The Puffer Forum

Hello everyone!
So Im very excited to say that I just recently moved and now have the space and $$ saved to accommodate a 75 g tank in my bedroom
I currently own 3 gsp's in a 29 g tank which I know is much too small. (I formerly had just two but I took one off my girlfriends hands that she wasn't able to house anymore.)
My hope was to make this new 75 g into my first marine tank for my GSPs who are currently kept in brackish water.
What are the essentials id need to start this aquarium? In terms of substrate, filtration, lighting, tank mates, proper maintenance, etc?

If you can boost that 75 up to 90g you'd be better off. GSPs need 30 gallons a piece and prefer 55 gallons.

You will need Live rock and you need 1.5-2 pounds per gallon, sand (aragonite is best), a skimmer, standard lighting is good unless you plan to keep corals, some powerheads for water flow would be good. Then of course marine salt and a hydrometer or refractormeter. Then if you want to be more elaborate you can get a sump.

You should do LOADS of research before setting a tank up though. There's lots you will need to understand. Start at reefcentral.com

Ok I have been doing some research, but it's kind of intimidating and I feel like I don't really know where to start. For example, what are skimmers and sumps and what are their functions?

Also you think I should only have live rock, no live sand?

Also what would I use in terms of filtration? Would I still need a traditional filter or not? What brands would you recommend?

Also cycling? How would I go about a fish less cycle with marine water?

L/r is your filtration. The cycle process is very similar to f/w

It is not nearly similar to FW. If you get LR from an established marine system, the tank is instantly cycled. The sane will be seeded by the LR to become live & you can also get a handful of sand from an established tank, to see it with sand creatures. A sump is where you keep the skimmer, heater, etc & also adds water volume to your system. Get a reef ready drilled tank to plumb the sump to.
http://www.melevsreef.com for lots of sump info & much, much more!

Once again I didn't say enough. Lr from a Lfs may suffer die off, tank params need to be watched till stable and needs to be fed in the meantime.

Ok so I just built my tank stand and put the empty tank onto it. Unfortunately its not a reef ready drilled one or anything :/ so for now it's just the empty tank on the stand. What next would you guys recommend to get? I'm gonna pick up some aragonite and hopefully live rock from my lfs, how much of each would I need for a 75 g tank? And what brands of skimmer, heater type, etc would you recommend for the sump?

Liverock from a LFS is gonna be WAAAAY too much. Look on your local craigslist and into local reef clubs for some liverock, someone is generally selling. The amount of sand you get will depend on the bed you want, rather that be deeper or more shallow. I'd say make it about an inch or two deep.

However, before you put any rock or sand in you need to buy egg crate. The plastic kind that is a single layer. You can generally find it at home depot or lowes. This is so your tank doesn't end up cracked from the rock sitting on the sand. After putting the egg crate down you will fill it with sand. Then, you're going to want to have your tank filled with your salt water before you buy any liverock because it needs to stay wet, and sitting in a dry tank will kill it.

As far as your skimmer goes, rather you go with a sump will vary the brand. If you want a skimmer to hang on the back, purchase a bakpak skimmer, and you may need two. The heater brand isn't super important, so long as it's adjustable. If you're placing a skimmer in a sump there are a lot of good brands, you just have to find what is right for you. Bubble King skimmers are supposed to be the best, but their prices are outrageous. Just don't get a Prizm brand. As far as your sump size goes, pick the biggest that will fit inside your stand. The sump setup can include your skimmer, heater, and any other equipment you're using.

yea, live rock from your LFS will be in the $8-$15 range per pound, and you're going to need 100-150lbs for that tank. Do the math.

either find a bunch on craigslist or seed dry rock with a few nice pieces of live rock and have the same thing for a fraction of the price.

then get a good skimmer, good power heads for circulation and you're pretty much set.

You can buy dry rock from here http://www.marcorocks.com/ it's the best price for it, too. Seeding it with live rock will take some time, but it's much cheaper.

You do NOT need eggcrate under the rock. Just make you put the largest pieces directly onto the glass, before you add sand.

I'd find someone to drill that tank. I don't trust overflows.

Pufferpunk wrote:You do NOT need eggcrate under the rock. Just make you put the largest pieces directly onto the glass, before you add sand.

I'd find someone to drill that tank. I don't trust overflows.

I'd be worried about some sand getting under the live rock. That's why I recommended the egg crate. Especially if he ever re-designs the tank, or has to remove the rock for any reason.

What's wrong with sand under the rock?

Ok well yesterday i got most of what I'd need, got myself a sump, skimmer, 2 powerheads, and an overflow box. Unfortunately I can't afford to have someone drill my tank, this equipment is expensive enough as is! Also bought 4 20 lb bags of caribsea aragonite. I haven't bought any rock yet for the tank but I'll be looking into that today.
Last night I started putting water into the tank, but the sand has made the water extremely cloudy! Will that all settle in time or do I need to do something about it?