Looking for tips and help.

[KatSea]

Hello everyone!

As you can probably tell I'm new to the Saltwater tank world. I've had years with freshwater and Im so glad I'll be able to move up to the next step. I really love reef tanks and hope to be setting up my own in the early months of next year. I was thinking of doing a 75 gallon reef tank and using dry rock. So far... that's all I've figured out. I know I'll need things like protein skimmer, sump, heater, good lighting, and refugium. My questions:

1. Best sump to get/build? If its cheaper to build where can I get a good tutorial in order to make one?

2. What are the best and easiest fish and coral to start out with?

3. Whats some other equipment I'll need that might seem like small things but are needed to keep everything going smooth?

4. Last, Whats a good protein skimmer to use that wont die on me and is easy to use?

You dont have to answer them all but a few hints and tips would be awesome.

Thank you very much for everything!

 

[CuzzA]

Welcome. You're on the right track. Doing your homework. My biggest advice is to read until your eyes hurt. And then read it again to make sure you understand what your researching.

Hello everyone!

As you can probably tell I'm new to the Saltwater tank world. I've had years with freshwater and Im so glad I'll be able to move up to the next step. I really love reef tanks and hope to be setting up my own in the early months of next year. I was thinking of doing a 75 gallon reef tank and using dry rock. So far... that's all I've figured out. I know I'll need things like protein skimmer, sump, heater, good lighting, and refugium. My questions:

1. Best sump to get/build? If its cheaper to build where can I get a good tutorial in order to make one?

Just pick up a 20 gallon long or 40 breeder (whatever you can easily fit in your stand and have access to your skimmer cup) and have some glass panels cut for baffles and silicone them in with GE I 100% Silicone. A simple search on here or the net will give you a good idea of what to do. The important part is your first baffle will set the water depth for your skimmer. You can make it deeper and place the skimmer on a stand. I'm not a fan of refugiums, but some people are and so if you choose to go that route you'll need another baffle for the refugium chamber. It should be past you skimmer chamber.

2. What are the best and easiest fish and coral to start out with?

Easy fish would include Blennys, Gobys, Dartfish, Clownfish, Dottybacks and some Wrasses. Due a search on liveaquaria.com. As far as corals they go in this order from easiest to hardest... soft, lps, sps.

3. Whats some other equipment I'll need that might seem like small things but are needed to keep everything going smooth?

Besides what you already mentioned I would add power heads, gfo and carbon reactors, and a quality uv sterilizer to the list. A quality return pump as well. Eheim is a staple of our hobby for making great, quiet pumps, but there are others too. Buy quality test kits too. Salifert and Red Sea are probably the most popular. For phosphate testing buy a Hanna Checker.

4. Last, Whats a good protein skimmer to use that wont die on me and is easy to use?

You're going to get a lot of suggestions here. I own a Reef Octopus, but some other quality skimmers are Bubble Magnus, iTech, or ATB. Size it right for your tank. Around 1.5-2 times the recommended size tank. Any larger and it won't work right, too small and it will always be playing catching up to remove waste.

You dont have to answer them all but a few hints and tips would be awesome.

Thank you very much for everything!

 

[DaveRaz]

This post is very helpful. Lots of good stuff for ya http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1031074