New 75 build - want it to be perfect HELP!!!

[toonascott]

I am going from a 40 g reef to a 75 g.
I have been reading threads for months to find the perfect combination. Help me decide.

Here is what I have so far.

75 Allglass predrilled with megaflow overflow plumbing.

6 bags livesand

 

[toonascott]

Here is the list of things that help determine my setup.

1/ No powerheads in the display tank. So a closed loop that will not require drilling tank. (- leaning towards Melev cool little closed loop with the pickup in my overflow.

2/ NO FREAKING MICRO BUBBLES IN MY TANK - the bubbles get under the "skin" of my LPS

3/ Phosphate and Calcium Reactor and kalk stirrer

4/ Controller that can handle the reactors, kalk, topoff, dosing, lighting

5/ Self contained Lighting system with halides without needing a chiller. ( - leaning towards 48" Outer Orbit 2x150W 10,000K HQI w/4 T5)

6/ The best skimmer system $600 can buy.

7/ A sump with a 44x16 footprint, with a refugium. (hope to con Melev into making me one, hahahaha)

8/ I want to keep sps, lps, softies, tridacna, 1 anemone, cleaner shrimp, gargonia, bunch of peppermint shrimp.

9/ Following fish list - Blue (hippo) Tang, two tank raised percula,
royal gramma, lawnmower blenny, flame goby, mandarin goby, flame angel, yellow tang.

10/ I also believe in using Kent Reef Carbon, Seachem Phosguard, and that Lee Harvey acted alone. hahaha


So flood me with responses and knowledge people. I have gone through alot of posts and there are some real gurus out there, HELP!!!!!

 

[mg426]

Looks good fill er up.

 

[toonascott]

well all I have is the tank, heater, sand, rio plus 2100, some cool shelf rock and a sump that will not cut it.

mg426 - since you are the President of the seaclone haters club, hahahahaha. What ya think I should use for a skimmer?

I am digging the aquac 180.

 

[toonascott]

I want this to be the cleanest, most bullet proof 75 gallon reef I can make it.

That is why I havent even made the cabinet yet. I have home for the water and rock when I am ready to tear her down and complete the stand.

I want her plumbed and skimming her little heart out, then I am going to make an electrical cabinet on one end and a locked dry goods cabinet on the other end.

I will be using white epoxy to seal the sump area of cabinet when ready.

 

[toonascott]

Here is the latest and greatest photo of my project.

Like I said, I am hoping to get a custom sump that will hold everything in my want list. Then I will prolly put this Sealife Systems Refugium/Sump on my 40 gallon. At least then I can put my micro bubble factory ( CPR BakPak Skimmer) into the sump.

By the way, the CPR BakPak does a dang good job of pulling crap out of the tank)

 

[chrismunn]

well im going to enjoy watching this one!

look framiliar?
yes i have the same thing going on.
the first thing i would have to say is to get all your equipment in place before setting it up! you sound like you have a plan. it would be an awfull shame to have something go wrong way down the road because you were too eager!
with that being said...
well i dont know what else to say?:lol:
i have the euro reef es5-3 for the same setup, except i have a 55g tank for the sump. i tried the skimmer on a smaller set up and it was pretty bad (good)! i think it will work great for me, but if you have $600.oo to spend, well then do it to it homie! go BIG!
why no chiller? i know why, but dont exclude it as an option if neccesary in the future.
your stocking list for corals is vauge at best but, but generally what you wont wont neccesarily work out all that great in such a small tank. this is for numerous reasons beyond the scope of this post, but major research should be in place before going through with all that! im sure your well aware of the possibility for warfare within the tank. avoid it at all costs!
i dont know jack about fish, but some of thoes get pretty big right? the tangs in specific... and the flame angel, ive heard that thoes shouldnt be in a reef, but like i said, i know nothing about the fish and i could be wrong?

thoes are the only things i can pick on you about right now, but there is always tommarow!
-cheers...

 

[emerald chondro]

sounding good, the only thing im against is you probably wont be able to do both tangs and the flame, maybe a tang in a flame but thats still pushing it (you can do the rest of the fish otherwise)

 

[chrismunn]

:eek2: are thoes bio balls? are you crazy man? thats not a fish only tank! get rid of thoes... sure it gives a place for beneficial bacteria to colonize for the time being, but when you decide to remove them, which you will do all at once im sure, its going to throw off the stability of your natural filtration method which could potentially wreak havok on your tank! bio-balls are a nitrate factory anyways. im sure you know that?

 

[chrismunn]

i just noticed that you have been doing this for 12 years, so i feel a little out of place telling you what to do. i think im just going to mind my own buisness now ok? thanks...

 

[toonascott]

Yeeeehaw!!!! I am so glad to hear from fellow dreamers.

Let's see if we can make this the worlds most comprehensive "How to setup a killer 75 g reef " thread. Hahaha

 

[toonascott]

Chrismunn - Don't worry, the bio balls are going bio bye!!!

 

[toonascott]

emerald chondro - thanks for the heads up on the tang/flame angel equation.

I hate learning those fish equations the hardway.

I have already learned many. But because I have always had mini reef, I never had more than one tang.


Glad to see you also enjoy Herpetology. I have dabbled, but the reef bug and tuning race cars prevents me from entertaining another expensive passtime. I miss my poablan milksnake though, she was cheap and low maintenance.

 

[toonascott]

Here is some of the livestock I have that may work its way over to the 75g.

 

[toonascott]

 

[chrismunn]

very cool

 

[toonascott]

 

[emerald chondro]

your coral choices look fine...good luck on getting a healthy sun, Im glad to see your not skimping as far as equipment quality ..Calcium reactor will definitly help.

Yea i almost got a pueb but ended up with a couple mexican milksnakes , and 2 green tree pythons

 

[Electrobes]

I am liking the system set up thus far. I would indeed get opinions on a new return pump though.. as you prob know Rios are dangerous in their own right in any tank.

As for a skimmer many people love the Euroreefs or the ASMs. The AquaC skimmer (The urchin?) is also one that is favored by other reefers.

I love my Phosban Reactor and just recently started using Phosban with success. The only thing I hate about it is the set up when one is sumpless like me. But with you using a sump you'll be just dandy. Phosban is ferric which in my opinion is better to use with softies than aluminum based phosphate removers.

As for Carbon I honestly can not find something better in price AND quality than Black Diamond. Cylindrical shapes (I think Kent's is like that) for carbon just isn't as efficient than crumbles pieces.

HTH

 

[toonascott]

Skimmer... Skimmer.... Skimmer.... I have skimmer on the brain.
This is what I consider the most important piece of the tank.

My "stand elves" goofed, I only have 24 " for a skimmer under there.

I think I have to ditch my current stand, time for my crew of "stand elves" to make me another one. Here they are making my last one.

The big hairy one with the sun visor was in charge, so I can't blame the others.