help a brother out

[Marineaqua2036]

i have a 75 gallon, non predrilled, and i want to set up a reef/fish tank......I am going to take it slow on this tank so my questions are;
1. What combo of overflow/return pump should I use
2 Should I even use a sump or just a hang on skimmer?
3 what kind of skimmer
4. how big sump and what do I put in the sump
5. How much live rock and sand
6. finally do I need anything else, I know I need the heater but just want to make sure I get it right the first time

[HumanIMDB]

1. We're going to be using the LifeReef Overflow (considered by many on RC as the Cadillac of overflows), we're also going to get the CLF1 Sump with optional LifeReefugium and Light for our 92 Gallon
2. Sump will hide your equipment and increase your overall volume. If nothing else, get a skimmer.
3. Not an expert on this and everyone seems to have their favourite brand...be sure to get one that is rated for your tank or bigger...some say double the tank volume rating...so in your case your skimmer would be rated for a 150 Gallon tank.
4. Melev is the king of sumps on RC...check out his post on sumps.
5. Rule of thumb seems to be 1-1 1/2 pounds of rock per gallon. You can use base rock with some live rock to keep costs down but this will increase your "maturing" time. Don't waste your money on live sand, your sand will become live from your live rock...amount of sand depends on what type of bottom you are going for. WaterKeeper has a good post on substrate.
6. The only other "basics" I can think of that you are missing are lights and something to generate flow (powerheads/closed loop).

Patience and a willingness to do a lot of research before doing anything will save you time, money, and frustration...read, read, and read again then ask lots of questions and then read some more.

[phenom5]

1. What combo of overflow/return pump should I use

Are you planning on drilling your tank? Most glass shops will do it for around $15-25 per hole. Or you could drill it yourself, if you look around, there's tons of info on doing it yourself. If your going to go with a HOB overflow, I'd recommend lifereef. As far as the return pump to pair with your overflow, as long as your overflow can handle more water than your pump can pump, you are good.

2 Should I even use a sump or just a hang on skimmer?

IMO, I'd go with a sump. You certainly can do just fine without one, but a sump would be a good addition to the tank. You always hear people say that they wish they had a sump, I don't think I've ever heard someone say that they wish they didn't have a sump.

3 what kind of skimmer

There are a lot of options out there. Euroreef, Aqua C, Deltec, ASM all make good skimmers, and I'm sure there are plenty of others that I didn't list, that will get high marks from the members here. Sorry I can't be more help here.

4. how big sump and what do I put in the sump

Sump should be as big as you have room for. You can put your skimmer, return pump, and heater in the sump, and you can also section off part of your sump as a refugium.

Here's a good site with info about sumps, if you haven't already checked it out.
Melev'sReef

5. How much live rock and sand

General rule of thumb for live rock is 1-2 lbs/ gallon. It really depends on the type of live rock though. 75 lbs of Marshall Island rock (which is very light and porous) would probably get you close to filling your tank, where 75 lbs of Fiji (which is more dense & less porous) wouldn't get you as far. There's a sandbed calculator on the RC front page. I wouldn't bother with live sand though. You can get a good quality "dead" sand, and seed it with sand from another reefers tank.

6. finally do I need anything else, I know I need the heater but just want to make sure I get it right the first time

That my friend, is a loaded question.

[tkeracer619]

Drill the tank. Make sure it's not tempered. Since it is empty I see no reason to us a hang on back overflow. Check ebay for $6 diomond bits.

1. Drilled, preferably in 2 spots. Ehiem makes a good return pump as does mag and many other brands. A mag 5 or comparable is probably a good choice.

2. Yes, sump.

3. The Coralvue Octopus skimmers seem to be great bang for the buck, especially if you mod them.

4. As big as you can fit. Put your skimmer, heater, auto top off, and any other equipment you choose to add. If you have room for a refugium then some algae such as cheato would be great.

5. Atleast 75lbs+ of rock. Don't jam it in there, give open space for swimming. Put leftover rock in sump.

6. Titanium or plastic heater. Skip the glass junk.

[osprey3883]

Hello,
+1 for adding a sump/refugium. It can hide the equipment, safe place for pods top reproduce, help with waste and adds more water volume. Definitely one of those things that is best to plan before you fill up the main tank IMO.

Matt

[Marineaqua2036]

Thanks everyone this was very helpful