New Reefer

[Buckster]

Welcome to R2R!

 

[NemanVtc]

Welcome

 

[dstockwell]

Welcome to the Reef

 

[Zos4me]

 

[steveschuerger]

Welcome to the R2R community!

 

[Adolfo]

 

[Fishy888]

Hi and welcome to R2R! You’ll find the people here to be friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. We’re glad you joined! Hopefully you’ll start a build thread so we can see your reef as it progresses.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!!!

 

[Sean Clark]

Welcome to R2R.

 

[Fish Think Pink]

Hello everyone!

I am currently starting to cycle my 75 Gallon saltwater reef tank. My 10 year old, 29 gallon freshwater tank started to leak right before the Holidays, and I had been thinking about switching to a saltwater tank for a while now anyway, so I used that as an excuse to go to the salt side. I donated my remaining 3 freshwater fish to a local fish store, and I bought a 75 gallon tank on Facebook marketplace.
I sanded and painted the Wood grain trim a matte black, as well as the stand. I sprayed all the glass with vinegar a bunch of times and scraped it all down with a razor blade. I bought an RO filter, then used some cleaned 5 gallon kegs I had left over from home brewing beer to start making some pure saltwater. I rinsed the sand that came with the tank with RO salt water, then added 40 lbs of coral base rock and a few shells that came with the tank and some cleaned (sprayed with vinegar and scrubbed, then left in the sun to dry) ceramic skulls and a treasure chest from my freshwater tank. I also added 3 small pieces of imaginarium red lava rock I bought from Petco (Also sprayed and soaked with vinegar, then rinsed before adding to the tank).
I then filled the tank with 1.026 salinity RO water, and have a Rena Filstar xp 2 sump filter, as well as a Penguin 350 double bio wheel filter going. I also ordered a protein skimmer but I haven’t added that to the tank yet. I added 2 100 watt heaters to get the water temp up to 78°, and just added a purple live rock tonight to kick start the Nitrogen cycle.
As I wait for the tank to cycle, do you see anything wrong with what I’ve done so far? If I did do something wrong will it even matter since I haven’t added any fish/coral to the tank yet? How long should I wait before I starting adding things to the tank (I.e. clown fish and sea anemone)?
I haven’t chosen exactly what fish I am going to add to the tank yet, but I have been thing of starting out with a clown fish and sea anemone along with some corals after that. I’d like to eventually build up to adding a snowflake eel, puffer fish, tang, and wrasse along with a bunch of different corals.
The picture of the tank isn’t totally clear yet from the sand and rocks being moved around, but it is up to temperature and at 1.026 salinity. This is what it looks like now:

Welcome! Glad you joined. Excited you have come to the salty side. I am wondering if that lava rock is REAL lava rock or just cute branded lava rock - sometimes moving up from earth's crust can bring minerals and metals... and metals don't do so well with saltwater (esp inverts).

Have you considered starting your build thread? I found its a great place to document my tank's evolution for myself. I started tank first then joined, so I'm still finding myself going back collecting pictures & updating historically as well as current state. Once you create your first post in your thread under Forum > Member Aquariums and link it to your account, they will give you build badge (look left, under my ID). What you have above you might even cut and paste it all (with photo) to start your new thread, as you are definately on your way! Wait until the water gets clear before adding anything? Was that live sand? If so they say 3 days to clear. If regular sand, then perhaps not rinsed. If cloudy due to bacteria, charcoal can help.

This might help you find people local to you:

Local Reef Club Discussion

Looking for some locals to share frags and info with? This is the place! Find a local club that meets in your area! If you want to add your club just contact us.

www.reef2reef.com

This is a good reference book type online article I still review:

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium

This article was sponsored by @MarineDepot at www.marinedepot.com. Introduction The marine environment is one of the most complex systems on the planet. The aquarium you are about to set up is only a tiny sliver of the vast ocean, but it is no...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[nuxx]

Should be a great footprint to start out with

 

[tharbin]

Welcome to R2R! I agree with others that it would be better to hold off on the anemone and coral for at least a few months. The clownfish are a good start and as others have said, go slow.

 

[TalkinTangie]

Welcome to the reef! Swim safely!

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

 

[Fish Styx]

Greetings and welcome to the reef!

 

[Stblindtiger]

Thanks everyone! After six weeks of rearranging rocks, draining and refilling the tank, adding a sump, and two additions of Copepods…. I just added my first two fish, a CUC, and some Chaeto this week! I finally feel like I have a fish tank! Pics and an update to my build thread to come tomorrow!