Questions from the saltwater newbie

[apinkmanatee]

Hello everyone! So I'm new pretty new here, and have about a million questions for you all But I'm gonna start out with just a few...

Can someone explain what a sump is...and when is it needed?
About how much live rock is needed (my tank is 65 gal)? And what is a good ratio of base rock to live rock?
What does IMO mean??
Are yellow tangs ok in a 65 gallon? I was really hoping for a tang, and I've read different minumum gallon requirements for them.
What kind of water testing kits would you recommend? I think I saw somewhere that the strips are inaccurate?

I have a million more. But I think that's a good start. Thanks guys!

 

[Ibrahim]

Hello everyone! So I'm new pretty new here, and have about a million questions for you all But I'm gonna start out with just a few...

Can someone explain what a sump is...and when is it needed?
About how much live rock is needed (my tank is 65 gal)? And what is a good ratio of base rock to live rock?
What does IMO mean??
Are yellow tangs ok in a 65 gallon? I was really hoping for a tang, and I've read different minumum gallon requirements for them.
What kind of water testing kits would you recommend? I think I saw somewhere that the strips are inaccurate?

I have a million more. But I think that's a good start. Thanks guys!

Welcome!!
1. A sump is another tank beneath your display tank. It acts as a filtration unit and a place to store all of your equipment.

2. I'd say about 70lbs base and 10lbs live.

3. In my opinion

4. Nope they need 6 feet of swimming room so a 125g minimum.

5. Sailfert are the best ones but API will work too. Also know that hydrometers are also inaccurate. Go with a Refractometer which are 99% accurate when calibrated correctly.

 

[AquaRick]

Hi there!
Most folks go for 1-1.5 lbs per gallon of water. It's up to you though. There's really no ratio of base to live rock. All your base will become live while your tank cycles. I went with a 20% live to 80% base and worked just fine.
IMO = in my opinion?
Check out liveaquaria.com for fish space need etc. The yellows need a larger tank than a 65g.
As for testing kits, stay away from strips. I switched over from API 9your basic cheap kit) to Red Sea and i like the Red Sea kits alot more. Much more accurate, and less of a guessing game with a color wheel etc. API is decent to start out with, but i'd recommend to just get a better test kit now sooner than later.

 

[apinkmanatee]

Thank you both for the help!