OK, I just got my 75g tank setup

[tjp]

Here is what I have so far.
1-75g tank drilled 1” drain 8”overflow box and ¾” return
1-55g tank with dividers as a sump/refugium
Red Sea triple pass skimmer in sump
Mag Drive 9.5 return pump
1-900 MJ power head with rotating hydro-flow
2-660 power heads
2-175w metal halide 1400k lights
2-96w pc 10000k 67000k bulbs
4-65w pc 2 are 10000k and 2 are 03 blue
About 110lbs live rock
About 50lbs mixed live sand (I broke the bank)
About 50lbs crushed coral in sump/refugium (from my old 55g setup)
I used the water from the 55g tank and the most of the water from the 75g tank that I saved, only needed about 20-30g or so to top things off.


3-domino damsels
1-yellow tang
1-clown
2-blue yellow tailed damsels
1-red lip blenny
And a clean up crew of mix of snails and crabs and 2 stars


Things I want/need to do
1.) Make light hood to hold all the lights to get the dusk tell dawn thing going.
2.) Gets the refugium going with good life?
3.) The list could go on and on and on

Here’s where I need help (I’ll be asking for more later)



What should I put in the refugium and where do I get it?
I’m I missing anything?
I what to have a good mix of things in the tank, hard and soft corals.

1 more thing, when can I call it a "Reef Tank" and not a "Rock Garden"?


Thanks
Terry

[zxcv123]

Nice eqipment list.
But I would put a little more flow on there.
and The red sea skimmer is known to crap out on people so you have been warned.

Do you have lights over the fuge? Most people grow algaes in the fuge for nutrient export. like cheatamorphia, calapura, or mangrove. But they need light energy to do their thing. Some small power compacts would do fine.
You can order these online , live aquaria has some and im sure other on line vendors do as well.

Do you have an ro/di untit? Those are recommended for coral systems as they remove impurities from the tap water that could stunt corals and also cause bad nucience algaes.

HTH

[Geoff]

i am one that thinks refugiums are more of a pain than a help. what are you looking for the refugium to do? i would just let it be a settling tank. that way it is a lot easier to siphon out during water changes.

if you feel you must put something in it, use Chaetomorph. the others can be very evasive and problematic if not kept under control.

G~

[tjp]

Originally Posted by zxcv123

Nice eqipment list.
But I would put a little more flow on there.
and The red sea skimmer is known to crap out on people so you have been warned.

Do you have lights over the fuge? Most people grow algaes in the fuge for nutrient export. like cheatamorphia, calapura, or mangrove. But they need light energy to do their thing. Some small power compacts would do fine.
You can order these online , live aquaria has some and im sure other on line vendors do as well.

Do you have an ro/di untit? Those are recommended for coral systems as they remove impurities from the tap water that could stunt corals and also cause bad nucience algaes.

HTH

Yes, more flow that’s what I was thinking. I should have had more holes drilled for a closed loop but I ran out of money. But now that it has water in it
How about a ¾” hard pvc line hinging over the top running to a Mag Drive 5 near the top then to a SQWD and putting 1-3/4 hard pvc line on each end of the tank?

The skimmer belongs to a friend of mine; I’ll be buying one in a few months, any recommendations on a better one on a tight budget?
Lights on the sump is a 48” standard florescent light fixture that comes with a 55g tank?

RO/DI filter not yet but I have DI water at work and a friend near by has one.

[tjp]

Originally Posted by Geoff

i am one that thinks refugiums are more of a pain than a help. what are you looking for the refugium to do? i would just let it be a settling tank. that way it is a lot easier to siphon out during water changes.

if you feel you must put something in it, use Chaetomorph. the others can be very evasive and problematic if not kept under control.

G~

I was thinking of using a tank with removable egg crate in layers to brake up the flow for a settling tank off the side before it gets to the refugium something like 15-20g tall drilled.
My stand is big 58 1/2” long 24” deep 371/2” tall it’s made to hold lots of empty beer cans on it for the long nights I’m kicked back with a fishing pole

[zxcv123]

Originally Posted by tjp

Yes, more flow that’s what I was thinking. I should have had more holes drilled for a closed loop but I ran out of money. But now that it has water in it
How about a ¾” hard pvc line hinging over the top running to a Mag Drive 5 near the top then to a SQWD and putting 1-3/4 hard pvc line on each end of the tank?

The skimmer belongs to a friend of mine; I’ll be buying one in a few months, any recommendations on a better one on a tight budget?
Lights on the sump is a 48” standard florescent light fixture that comes with a 55g tank?

get an ASM G1X skimmer ir G2.
Sure, an over the top closed loop will work- no holes neded. Talk to Geoff about that, hes the expert.
I would get A big closed loop pump like a mag 12 or 18 and maybe a 24 if you want to ditch the powerheads all together.
Look into buying them locally used or online- A lfs will rob you for these pumps. I got my mag 12 return 3 months used from a club member for 50.00$, the local fish store wanted 170.00$.

HTH

[tjp]

sweet, I'll look in to that closed loop soon.
the skimmer will have to wait thow, maybe I can look for a used one?

[zxcv123]

Originally Posted by tjp

sweet, I'll look in to that closed loop soon.
the skimmer will have to wait thow, maybe I can look for a used one?

do talk to local reefers in your area to find a used one. Im sure there out there and you'll be able to get one.