help me get started please

[aquandrew]

so my dad is selling me his fish tank that he invested about 4 grand in. this was his small one he spent about 15 grand on his 180 gallon. hes planning on selling the 75 gallon to me for 400 bucks. it is a 75 gallon aqueon with a 20 gallon sump/refugium full of bio balls. 2 750 powerheads, 80 pounds of decorative live rock that is now dried up and not live anymore. 80 pounds of crushed coral substrate. a 48 inch fluorescent light. comes with a black stand and is drilled so the sub pump is hidden under the tank. it has a heater not sure what kind but he said its way too strong so it also has a chiller he used the heater more than needed and used the chiller to regulate it. he is also giving me a refractometer and ro/di unit. so basically all i need is salt. what i want to know is how much new live rock i need to put in it to get the system live again because this rock is beautiful and i dont want to get rid of it. also i want to know some good beginner fish to house for the first 6 months because i plan on getting the lighting and extra powerheads necessary to grow coral. it also has a protein skimmer not sure what kind. this is my first saltwater ever but i have lots of experience with freshwater so im just looking for some help. thanks guys!!! i am in no way in a rush and know all about cycling so you dont need to say "first start off by cycling"

 

[aquandrew]

i have a 100 dollar 700 page book called the reef aquarium im just looking for tips on what to do for now til the reef

 

[Voshon247]

You should the the water cycle started get salt that is good for reefs and have essential elements etc and the rock will be live again because its the bacteria that makes it live but other wise than that you got that tank for a steal.

 

[aquandrew]

yeah i know im so excited the tank and stand alone cost more than that. its going to be started set up in a few weeks after i save some money from a couple paychecks but hes saving it for me. do you recommend doing a fishless with ammonia cycle? or would doing the shrimp method be better? he didnt have very much luck with his tanks and gave up on them but he does that with a lot of stuff lol. this is a big step up from my small freshwater tanks but ive heard bigger is easier for beginners in saltwater. would clowns do okay in the tank without coral or anemone? he also has an overflow setup for the tank to make water changes a breeze so im really stoked about that too. i know i want some sort of shrimp and a halloween hermit crab along with the normal cleanup crew. i also really want a starry blenny but know that cant happen until there is a sufficient source of algae in the tank. can a yellow tang go in a 75?

 

[aquandrew]

also thank you for the reply and you didnt specify do i need to add any live rock to help it get started? will 10 extra pounds in the sump help get it live faster? and will the crushed coral still keep the ph at the right level?

 

[Rmckoy]

also thank you for the reply and you didnt specify do i need to add any live rock to help it get started? will 10 extra pounds in the sump help get it live faster? and will the crushed coral still keep the ph at the right level?

When you mix the salt water to 1.025 SG
And let the tank cycle , the bacteria is what is live on the rock .
The bacteria only starts as the cycle finishes .
Adding a ammonia source ( fresh shrimp ) from the seafood counter at your grocery store works like a charm .

 

[Voshon247]

yeah i know im so excited the tank and stand alone cost more than that. its going to be started set up in a few weeks after i save some money from a couple paychecks but hes saving it for me. do you recommend doing a fishless with ammonia cycle? or would doing the shrimp method be better? he didnt have very much luck with his tanks and gave up on them but he does that with a lot of stuff lol. this is a big step up from my small freshwater tanks but ive heard bigger is easier for beginners in saltwater. would clowns do okay in the tank without coral or anemone? he also has an overflow setup for the tank to make water changes a breeze so im really stoked about that too. i know i want some sort of shrimp and a halloween hermit crab along with the normal cleanup crew. i also really want a starry blenny but know that cant happen until there is a sufficient source of algae in the tank. can a yellow tang go in a 75?

The shrimp method would be best just get a shrimp from the grocery store or a fish market which would be best because the shrimp needs to be fresh and not steamed or broiled. Make sure the shrimp is in a net of some sorts because you wouldn't want it breaking down and making a mess in ur tank.The fish method is horrible when I first started my tank the lfs told me too do that but I just ended up wasting my money because I bought 3 damsels which went through he'll and then they ended up killing themselves and the clownfishes I tried to add. So shrimp method would be best to me. Yes clowns would do okay and probably even better I have 2 paired clowns and they do fine without an anemone. I wouldnt use a yellow tang but there was another tang that might work for that size because I wanted it for my future 90g but I can't remember the name so I will get back too you on that.

 

[Live2Reef]

i have a 100 dollar 700 page book called the reef aquarium im just looking for tips on what to do for now til the reef

What book? Im looking to expand my library

 

[aquandrew]

its called the reef aquarium over 650 pages and very detailed with pictures

 

[Live2Reef]

Thank you sir I will be picking that one up later today hopefully

 

[Live2Reef]

Cute hello kitty ds in the background lol

 

[aquandrew]

haha yeah the funny thing is my girlfriend gave it to me and she got a black 3ds lol so i play the pink one haha. any advice on picasso clowns? are they also pretty hardy?

 

[aquandrew]

i know they cost quite a bit more than an occellaris clown but i wanna know if it has a good chance of surviving. and is 10 gallons enough for a qt tank? and how do i go about setting that up

 

[Live2Reef]

For a qt tank I would probably say a minimum of 20 you dont want anything to be cramped up for 2-4 weeks

On the clowns from the research I have done I like them too. They are hardier when captive bread over wild caught but are tolerable either way

 

[aquandrew]

alright thank you im converting my 10 and 20 high freshwater into a 55 gallon in a few weeks so would a 20 high work? and if i put in a cleaner crew and fed them regularly would that keep it cycled? ive also been toying with the idea of acclimating a molly to saltwater so i might keep one of those in there too to keep the tank going.

 

[Voshon247]

A 20 should do and I don't think a clean crew in the 2O is necessary I would just keep my 20g a bare bottom because you only need it when adding new fish and corals and keeping unhealthy fish so a bare bottom will help be be cleaner ( just what a new and or unhealthy fish needs)

And I remember the tangs name it is a bristle tooth tomini tang or just a bristle tooth tang. I believe the minimum tank requirement is 70 or 75g but they are semi aggressive like almost ever other tang

 

[aquandrew]

okay do i need to put in filter media from a cycle tank in the qt each time i get a new fish?

 

[Voshon247]

I honestly never had a quarantine tank and I should it would of save me a bunch but u can constantly keep it running or a week or couple of days before you the the fish coral or invertebrate use water from your fish tank would be best because the fish/etc would be getting used to your water or if it is a wounded fish it might be too much of a dramatic change. You should probably have your sump connected to that tank as well that would be best

 

[aquandrew]

wouldnt that spread the disease to the main tank if they have a disease?

 

[Live2Reef]

I think Voshon is referring to using your refugium for an injured fish not to hokd new acquisition....this practice is used especially when you have something new in yiur QT already. If the fish is showing signs of aliment you definitely dont wont to treat it in your sump