starting up a 75 gallon saltwater

[newreefer55]

Hoping to start our 75 gallon saltwater tank within the week. Going shopping to switch out my crushed coral with sand after seeing all the post that crushed coral wasn't a good substrate. Any suggestion on type of sand and size? I don't want a deep bed, probably an inch or 2, how much do you think we will need ?

 

[grozier]

75g. with a two inch bed should be around 75lbs (roughly) go with whatever is the next step up from sugar. mine moves around to much and I don't have that much flow and I'm always tweeking my heads around.

 

[newreefer55]

thanks, so not real fine but next step up?

 

[chichimom79]

thanks, so not real fine but next step up?

Yep :)

 

[Ted]

+1 to above..:Cheers:

 

[newreefer55]

Is it ok to sprinkle the crushed coral over the 2 " of live sand, just lightly without being a problem? Also have a question on how to run our lighting once we start up our tank? Our live rock has alot of kenya tree coral already on it and also a hammer coral. I have seen so many lighting schedules so need to know the best time to run the blue lights and the best to run the white and blue daytime lights.

A few pics of the live rock we bought that had alot of Kenya tree coral.

 

[Ted]

My actinic lights are on for 10 hours a day the whites are on for 8. So blue comes on a hour before and is on a hour after the whites. I have mine start coming on at noon. This works for me and my work schedule because it gives me the most time when I am home to see the tank. I am running a 4 bulb t5 light setup. Depending on your lights power and how you a have light acclimated everything in your tank it could be different.