setting up a 75 gallon tank

jason30701 · 11/29/2011, 07:28 PM

what filtration should i use? as well as lighting both LED and T5? how much live rock? what corals for a beginner? fish recommendations?

BuckeyeFan · 11/29/2011, 08:31 PM

Read the Sticky's . Jason they will answer a lot of your questions...Welcome to RC!!

Reef Doctor · 11/30/2011, 11:37 AM

+1 on reading the Sticky's...all of them. You will learn a lot more, at a quicker rate than just reading books on saltwater tanks. I would recommend following some threads on similar questions you have for a while as well. In my limited experience, it has been beneficial to have everything planned out, equipment purchases, fish, etc. before you buy anything, then submit your info on a thread and ask for opinions. You will avoid a lot of mistakes that way. In saltwater it's not "measure twice, cut once..." it is more like, "measure five times, cut once!"

Welcome to RC

blt · 11/30/2011, 12:44 PM

Fish and coral recommendations are entirely personal preference, though people might be able to offer suggestions if you give us an idea of what you like or what you're looking for.

Beware of some "easy corals for beginners" though. Some of them (notably star polyps) can become a nuisance later and is hard to get rid of when it starts taking over the tank. Do your research to find out if something is "easy to keep" or just "hard to kill".

zeeter · 11/30/2011, 01:15 PM

The stickies can get a bit overwhelming sometimes. Pages and pages of information that isn't related to what you want before stumbling upon relative information.

Most of what you want to know depend on how much you want to invest. My best advice is that if you know it's only going to be a minor hobby then buy small. But if you think you might really get into it then spend the money up front because you'll spend double later on replacing the lesser equipment you bought in the beginning.

If you're a beginner you are stuck with mostly leather corals and shrooms. Anything else will likely bleach out and die. The tank needs at least 9 months to a year to mature to the point where you can put expensive corals in there. Try a toadstool or something like that.

I started out with the book Saltwater Aquariums for Dummies because I'm mostly a dummy. It really does a good job of teaching the basics without getting into the minutia. You'll get up and running quickly and while you're cycling you can begin to think of how much you want to invest.

fishgate · 11/30/2011, 01:26 PM

Do yourself a favor and drill the tank if it is not already drilled. You can plug the holes if you are not ready for a sump yet. I wish I had done that because to tear down a tank to drill it later on is suicidal.

jason30701 · 12/02/2011, 12:35 AM

my tank has been set up for about 6 months and i already have a leather and a mushroom under a small T5 light with some fish but would like to go to LEDS and start a full reef....

11/29/2011, 07:28 PM	#1
jason30701 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 2	setting up a 75 gallon tank what filtration should i use? as well as lighting both LED and T5? how much live rock? what corals for a beginner? fish recommendations?

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11/29/2011, 08:31 PM	#2
BuckeyeFan Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Ohio Posts: 70	Read the Sticky's . Jason they will answer a lot of your questions...Welcome to RC!!

11/30/2011, 11:37 AM	#3
Reef Doctor Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Arizona Posts: 141	+1 on reading the Sticky's...all of them. You will learn a lot more, at a quicker rate than just reading books on saltwater tanks. I would recommend following some threads on similar questions you have for a while as well. In my limited experience, it has been beneficial to have everything planned out, equipment purchases, fish, etc. before you buy anything, then submit your info on a thread and ask for opinions. You will avoid a lot of mistakes that way. In saltwater it's not "measure twice, cut once..." it is more like, "measure five times, cut once!" Welcome to RC

11/30/2011, 12:44 PM	#4
blt Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 205	Fish and coral recommendations are entirely personal preference, though people might be able to offer suggestions if you give us an idea of what you like or what you're looking for. Beware of some "easy corals for beginners" though. Some of them (notably star polyps) can become a nuisance later and is hard to get rid of when it starts taking over the tank. Do your research to find out if something is "easy to keep" or just "hard to kill".

11/30/2011, 01:15 PM	#5
zeeter Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 386	The stickies can get a bit overwhelming sometimes. Pages and pages of information that isn't related to what you want before stumbling upon relative information. Most of what you want to know depend on how much you want to invest. My best advice is that if you know it's only going to be a minor hobby then buy small. But if you think you might really get into it then spend the money up front because you'll spend double later on replacing the lesser equipment you bought in the beginning. If you're a beginner you are stuck with mostly leather corals and shrooms. Anything else will likely bleach out and die. The tank needs at least 9 months to a year to mature to the point where you can put expensive corals in there. Try a toadstool or something like that. I started out with the book Saltwater Aquariums for Dummies because I'm mostly a dummy. It really does a good job of teaching the basics without getting into the minutia. You'll get up and running quickly and while you're cycling you can begin to think of how much you want to invest.

11/30/2011, 01:26 PM	#6
fishgate Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Damascus, MD Posts: 3,340	Do yourself a favor and drill the tank if it is not already drilled. You can plug the holes if you are not ready for a sump yet. I wish I had done that because to tear down a tank to drill it later on is suicidal.

12/02/2011, 12:35 AM	#7
jason30701 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 2	my tank has been set up for about 6 months and i already have a leather and a mushroom under a small T5 light with some fish but would like to go to LEDS and start a full reef....