New tank

[alouba]

so my roommate and i decided to start a salt water tank next year
he'll be bringing his 75 gallon tank with the nessesary lights, heater, and filter

we plan on keeping just 3 fishes
1 picasso trigger
1 snowflake eel
1 porcupine puffer

is there any problem with keeping these 3 fishes together?
we don't plan on putting in any corals, just a bunch of live rocks

i also need a detailed list of equipment
so far i came up with:
salt mix
hydrometer
nitrate/phosphate tester
nitrate/phosphate conditioner
protein skimmer
lots of live rock......so expensive
substrate
powerhead

what am i missing?

any general advice for me?

also, i would like to grow some snails/feeder shrimp for food
how could i go about doing that?
thanks

 

[lando]

Welcome to AquariumAdvoce.com!!!
I think your fish list is okay for a 75gal. With those messy eaters in there you will need a pretty regular cleaning schedule so keeping the bioload down is a must to maintain acceptable water parameters.

nitrate/phosphate tester

PO4 is not needed in the begining. NH3, NO2, NO3, SG, Ph are whats important.

nitrate/phosphate conditioner

Do yo mean like a tap water conditioner? Skip it and use RO/DI water. A much higher quality water then regular tap and less likely to cause you problems. You can get it at most LFS or just buy a RO/DI filter and make your own at home.

lots of live rock......so expensive

www.liverocks.com

substrate

I suggest using sand instead of CC. Easier to maintain.

what am i missing?

"The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" by Robert Fenner.

 

[alouba]

nice
thanks
ya i am going to get sand bottom
can someone link mw to where i could find a complete test kit?
i guess i should buy a ro/di filter, do they cost a lot?
i know buying distilled water cost a ton.....

i posted over at grimreefers.com and it seems like a porcupine puffer will get too big and the picasso is pushing it
any other puffer that won't be eaten by the trigger?

and anyway to grow my own live food?

thanks

 

[saltcreep1025]

Im not sure about a complete test kit, but the general consensus i that salifer tests are the best if you are going for quality over price. Check out ebay for the ro/di filter. They are pretty cheap on there.

 

[alouba]

salifer tester?