My First Reef Tank! 75 gal Build

[Scrappy RN]

I'm going to repeat this post since it may have gotten lost in the above conversation:

It's up and running!! Everything seems to be working correctly. Since this is my first drilled tank/sump setup I was very nervous getting it going. I was afraid I'd either overflow something or run the pump dry, lol. But it went pretty smoothly! Can't wait for the water to clear and the temp to get up! Oh, my 16 yr old son, Connor, did the rock stacking and I had to leave the room, lol, because I was so afraid he was going to drop something! Lol! I thought he did really well for having never done this before. We left plenty of space for hiding and swimming and plenty of options for different corals to sit.

Questions:

1) The "water line" is marked on the sump by the pump end (see pic below). Is that a minimum? A max? Or just a try to keep it right here? (Aside: Whoever writes instructions for products like this should be forced to constantly attempt to assemble things following similar directions while in purgatory.)

2) The water coming out of the return is keeping up fine with the drain but doesn't seem very powerful. Is that normal or should I get a stronger pump? It's rated for 650 gph at a height of 6.5 feet--which is higher than my return is. I don't have the internal pumps/powerheads yet but will get them soon.

3) On average, about how often will I need to top off the tank? I have glass over the top and will keep the doors closed below. Setting it for 78 deg to start with. I keep my house temp around 70.

4) Do you guys buy the majority your fish locally or online? If online, who are your favorite dealers?

5) How soon do I start using the protein skimmer? I'm assuming I won't need it until after I add fish?? But then do I start it immediately or wait a little while?

Back tomorrow to straighten out those wires and make it pretty down below! Can't stand the mess but I'm too tired to keep going this evening.

 

[cmcoker]

You will see the evaporation in your return chamber, so the water line marker is where you should add rodi to make up for evaporation. Check evaporation and top off daily as needed. An ATO would be a good addition to take care of that for you

I would run the skimmer but let it overflow by removing the cup until the tank cycles

I buy fish locally, there are some reputable online dealers though. Depends what's available to you. I'd recommend quarantining no matter which way you go.

Happy reefing!

 

[Scrappy RN]

O.k., thanks for responding!

 

[Scrappy RN]

I need a TDS meter apparently. I came across this combo set that includes a pH meter. Any thoughts on whether this kind of meter would be ok or do I need something more precise? These are able to be calibrated so I think they would be ok.

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Aqua...0118L1IZU/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

 

[Bronc]

You will see the evaporation in your return chamber, so the water line marker is where you should add rodi to make up for evaporation. Check evaporation and top off daily as needed. An ATO would be a good addition to take care of that for you

I would run the skimmer but let it overflow by removing the cup until the tank cycles

I buy fish locally, there are some reputable online dealers though. Depends what's available to you. I'd recommend quarantining no matter which way you go.

Happy reefing!

I agree with all of this and an ATO is the best investment I've made!

 

[Bronc]

I need a TDS meter apparently. I came across this combo set that includes a pH meter. Any thoughts on whether this kind of meter would be ok or do I need something more precise? These are able to be calibrated so I think they would be ok.

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Aqua...0118L1IZU/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Yep, if you don't already have a TDS meter on your RO/DI system then you'll need one. I have this one on my system: http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/dual-inline-tds-meter-dm-1-hm-digital.html

 

[Scrappy RN]

An ATO is definitely on the list to get within the next few months. Gotta figure out how to do this plus store saltwater in my small apartment setup. Luckily I have a small closet right behind the DT that I plan on building some kind of shelving unit to hold this stuff. But I'll have to still intermittently hook it up to wherever I end up mounting the RO unit to fill these storage tanks up.
I wondered about the inline TDS meter. I don't have mine hard-plumbed in yet ( again, another project for the next few months while the tank it's cycling). That's probably the route I'll go. I kind of liked the possibility of testing bottled waters though, lol.

 

[KJ]

It's up and running!! Everything seems to be working correctly. Since this is my first drilled tank/sump setup I was very nervous getting it going. I was afraid I'd either overflow something or run the pump dry, lol. But it went pretty smoothly! Can't wait for the water to clear and the temp to get up! Oh, my 16 yr old son, Connor, did the rock stacking and I had to leave the room, lol, because I was so afraid he was going to drop something! Lol! I thought he did really well for having never done this before. We left plenty of space for hiding and swimming and plenty of options for different corals to sit.

Questions:

1) The "water line" is marked on the sump by the pump end (see pic below). Is that a minimum? A max? Or just a try to keep it right here? (Aside: Whoever writes instructions for products like this should be forced to constantly attempt to assemble things following similar directions while in purgatory.)

2) The water coming out of the return is keeping up fine with the drain but doesn't seem very powerful. Is that normal or should I get a stronger pump? It's rated for 650 gph at a height of 6.5 feet--which is higher than my return is. I don't have the internal pumps/powerheads yet but will get them soon.

3) On average, about how often will I need to top off the tank? I have glass over the top and will keep the doors closed below. Setting it for 78 deg to start with. I keep my house temp around 70.

4) Do you guys buy the majority your fish locally or online? If online, who are your favorite dealers?

5) How soon do I start using the protein skimmer? I'm assuming I won't need it until after I add fish?? But then do I start it immediately or wait a little while?

Back tomorrow to straighten out those wires and make it pretty down below! Can't stand the mess but I'm too tired to keep going this evening.

It looks like bubble plate in your protein skimmer is turned the wrong way.

 

[Scrappy RN]

Thank you! Lol, I don't even know what a bubbler plate is! I've not turned it on yet and haven't even read about how to use it yet. I'll be doing that this week. I just left it sitting in the sump the way I brought it home from the store. I know the basic theory of how a skimmer works but have no idea exactly how to use one.
Do you know any good articles to recommend to a beginner? I've heard stories of water everywhere when people first start trying to use one

 

[KJ]

Thank you! Lol, I don't even know what a bubbler plate is! I've not turned it on yet and haven't even read about how to use it yet. I'll be doing that this week. I just left it sitting in the sump the way I brought it home from the store. I know the basic theory of how a skimmer works but have no idea exactly how to use one.
Do you know any good articles to recommend to a beginner? I've heard stories of water everywhere when people first start trying to use one

You tube Eshopps protein skimmer

 

[Scrappy RN]

You tube Eshopps protein skimmer

Will do, thanks. The manuals that come with these things all assume you know what you're doing ahead of time. They are NOT written for complete beginners. ;Meh

 

[Daniel@R2R]

#reefsquad Can you guys help with some of these questions.

It's up and running!! Everything seems to be working correctly. Since this is my first drilled tank/sump setup I was very nervous getting it going. I was afraid I'd either overflow something or run the pump dry, lol. But it went pretty smoothly! Can't wait for the water to clear and the temp to get up! Oh, my 16 yr old son, Connor, did the rock stacking and I had to leave the room, lol, because I was so afraid he was going to drop something! Lol! I thought he did really well for having never done this before. We left plenty of space for hiding and swimming and plenty of options for different corals to sit.

Questions:

1) The "water line" is marked on the sump by the pump end (see pic below). Is that a minimum? A max? Or just a try to keep it right here? (Aside: Whoever writes instructions for products like this should be forced to constantly attempt to assemble things following similar directions while in purgatory.)

2) The water coming out of the return is keeping up fine with the drain but doesn't seem very powerful. Is that normal or should I get a stronger pump? It's rated for 650 gph at a height of 6.5 feet--which is higher than my return is. I don't have the internal pumps/powerheads yet but will get them soon.

3) On average, about how often will I need to top off the tank? I have glass over the top and will keep the doors closed below. Setting it for 78 deg to start with. I keep my house temp around 70.

4) Do you guys buy the majority your fish locally or online? If online, who are your favorite dealers?

5) How soon do I start using the protein skimmer? I'm assuming I won't need it until after I add fish?? But then do I start it immediately or wait a little while?

Back tomorrow to straighten out those wires and make it pretty down below! Can't stand the mess but I'm too tired to keep going this evening.

 

[Brew12]

1) The "water line" is marked on the sump by the pump end (see pic below). Is that a minimum? A max? Or just a try to keep it right here? (Aside: Whoever writes instructions for products like this should be forced to constantly attempt to assemble things following similar directions while in purgatory.)

I would treat it as a minimum. I'm not familiar with that specific sump to say for sure but I would rather be safe than sorry.

2) The water coming out of the return is keeping up fine with the drain but doesn't seem very powerful. Is that normal or should I get a stronger pump? It's rated for 650 gph at a height of 6.5 feet--which is higher than my return is. I don't have the internal pumps/powerheads yet but will get them soon.

Flow through the sump is a much debated topic. Some people say you should have 2 to 3 times tank volume in gph, others say you should have 10x flow. I would just run with what you have for now and consider upgrading later if you run into low flow issues.

3) On average, about how often will I need to top off the tank? I have glass over the top and will keep the doors closed below. Setting it for 78 deg to start with. I keep my house temp around 70.

If you don't have an ATO I believe you should top off your tank daily. You may even want to top it off every morning and evening if you see much deviation in your return pump section. I don't think you will see more than 1/2g per day with the glass top but you could lose up to a gallon a day or more.

4) Do you guys buy the majority your fish locally or online? If online, who are your favorite dealers?

I prefer to buy them locally but I have had great luck using Liveaquaria.com recently. I do quarantine and treat all my fish prior to going into the DT so I am less concerned about fish having parasites when they get to me.

5) How soon do I start using the protein skimmer? I'm assuming I won't need it until after I add fish?? But then do I start it immediately or wait a little while?

I would start using it immediately and learn how to dial it in. That alone can take weeks.

 

[prsnlty]

#reefsquad Can you guys help with some of these questions.

Will do! I'm going to read the whole thread to catch up and see where things are at then add my input ASAP

 

[prsnlty]

First I'd like to say that @Brew12 said everything I would have so I am in agreement! I will add a few thoughts of my own also from past experiences....

Be sure to get the float to shut off the rodi and keep it from flooding on you. The damages the water can cause is waaaaay greater than the $11 cost of the float.

Power outages are not good. Once the water stops moving, the oxygen level begins to drop. A few hours without power can be very bad. If you are home, you can take a container (like a gallon size), scoop water out of the tank and pour it back in the tank. This will create water movement at the surface, which will oxygenate the water.

A generator is not out of the question, but a simple thing that you can do is add one of these to the tank equipment list. Penn Plax Silent Air B11 Air Pump

These are not ordinary air pumps. They do plug into your regular electrical outlet, but they are battery powered (2 D cells). There is a normally open relay inside that closes when the electrical power to your house goes off. This then turns on the battery powered air pump. It will run for quite a while, maybe a couple of days. May look like a piece of junk, but I know a reefer where I live that saved his 135 gallon tank by using a couple of these on his tank when power was lost due to a hurricane. Just install it with an air stone in your tank and leave it there. Helps a lot when you are not home when the power goes off.

Personally, I use a VorTech MP-40 with their battery backup option. It can run up to 30 hours (at 1/4 power) per battery pack. I will have two battery packs on my new build. Not the cheapest solution though.

This is a fantastic idea for emergency power outages. I wish I had known about this pump a couple of months ago myself. Instead I had the ones meant for fishing with battery only for power source. That does no good if you are sleeping!!!!!! (or simply not home)... I have a 180g that all bacteria died due to a 6hr outage that began during sleep hours. I didn't discover it until 2 hours into the outage. I put my battery bubblers in the tank and one hour before lights on my hubby remembers he has a generator on his semi (ugh!). Anyway in hindsight I now know that my bubblers were too late This started a snowball of death for my cherished acro colonies, a oranges spot sand sifting goby and 2 lps. Also as they were dying I didn't think about them using less alk and the alk spiked - just to add insult to injury. All in all I lost 40 acros, 2 lps and the goby and my 180 is still not completely stable but is finally no longer dying. This being said; Get at least one of these pumps for your 75g and one for the sump too if you do nothing else.

I saw a pulsating xenia in the LFS the other day and I absolutely loved it. The staff said they can be very invasive and to keep it isolated on its own rock to keep it from growing all over everything else. How far away does the rock need to be from the other rocks?? I really love the look of them but I don't want them taking over!

I agree! I still can't get rid of mine lol. I love it but in a mixed reef it can/will become a problem. Best in softy dedicated tanks. Some fish like to nip at them and then those pieces will attach elsewhere and grow.

Beautiful set up!!!!

Don't want to spam so if you'd like to see before and after the power outage pics let me know...

 

[Scrappy RN]

First I'd like to say that @Brew12 said everything I would have so I am in agreement! I will add a few thoughts of my own also from past experiences....

Be sure to get the float to shut off the rodi and keep it from flooding on you. The damages the water can cause is waaaaay greater than the $11 cost of the float.

This is a fantastic idea for emergency power outages. I wish I had known about this pump a couple of months ago myself. Instead I had the ones meant for fishing with battery only for power source. That does no good if you are sleeping!!!!!! (or simply not home)... I have a 180g that all bacteria died due to a 6hr outage that began during sleep hours. I didn't discover it until 2 hours into the outage. I put my battery bubblers in the tank and one hour before lights on my hubby remembers he has a generator on his semi (ugh!). Anyway in hindsight I now know that my bubblers were too late This started a snowball of death for my cherished acro colonies, a oranges spot sand sifting goby and 2 lps. Also as they were dying I didn't think about them using less alk and the alk spiked - just to add insult to injury. All in all I lost 40 acros, 2 lps and the goby and my 180 is still not completely stable but is finally no longer dying. This being said; Get at least one of these pumps for your 75g and one for the sump too if you do nothing else.


I agree! I still can't get rid of mine lol. I love it but in a mixed reef it can/will become a problem. Best in softy dedicated tanks. Some fish like to nip at them and then those pieces will attach elsewhere and grow.

Beautiful set up!!!!

Don't want to spam so if you'd like to see before and after the power outage pics let me know...

Thank you so much for the help!! I will definitely follow your advice. I didn't realize even just a 6 hr outage could do that?!

I would love to see pics--any knowledge I can get now will hopefully prevent at least a few disasters in the future!

Thanks again!

 

[Scrappy RN]

I would treat it as a minimum. I'm not familiar with that specific sump to say for sure but I would rather be safe than sorry.


Flow through the sump is a much debated topic. Some people say you should have 2 to 3 times tank volume in gph, others say you should have 10x flow. I would just run with what you have for now and consider upgrading later if you run into low flow issues.


If you don't have an ATO I believe you should top off your tank daily. You may even want to top it off every morning and evening if you see much deviation in your return pump section. I don't think you will see more than 1/2g per day with the glass top but you could lose up to a gallon a day or more.


I prefer to buy them locally but I have had great luck using Liveaquaria.com recently. I do quarantine and treat all my fish prior to going into the DT so I am less concerned about fish having parasites when they get to me.


I would start using it immediately and learn how to dial it in. That alone can take weeks.

Thank you so much for the help!! I've already seen about a 1/2 gallon a day evaporation and have been topping it off manually. Definitely going to get an ATO, lol! I need to also find a thread on picking pumps/powerheads for the inside of the tank. I can't afford the top of the line stuff this month so I don't know if I need to go ahead and get even just a cheap something that will churn the water a little better to help facilitate flow or wait until I can afford the good stuff. With no fish/corals in there yet how important is it to have max flow up top?

 

[Scrappy RN]

#reefsquad Can you guys help with some of these questions.

Thank you!!

 

[prsnlty]

You need good agitation at the top of your water surface to release the gases and create good oxygen Exchange. I would suggest for a lesser expensive powerhead you can get it gyre from fish street or wp40/rw8 powerheads. Fish street stands by the warranty of those pumps.

 

[Scrappy RN]

O.k., will do, thanks!