noob just beginning questions

[Slyguy00]

Almost got it lol. I wouldnt add the rock to RO water or you will kill whatever life is on it. Make your salt water, add it to the tank, then add rock. Then your rockin That is if you plan on using live rock anyway.

[SaltyDog143]

Yes live rock, but gonna do approx, 80/20 or 70/30 dry to live mix to start, like I said no rush and limited funds

[Slyguy00]

Thats always a good way to do it. Just don't add live rock to fresh water and you'll be good to go.

[Coralgurl]

I'd take the time to plan your stand and sump at this point. You can get a metal stand or make a wood one, either will work. But, how you plan your stand may limit the size of your sump. You'll want big enough to hold all your equipment (skimmer, heaters, reactors, etc.), plus any overflow from your tank.

Your stand/sump will also determine your skimmer, you'll need room to remove the skimmer for cleaning maintenance. I've run my tanks skimmerless, but mostly after the tanks have been established (running a year or more). I can't remove my skimmer body from my tank, so if anything happens to the skimmer, I have to drain the sump, and do whatever maintenance is required in the sump, or take it completely apart to remove. A bit of a pain!!

You are also going to need a return pump (didn't see that on your list), to get the water from the sump back to the tank).

Watch the forums for sales, shut downs etc., you can get everything you need to start at a fraction of what you pay retail. (Except for plumbing parts, you should buy new). Sounds like this is going to be a good build, nothing in this hobby happens fast, so continue to take your time, acquire the things you need.

When you are ready to buy and unsure if it's going to work, ask the questions. This is a good group of people here, ready and willing to help out. Remember there are a lot of different opinions, so take what you want and leave the rest.

Oh, and what are your plans for lighting??

Welcome aboard!!

[SaltyDog143]

I have no clue what I need for lighting just yet, we do want to do corals, some soft some hard, we plan on using the easy/beginner types that are easier to not kill, if you get my drift, we do want your typical clown fish, blennies, dragonettes, crabs, maybe an erchen one day? Honestly we are trying to keet it simple until we get to know what we are doing, would prefer led's so we don't have to buy another set of lights within a year.

thanks for the input everyone

[Dearth]

Welcome aboard.

In this hobby it pays to take your time don't Rush and more importantly if your not sure ask here on the forum we have many members with years of experience and will try not to steer you wrong


It took me 5 months to get everything I needed for my big tank I lucked out in many respects though as I was able to get several items second hand and did some basic DIY to save money here and there. Three things that I suggest not skimping on these are my suggestions only so others may vary

1) Power bar with built in timers for your lights average cost $60-100

2) lights regardless of what you get expect to pay a pretty penny cost range in between $400-3000

3) Skimmer if and when you decide to get one after lights generally the second biggest investment $200-2000


You may also luck out and find stuff second hand or gifted to you by another reefer remember take your time and by all means ask we will help

[Coralgurl]

I had my best results with T5's and LED combo with corals. If you want corals and it sounds like you do, then your lights will be important from the beginning. Once you get comfortable with the easy corals, you'll move to the more challenging ones, and if you have the right lights from the beginning, you are good to go. Lighting is not as important for fishes...

I'm using Radions now (Gen 1), they are a good fixture and have come down substantially in pricing. Others have converted back to T5's and metal halide from LED, so when you are ready to make a decision, ask questions. When it comes to lighting, heat will be a concern, but there are a lot of options available (DIY), so deal with that aspect once you start exploring your lighting options.

[intarsiabox]

Sumps are pretty simple to build and don't need to be pretty to be functional. I have seen a few really cheap 75g tanks for sale that would probably work nicely. I usually like to go a little bigger on the sump so there is always room for the overflow water when the power goes out or the return pump stops, don't rely on check valves (I won't even install them). LxWxH in inches then divide by 231 gives you gallons to calculate the volume. Flow through the sump does not need to be fast. I usually aim for around 5X tank volume (600 gph in your case) at head. If you decide on a skimmer before hand you can plan your sump baffles to suit.

[Dearth]

For a sump if you want to save on money you can use a food grade bin it's not pretty but it will do the job until you can afford what you want I used a 50 gallon bin from Costco until I had my sump setup about a month later wasn't pretty but it worked and that is all that counts in my book

[Kellyscoral]

Welcome to the money pit! When I started my tank about a year ago I bought an okay light - I recently upgraded to a radion and I cannot over emphasize how much more color and growth I have. My advice - that I never listened to but wish I had - buy the best lights you can.