New 75 gal

[mudbucket72]

I found a great deal on a 75 gal and am going to start my first salt water tank will be a reef tank with deep sand bed gonna try and go for a full eco system in my tank lol. Fist saltwater adventure and advice would be much appreciated

MuDbUcKeT72. mts sufferer

 

[bond300]

Check out The Fish Tank Doc. on YouTube!!!!! Very good info!!!!!

 

[Mebbid]

Take things slowly and you cant go wrong did you have any fairly specific questions?

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[mudbucket72]

Is a protein skimmer needed at first or can that wait till I get my tank going

MuDbUcKeT72. mts sufferer

 

[Mebbid]

Is a protein skimmer needed at first or can that wait till I get my tank going

MuDbUcKeT72. mts sufferer

"Needed"? No, but it will make life a lot easier and save you quite a bit of money on salt with water changes. If you want to wait for a skimmer I would highly suggest at the very least the largest refugium you can fit in your stand.

 

[mudbucket72]

Well for the first 3 or 4 months it will be live rock only just to let it do its thing then maybe add a hardy fish and see where it goes before I get too involved building the reef

MuDbUcKeT72. mts sufferer

 

[bond300]

Well for the first 3 or 4 months it will be live rock only just to let it do its thing then maybe add a hardy fish and see where it goes before I get too involved building the reef

MuDbUcKeT72. mts sufferer

I used the Dr Tim's Bacterial Additive an added to Clowns to start my cycle the added 5lbs of live rock per week. Also I would have my skimmer at the start using AquaC Remora with drain tube no sump needed!

 

[mudbucket72]

I got a steal on a excalibur so that's what I'll be using I have a wet/dry filter that I will be using as a sump and a separate 15 gal as a refugium but can't fit the skimmer in the inlet section of the sump so thinking of putting it in the middle where the filter media would normally go. Is this a good or bad idea

MuDbUcKeT72. mts sufferer

 

[mudbucket72]

Ok I will be selling the wet/dry.
I'm getting a 25 and a 30gal tanks for 40$
so I'm gonna make the 30 the sump and the 25 a refugium.
should definitely be able to fit my skimmer in there can't wait to get everything together and cycling.
Oh and it should be fine to drill the side glass on those tanks right?

MuDbUcKeT72. mts sufferer

 

[Mebbid]

How are you going to plumb the 2 separate tanks into the primary one?

 

[mudbucket72]

I was gonna have a power head feed the refugium and have it drain back into the return of the sump

MuDbUcKeT72. mts sufferer

 

[mudbucket72]

Or should I have the "dirty"/tank water feed the refugium

MuDbUcKeT72. mts sufferer

 

[Mebbid]

Personally, I think plumbing multiple sumps / refugiums together isnover complicating the process and risking failure ofnone of the parts. If it were me, I would just stick with a single tank as a refugium.

 

[mudbucket72]

I might have to do that anyways with the bulk head fittings I don't think I'll have the room under my stand

MuDbUcKeT72. mts sufferer

 

[mudbucket72]

O well it will give me room to hide the ato under there

MuDbUcKeT72. mts sufferer

 

[mudbucket72]

This is the deal I got on Craigslist all for about 300$ just having a hard time deciding what tank to use as a sump/fuge. the 15 gal would be the only one that will fit in the back the 25 and 35 would have to be dropped down in. hoping to have it all set up by tax season

MuDbUcKeT72. mts sufferer

 

[mudbucket72]

Gonna have rke elite 2 165w led lights mag drive 9.5 return pump tunze auto top off and not sure on the wave makers yet

MuDbUcKeT72. mts sufferer

 

[JMorris271]

With that little space you really don't have room for the fuge. I would just do a sump,or cut a hole in the side to pass the 20 through if you need to, Other stuff takes up room in the sump too you know. 2 tank sump/fuge is asking for trouble.

 

[mudbucket72]

Well I removed the plywood from the bottom and put it on the actual bottom I gained about 3 inches enough to put the 35 in and still be able to do maintenance rather easily. Now just need to add some baffles to the sump


MuDbUcKeT72. mts sufferer

 

[JMorris271]

Nothing like a little creativity