do to set the tank up.

Select a tank that has had no treatment put in it, like copper based solutions etc, youll need to remove the rock that is in the current setup, the sand can stay, but wash it out really good.
Youll need to get some live rock / base rock and start a cycle - this is of course after you have set up all your equipment making sure everything is in order, no power filters will be required.

Once your tank cycles you can start thinking of stock etc, you will need to do more research than ive offered here as its late for me and im a bit tired. This was the fast forward starter course.

I have read a few articles online and took inventory of the things i have and things i would like to replace.

I am going to replace all of the powerheads due to the fact they are used and may be less efficient than newer ones. Plus, they have suction cups and from experience, I hate suction cups. I'm sure they're worse in saltwater tanks so magnets it is. What is the ideal GPH amount i need to aim for?
I'm also interested in replacing the hangover back overflow with a bulkhead overflow to drain into my future sump but i will need to do more research before i drill into my tank.

the sand in the tank is currently pool filter sand which will be replaced with aragonite sand (80lbs worth) and the live rock will also be purchased once i get the tank setup with circulation and overflow/return.

I have no experience with building a sump/refuge so if anyone knows a good guide, please post a link or diagram to help me understand and build one.

thanks again for taking the time to read and help :D

The 7 powerheads you have might be over kill.

Plumb your fuge so it can't over flow. Pump water up then let it flow down from an overflow valve.

meaning, fill the tank below the overflow and fill the refuge, then let the mag drive do the work? as in pump water into tank from the refuge and eventually fill into the overflow to start a continuous circulation?

buddy08 said:

the original housing sat atop of glass tops and from what i hear, can block out needed light for the corals

Click to expand...

Is there any truth to this? I use glass tops to avoid excess evaopration, and to one day keep a jumping wrasse in. If wiped clean reguarlarily, would this be an issue?

I think most of the time when they say don't use glass tops is because of the possibility of heat issues with MH's. I think if you have an issue with jumping fish most recommend using a screen. There are instructions on how to make one in the DYI section.

Lizardgi said:

Is there any truth to this? I use glass tops to avoid excess evaopration, and to one day keep a jumping wrasse in. If wiped clean reguarlarily, would this be an issue?

Click to expand...

glass tops restrict gas exchange, C02 buildup drives PH down, salt splash and creep block light... say no to glass tops lol.

Hmm, a screen is a good idea. I've built plenty of these back in my days of anoles and geckos. (Hence my name)

Those lights look like regular fluorescent bulbs, which is on the low end for a 75 gallon tank. You will be okay keeping low and moderate light corals, like softies and LPS. However, anemones are out of the question until you upgrade lights, as they require stronger lighting than most other animals. Also, anemones do better in a mature tank that has been established for a while. Best to let the tank run for about a year before you consider anemones. Luckily, there are tons of beautiful corals in the meantime, that you can add. Most people do not put anemones in reef tanks anyways, as they can kill your other livestock, and when they die or get sick, there's a possibility of them wiping out everything in the tank.

I would also keep that many powerheads, having many powerheads is much better than just a couple.

Here is a great article for you to read. Its about water chemistry,which is critical to understand in keeping saltwater tank.
https://www.livingreefs.com/water-chemistry-t31270.html


Here is another link for some great reading!
https://www.livingreefs.com/ideal-books-reef-keepers-t19535.html

And you might find this helpful:
https://www.livingreefs.com/basic-equipment-list-t19611.html

Also, we glad to have you here! Thank you so much for researching before you did anything. We love people who research and then buy!

Welcome to the site! Its going to be a great tank!

Welcome aboard!! I used to live 25 min. from Mobile. I loved shopping at B&B Pet stop! As well as some shops in Gulfport/Biloxi and Hattiesburg. Your in good hands here.

welcome aboard, i grew up with javier arenas, alabama, and now the kansas city chiefs kick returner!! but welcome lots of good advice here!

Thank you for the welcomes! the gf and i are studying hard on anything and everything. We're dealing with the "one site says this and another says that" currently but luckily theres forums, its nice to dicuss and converse with people who have learned from experience.

B&B is a great store and have very friendly members, only bad thing pheasant is that they focus mainly on freshwater and their saltwater department is looking rough. Theres a local community site here in mobile mbrk.com (mobile bay reef keepers) and they all recommended a store on hwy 90 by the name of progressive marine. we went there earlier and checked out what they had to offer. other than a hole in the wall, they had beautiful tank setups and a lot of equipment new and used. theyre more along the lines of "Extreme hobbyists" and not so much "retail" so they had alot of good advice.

An issue Im having now is the fear of a sump flood.... We live in an apartment and we just so happen to be on the 3rd floor so i really cant afford a flood especially if it jeapordizes my neighbors below.

what is the best way to plumb everything to ensure and prevent this disaster from happening?

are those URI bulbs? if they are thats VHO and not too bad for a reef

the guy i spoke with said they are VHO, he recommended i change the bulbs which is a given and with my tank setup, i could use another light strip to go with it. i will begin breaking down the 75g cichlid tank in a few days as soon as i get rid of the fish, then will begin the canopy construction and sump construction. I will post pictures as i go

yup, VHO is ok, bulbs are good output however the better news is that the ballast you have will also run T5 ho bulbs so switching the end caps to t5 caps is pretty easy or add a couple of t5 strips to make the color you want to see, great about pictures! always like to look at builds

Hello and welcome to the site...glad to have you.