Completely new..

[Paste]

Completely new.. hence this being my 1st post.
just in the planing phase and need to kinda get a list of everything I am going to need and how it works.
I like to over plan stuff, so saltwater seems to be a good fit.

looking to do a 75 Gal Reef tank, haven't even gotten to where I decide what fish I want, figured I would get the equipment setup, some live rock and corral going and cleaners then see where I am at.

So question is what all do I need?... is there a newbie checklist somewhere?
keep seeing different people saying different stuff when it comes to supplies.

Tank (duh)
place to put tank (got that)
skimmer (is this the only "filtration" used? what all does it do and how to shop for one?)
Lighting... (again, how do you shop for this? different things need special lights to grow?)
Thermometer. (again.. easy)
Top... (again opinions vary)
Heater (not super worried about this most should work.. will be rarely needed in my opinion, I am in Texas)
Sand or something for the bottom
a smaller tank/rubbermaid to act as a sump? (kinda clueless on this from what I understand its to add water to give you more dispersal area??? and hide filters and crap?)

anything else?
looking to start in a week or 2..

Thanks in advance
Rick.

 

[wontonflip]

Welcome to the site!!!

Your list looks good. If you're going reef, a good t5 light or metal halide or even a nice powerful LED setup would be good. Get a refractometer to check your salinity. They're way more reliable than swing-arm hydrometers. Also get some test kits....a good one to start with are dropper test kits that tests ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates.

For a sump, any sturdy container will do; most do use a smaller tank they buy cheaply from craigslist or walmart or petco or something. I use a large pond liner, but that's cuz I've had bad luck with rubbermaids LOL

Yes, a skimmer is a great way to keep the water clean. It takes food and poop out of the water column before they break down. Live rock and live sand are all the filtration you'll need, so don't get any canister filters or biowheels.

For the top, avoid glass tops, as they slow the gas exchange. Go with a screen top or one of those plastic ceiling grids. There are some DIY tops here....just search for it in DIY. The tops prevent jumpers from getting out.

For sand, make sure it's not crushed coral. Use aragonite or something finer. That should start you off :)

 

[little_fish]

Hello and Welcome


+1 Wonton. There is also lots of great information in the articles section and read the stickies in the new to reefing section for other good info

 

[Paste]

yeah, been reading the stickies and this site for about a week now. that is how I got what I got all together.

Haven't even hit the local shop yet (sure they will have some info as well).

Many Many thanks Wonton, I felt I was close... was probably going to avoid Rubbermaid as petco has the dollar a gallon sale right now and I can grab a 20 on the cheep.

 

[wontonflip]

Be careful about the LFS' advice! Many reefers here, including myself, have been misled when first starting out, convincing me to buy things that were costly but unnecessary, or that were unsuitable for the tank. Good thing you've done basic research so you know what to watch out for.

My 2 favorite LFS's are great with advice, and usually spot on, but they are still a business, after all (case in point, they got me to buy live sand when I could've just gotten regular dry sand since I was prepared for a cycle hehehhe...then the miracle mud incident....I don't like to dwell on that costly purchase LOL!!)

 

[Paste]

Actually, I probably wont be getting any fish from my local shops...
My fiance owned a pet store for a good long while, she didn't do saltwater but had a bunch of freshwater stuff. She is still in contact with her wholesale person that she was always happy with the quality of her stock, he would be just doing a couple one off fish at a the wholesale price.

 

[Northstar24]

Take the advice of your LFS very skeptically, many have been mislead by less than ethical stores. It helps to have some background (it sounds like you already do). Ask lots of questions, and remember the answers they give you. Come back here with the questions and the answers, and we will help you determine if they are setting you on the right path. They want you to open your wallet, while we just want you to stick around and have a successful tank - totally different motivations

Also, if it is in your budget, I would advise going larger than a 20 if you can. You'll be very limited in what you can keep in a tank that size fish wise, 1-2 small fish and that's about it.

Have you looked into fish at all? If there is a fish you discover that is a 'must have' it pays to have that in mind while you are designing your system out

 

[Paste]

noooo, the 20 will be for the sump...

looking at 75... (compromise with fiance, she wanted 55 I wanted 90)

 

[wontonflip]

Have you looked into fish at all? If there is a fish you discover that is a 'must have' it pays to have that in mind while you are designing your system out

Boy ain't that the truth! We upgraded from a 45g to a 125g because I wanted a yellow tang (got a foxface instead heheeh).

 

[Paste]

ohhh..
and the fish I must have, I may not want it as much after reading everyones opinion of it over the last few days.
I think the Cardinalfish are just beautiful, but everyone finds them inactive and boring.

 

[little_fish]

Lies!!! I love my cardinal, he is a goof ball and Samhain likes her trio too!

 

[wontonflip]

I LOVE my cardinal :D His name's 'Oh' because he has a big mouth when he eats :) Mine swims around a lot; he's rather graceful. I've had mine for 3 1/2 years now. He is one of my first fish, and my 2nd favorite next to my foxface. You should get 2 or 3. I wish I had gotten more than 1.

 

[Paste]

Awesome!
Glad you guys dig yours... makes me feel better.
Fiance has one pretty simple request, she wants a Clown and an anemone, I don't think I would say no to that (and we have 3 kids 2 of which grew up on Nemo).

 

[wontonflip]

I'd wait on the nem, though. They can be hard to care for in a new tank, and a dead nem can wipe our your entire tank because they release toxins. Let your tank mature and stabilize first :) Clowns don't need nems anyway. Mine hosts one of the overflows :mrgreen:

 

[Kelz88]

Get the clown, but skip the nem. Nemo was in a nem for all of 3 seconds in that movie anyways ;)

It usually takes about a year for your tank to mature enough for a nem, they are sensitive to slight changes in pretty much anything.

 

[Paste]

Get the clown, but skip the nem. Nemo was in a nem for all of 3 seconds in that movie anyways ;)

It usually takes about a year for your tank to mature enough for a nem, they are sensitive to slight changes in pretty much anything.

Right on, a year or so huh? will make sure to remember that, Clown may be a bit down the road as well. Was planning to take it really slow anyway, wasn't going to add a single fish for a couple months and from there maybe 1 a month until I hit 6-8 depending mostly on size, aggression and overall health of the tank.

 

[little_fish]

you can add your first fish right after the cycle is done, and I would suggest doing it to keep the bacteria fed. However, waiting a month between additions is an excellent idea

 

[Paste]

you can add your first fish right after the cycle is done, and I would suggest doing it to keep the bacteria fed. However, waiting a month between additions is an excellent idea

and just to be sure... when is the cycle done?
once all the numbers are stable for X period of time?

 

[Waddi]

Looks like the ladies have you covered!
And the tank will be cycling if you are still showing ammonia on your test kit. So when your Ammonia and Nitrite are at zero you will have cycled, and you can do a nice water change and add fish slowly!

 

[FishyReef]

Cycling the tank: https://www.livingreefs.com/cycling-tank-adding-fish-and-corals-t26452.html

Also, you'll want to add a couple of powerheads to your list of necessary equipment, a refractometer like Wonton said, and dry/live rock! The rock is your primary source of biological filtration, about 1-2lbs per gallon. If you don't have the tank yet, I'd try to look for a drilled tank - they are easier for a sump than an HOB overflow, but that is an option as well.

Welcome!