new to the aquarium thing

[ashchad]

i have a general idea of what i need to do for fish to live and survive, and everything, i bought a 75 gallon tank and stand, took a glass scraper to the inside of the tank, and i'm going to start filtering it, and i have a general idea of what kind of fish i want in the tank, and how to take care of them etc.... what i want to know is
1. should i invest in a sump pump for this big of tank?
2. does it really matter what gravel/rocks i have in the tank?

 

[rich311k]

1. No
2. Yes, some substrates and rocks can alter the KH of the tank. Depending on the fish, this can be a bad thing. If you decide to plant it, the gravel needs to be fine.

 

[Menagerie]

WELCOME

1. No. Personally, I love canister filters.
2. Great answer, Rich!

 

[ashchad]

what is KH? sorry, real noob i know

 

[Menagerie]

Measurement for water hardness. Some fish need a specific hardness and others seem to do well in whatever you put them in.

What fish are you planning on?

 

[Purrbox]

KH is carbonate hardness and is the primary buffer for your pH. The higher your KH the higher your pH will also be.