New guy here

[Db1060]

hello everybody my name is dan im new to the saltwater hobby. Im in the proccess of purchasing my first saltwater tank. Mainly wanna do fish only right now, this is the setup im gonna go with whats everyones thought on this beginner budget build.

75gallon tank
Fluval 306
AQ led light fixture "48 " the one you can add bulbs to"
At heater 250watt. With a guard
Live rock
Dry rock


Thank you for your time
-dan

 

[aresangel]

For what you spend on the canister filter you can build a sump for 1/4 or less the price. I have a canister filter my school bought and you have to be good on changing the media and there is more and more costs associated with that with filter pad replacements etc. I would have a back up heater in there set a few degrees below the first so 1 if there is a failure your fish won't get too cold, 2 if your water change water is not as warm as the tank water (which it rarely is) both heaters jump into action heating the water more quickly.

Welcome to the hobby, you say fish only but once you start seeing all these sweet reef tanks you might change your mind. In that case I would say go with a stronger light to save you a purchase in the future [emoji6]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Chris A.]

Welcome and angel is right, if you have the slightest thought of ever converting to a reef get as much as you can as a reef setup now to save later.

 

[Db1060]

I dont have the money for a protein skimmer can anyone give me a link to a 75g or bigger one for a reasonable price? And do really have to run a protein skimmer in a sump? Sorry for so many questions

 

[Chris A.]

There was one on here for free a couple of days ago


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Chris A.]

For fowlr you don't need a skimmer but will help with cleaning up the fish poop. There's hang on back ( HOB ) skimmers that you can use instead of needing a sump but you're limited to how big you can go. People do keep sumpless reefs but it's not too common. Ask as many questions as needed. We all have and still do


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Chris A.]

http://bostonreefers.org/forums/index.php?threads/free-rr-75-gallon.158099/

 

[Db1060]

Thanks chris

 

[aresangel]

I use my skimmer now.. but I didn't use one for 2 years. I surface skimmed with a fine netting when protein built up on the surface.

I would start with the tank, heater and sump. Then you have time before a skimmer is imminent.

Probably the most important thing
Properly cycle your tank. Have an empty tank running with either an ammonia starter, some people use a shrimp to rot away, or heavily ghost feeding (feed a lot of food to no fish). Test throughout to make sure your bacteria can convert that ammonia to nitrites and then to nitrates.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Db1060]

What is a good sump for a 75g and what is a good decient skimmer for cheap price

 

[Chris A.]

You can fit any 36 inch tank under a 75.
Skimmer is more budget vs efficiency

 

[Db1060]

So if i dont put a skimmer in the sump how would i get the water from the MT to the sump tank? Also do you guys have recommendation on what type of pumps to use in the sump

 

[Chris A.]

The water actually drains from the main tank into the sump and is pumped from the sump into the main tank

 

[Chris A.]

The best way for you to get a idea would be to see someone's setup and how it all works. Maybe someone local to you could show you and help you out a bit ( face to face is way easier to understand lol )

 

[Db1060]

Right right thank you very much everybody for the help n tips.

 

[Chris A.]

Look at some build threads on here to get a idea. I'm not good at explaining things but I'll try my best to help you out

 

[Chris A.]

Here's something I found online
You don't need the refugium part but it's always a plus to have

 

[Saltydoug]

To get the water from the mt to the sump you need a "reef ready" tank which is predrilled and comes with an overflow and the internal plumbing.
Alternatively if your into going the diy route you can drill the tank yourself as long as it's not tempered glass. I wouldn't recommend this to a new comer unless your really crafty.

Most people these days dont use a canister filter for various reasons but if you have no intention of adding corals and keep up with the maintenance it will work fine.

Their are many methods of running a saltwater tank and they are constantly debated. As long as you have a plan in place for nutrient export ( canister filter/skimmer/refugium/water changes etc) you will be fine.

Its very long but if your really interested in learning about the hobby may i recommend you watch the BRS series 52 weeks of reefing on YouTube. You can skip over the coral related weeks if your not interested.

 

[Chris A.]

[QUOTE="

Its very long but if your really interested in learning about the hobby may i recommend you watch the BRS series 52 weeks of reefing on YouTube. You can skip over the coral related weeks if your not interested.[/QUOTE]

Good tip

 

[Db1060]

Yeah i watch those videos thank you for the tip saltydoug and thank you chris for the picture