New to Marine Aquariums

[Soren]

Welcome! Can’t wait to see what you do with this tank!
Fish will our grow that tank - and the triggers and eel- I don’t believe are reef safe-
I would tune the lights to have less red if possible.
I’m not a fan of canister filters, but for fish only I think many people use them. I think your idea of adding a sump later is a good idea. I had same HOb skimmer- it worked well for what it was for me.
But I’m a kind of person that jumps in both feet without testing the waters lol - sounds like you did the same lol. It will be a crash course in reef knowledge lol.
can’t wait to see where this journey takes you!
Take care and HAPPY REEFING!

Yes, my research has shown that the triggers and tang will outgrow the tank.
The triggers are definitely not reef-safe. I am not sure yet about the eel since it is a snowflake with a seemingly docile personality, but I still do not know if it is worth the risk. I really like seeing the eel slither through the tank.
At this point, the canisters are all I have and are probably going to continue to be used for a FOWLR tank. Does anyone use a canister filter as a feed and return from a sump? I am just researching at this time, but have considered these as my flow source to and from sump since I already have the two canister filters. Also, do 10-gallon aquariums make good sumps?

The lighting has no red for most of the time. This picture was taken at "dawn" of my light cycle. The lights have a WiFi controller that sets a cycle as mentioned in my previous post. I can essentially infinitely control time, color, and individual color intensity.
I am hoping the skimmer works as expected. I just started the break-in cycle last night and already have bubbles bringing muck into the collection cup.

Mine is not a total case of jumping in completely, since the only coral is one of the easiest to keep. I have time to learn and consider options for a reef before taking the complete plunge.
Now I just have the problem of deciding if I have enough room for both the 75-gallon for a FOWLR and the 90-gallon for a peaceful reef...

 

[Billldg]

Welcome to R2R!!!

 

[Bfragale]

Yes, my research has shown that the triggers and tang will outgrow the tank.
The triggers are definitely not reef-safe. I am not sure yet about the eel since it is a snowflake with a seemingly docile personality, but I still do not know if it is worth the risk. I really like seeing the eel slither through the tank.
At this point, the canisters are all I have and are probably going to continue to be used for a FOWLR tank. Does anyone use a canister filter as a feed and return from a sump? I am just researching at this time, but have considered these as my flow source to and from sump since I already have the two canister filters. Also, do 10-gallon aquariums make good sumps?

The lighting has no red for most of the time. This picture was taken at "dawn" of my light cycle. The lights have a WiFi controller that sets a cycle as mentioned in my previous post. I can essentially infinitely control time, color, and individual color intensity.
I am hoping the skimmer works as expected. I just started the break-in cycle last night and already have bubbles bringing muck into the collection cup.

Mine is not a total case of jumping in completely, since the only coral is one of the easiest to keep. I have time to learn and consider options for a reef before taking the complete plunge.
Now I just have the problem of deciding if I have enough room for both the 75-gallon for a FOWLR and the 90-gallon for a peaceful reef...

i think canisters for FOWLR should be ok. I’ve never heard of someone using a canister as a return for sump, but I learn new things every day on here lol.
I have a 10 tank as a sump in my 30 gal frag/grow out tank. You may need a bit bigger for 75, maybe a 20 long. They make kits for these that are relatively cheap; and wait for Petco $1 per gallon sale- you can get a decent set up for a great price.

I would love to have an eel. I use to have a freshwater one back in the day. From what I gather the snowflake is generally pretty peace full when regularly fed. But could eat a slow fish if the opportunity is there. But many keep them in A reef tank. Super cool to watch these guys.
But your off to a great start. Take care and happy reefing!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks for the welcomes!


Yes, my research shows that the triggers will grow too large for this tank for sure and they may go since they are not reef-safe. The Humus are very friendly and interesting to watch, though, so I may keep them for a while in a FOWLR tank if I set up two tanks. The undulate trigger hides almost all the time, and I have heard bad things about how aggressive they can become, so it will likely go.
I would really like to keep the purple tang, but my empty 90-gallon tank is probably the biggest tank I have room for, so he may have to go eventually as well.


Thanks, Gernader. I will definitely be posting more specific questions in that forum section, though I only posted here for now until I have my questions specified.



Thanks for the welcome! This tank, if not already full for bio-load, will certainly be so as the fish grow.


Thanks for the welcome, P-Dub. Yes, I may have jumped in the deep end, but if I remember to stay in the boat of "take my time and do it properly" for the future, I should be able to limit my troubles.


Yes, I have found that in my research. Too bad, since it is my favorite fish in the tank, but I probably do not have room for a bigger tank than my 90-gallon with the same footprint as the 75-gallon and that is still not big enough for future growth.


Thanks, vetteguy53081! This is the feedback I am looking for while just starting out. The red light is only on from 6-7 in the morning and dimly from 8-9 in the evening. The rest of the day is only white and/or blue lighting. I can fine-tune the lighting as much as I want with these lights and controller, both for time-cycle and for brightness of each color and which colors are on. I took the photograph around 6:30 a.m. before leaving for work.

During day, run 70% blue and 25% white for now. Will greatly reduce algae and possibly even diatoms

 

[CelestEel]

 

[IKD]

Welcome!!

 

[flampton]

Welcome welcome welcome to the r2r!!

 

[fishguy242]

hi welcome to the reef going to love it here!!
lots of fun/info/fun/help/fun...

 

[MERKEY]

Welcome to the group!

Lots of great info and people as you can already see!!!

 

[Cerberusfish]

After a recent acquisition of a 75-gallon saltwater aquarium, I have acquired a great interest in this hobby.
Since the tank came with occupants, I am trying to learn about limits and compatibility. Before I add anything, whether it be animals to this tank or starting a new setup, I am trying to do my research to give a better chance towards success.

The previous owner of my tank seems to have taken a random try-and-see method with his setup which led to losses over the years he had the tank (as he confirmed with stories about previous fish that are no longer in the tank). I moved the tank about 2 weeks ago, and there were no apparent losses in the transition.
The current setup contains the following fish:
1 Purple Tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum) about 4" long
1 Humu Picasso Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus aculeatus) about 3" long
1 Humu Rectangle Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus rectangulus) about 3" long
1 Undulate Triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus) about 3" long
1 Green Reef Chromis (Chromis viridis) about 3" long
1 Snowflake Eel (Echidna nebulosa) about 11" long
Invertebrates include the following:
1 Trochus Snail 2.5" diameter, 2-3 Turbo Snails 1" diameter, 3-4 Margarita Snails 1" diameter, at least 1 Nassarius Snail 3/4" long, a few Cerith Snails 1/2" long
10-15 Blue Leg Hermit Crabs, about 5 other Hermit Crabs about 1/2" in diameter
1 purple Anemone (Condylactus? I am not sure) about 3" diameter when open (it has tentacles about 1-2 inches long and 1/8" in diameter and a long foot about 5" long that I accidentally dug up from the sand and re-buried, somehow it survived so far)
1 Toadstool Mushroom Coral about 2" in diameter with the 3" stalk laying flat across the top of a live rock and the "toadstool" sideways to the tank

Is this too crowded for the tank size I have? I already know that these fish could easily grow too big for this tank size, especially combined together.


This was a quick photograph to show the previous owner how the transfer turned out.

The setup is a 75-gallon aquarium (48" long by 18" wide by 21" deep).
Filtration is through 2 Cascade canister filters. I think they are models 700 and 1000, since this would provide an estimated filtration flow for about 175 gallons of aquarium volume (which he mistakenly thought his aquarium was a 175-gallon size).
A 90-HOB Octo-Reef skimmer is also included. I did not know how it was used initially, and have just started the break-in cycle yesterday with the output valve fully open. Already, it is pushing pulses of foam into the collection cup and removing dirt.
Lights are 2 of Zetlight's UFO Z8 with the WiFi controller. I set up a day-night cycle that has been running since then with red dawn from 6-7 am, red and blue dawn from 7-8 am, white and blue daylight from 8-8 pm, red and blue sunset from 8-9 pm, blue night from 9-10 pm, and off from 10-6 am.

The tank now has high nitrate levels. I suspect this is due to the fact that the previous owner washed the canister filters and filter media thoroughly in tap water to have them clean for me and thus harmed the biological filtration cultures which have not recovered to the point of having a significant impact yet. It might also be due to the fact that I have not been running the skimmer until yesterday.
Due to the high nitrate levels, I got a bloom of brown algae on the glass that cleaned off easily. I will see how long it takes to happen again. Some more snails and hermit crabs are already a planned addition.
Any advice or experiences to share would be helpful to me.

I have many questions about my current setup as well as considerations for a 90-gallon tank that I also have empty right now, either for a second setup or for replacing the 75 to increase capacity and number of gallons for more stability. It seems like the fish I currently have (except the purple tang) would not work well for any considerations towards building a coral reef, which is why I may set up two different tanks. At this point, I am in no rush to change anything while I work with my current setup and gain experience with stabilizing and maintaining water conditions.

As many of you can probably relate the same, I have all sorts of dreams about where I could go with this hobby. Hardy and easy is still the primary consideration for any additions or changes in the near future. It seems likely right now that I plan to add a refugium/sump under the 75-gallon and may also set up the 90-gallon with an in-base refugium/sump that will be for smaller peaceful fish and possible coral reef. One of my most favorite marine fish is the black and white ocellaris clownfish, especially when interacting with rose bubble-tip anemones. These are likely the centerpiece of future considerations on new setups, since they are probably not compatible with the current setup (both due to fish incompatibilities and capacity issues).

As I narrow down my plan, I will have more questions to ask. I still have to determine whether I plan to leave it as it is, have two aquariums with the 90-gallon being a new setup for peaceful reef, or whether I am changing the 75-gallon over to the 90-gallon tank and trying to trade some of the current fish out to keep it to only one tank.

One suggestion I would have is to set up a mixing station, whether outside or inside. Having a resevoir of saltwater in hand at all times is super useful, especially since you have so much in the tank. The high nitrates are a result of how much is in the tank, not damage to the bio filter although that likely occurred as well. Keep a close eye on your ammonia levels. The reservoir would also make it easier to do more water changes to keep the tank clean and nitrates down. If you're looking to move some stuff out and replace with smaller things that would do well in a 75, firefish, royal grammas, clownfish, tomini tangs pygmy angels like coral beauty's and flame hawkfish, watchman gobies and chromis are all fantastic things to look into.

 

[KWT]

Welcome to R2R, enjoy your stay and the people you meet along the way

 

[SPR1968]

Welcome to R2R!!!

 

[BaysEndReef]

Welcome to R2R!!!

 

[Weasel1960]

Welcome to the reef. Looks like you are off to a great start with a lot of helping hands.

 

[Jimbhoy13]

Welcome to R2R and the salty world. Seems like you have a good setup. Lots of knowledgeable and helpful people here who will support and advise you when needed.

 

[Funston07]

Welcome to R2R!!!

 

[KingTideCorals]

Nice write up! Long as they are fat and happy I would not worry too much!!

Also, welcome to the site!!

 

[Soren]

i think canisters for FOWLR should be ok. I’ve never heard of someone using a canister as a return for sump, but I learn new things every day on here lol.
I have a 10 tank as a sump in my 30 gal frag/grow out tank. You may need a bit bigger for 75, maybe a 20 long. They make kits for these that are relatively cheap; and wait for Petco $1 per gallon sale- you can get a decent set up for a great price.
I would love to have an eel. I use to have a freshwater one back in the day. From what I gather the snowflake is generally pretty peace full when regularly fed. But could eat a slow fish if the opportunity is there. But many keep them in A reef tank. Super cool to watch these guys.
But your off to a great start. Take care and happy reefing!

Thanks for the feedback, Bfragale. I am considering using the smaller canister as a feed down to the sump with the larger as a return and an overflow from the main tank down to sump. It would be redundant filtration, but I already have the canister filters that were sized with flow to filter 175 gallons due to the original owner's mix-up on aquarium volume.
I have many available aquariums of 10,20,30,55, and one 75-gallon available from different reptile pets over the years. Some were purchased on Petco's $1 per gallon sale, which is a nice deal. This is why I will probably use an aquarium for the sump instead of purchasing a sump. My limitation on size of sump is that the cabinet under the tank is designed with a cupboard on each side and an open central shelf setup that are divided between with solid panels. I may have to cut out one side to allow for a larger sump, but this is certainly a viable consideration. I need to do more research on necessary sump size.

The eel is one of my favorite fish in the current setup. I like the size and coloration of the snowflake eel. So far, it seems like a fairly small risk with this eel along with smaller fish or a reef, since I can easily keep him fed on krill and chunks of frozen shrimp. I have already had some times where I cannot get him to eat since he is still full. The only limitation on whether he will be in my reef tank is bio-load. I would probably rather have a few smaller fish than one eel if they have equal total bio-load.

During day, run 70% blue and 25% white for now. Will greatly reduce algae and possibly even diatoms

Thanks for the suggestion on lighting, vetteguy53081. I think this is about where my current color distribution is during the day. Would you consider the 2 hours of dawn each day including red light to be acceptable, or would you recommend lowering the red light then also? Of course, I will be monitoring the tank and making adjustments as necessary as I learn more. I may not need to limit algae much more than now, though, since it seems the aquarium has reached an equilibrium that is manageable by the tang and clean-up crew. Thanks to your comment, I will be aware of the possible effect of red lighting on algae blooms in the future.

One suggestion I would have is to set up a mixing station, whether outside or inside. Having a resevoir of saltwater in hand at all times is super useful, especially since you have so much in the tank. The high nitrates are a result of how much is in the tank, not damage to the bio filter although that likely occurred as well. Keep a close eye on your ammonia levels. The reservoir would also make it easier to do more water changes to keep the tank clean and nitrates down. If you're looking to move some stuff out and replace with smaller things that would do well in a 75, firefish, royal grammas, clownfish, tomini tangs pygmy angels like coral beauty's and flame hawkfish, watchman gobies and chromis are all fantastic things to look into.

Thanks for the suggestion, Cerberusfish. I have two 7-gallon buckets with lid holes to accept heaters and bubbler tubes for mixing new saltwater that I plan to implement soon for water changes. This would allow for a 10% water change from each bucket, so it should work well for my usual needs to simplify water changes.
For the nitrates, I plan to implement plants to help in uptake (phosphates as well), since I really would like to keep the number of fish I have. Ammonia levels are and have been essentially zero, while nitrites registered slightly right after setting up the tank and have dropped to near-zero. It seems I only have problems with nitrates which should be managed with plants and water changes.
Thanks for recommendations on fish. I am making a list of considerations based around setting up my 90-gallon as a peaceful reef tank, and some of your suggestions are on the list. Before any new big steps, I will try to research as much as possible to avoid mistakes.

Nice write up! Long as they are fat and happy I would not worry too much!!
Also, welcome to the site!!

Thanks for the welcome, ReeferBlaine. My plan is to monitor conditions for a while with no significant changes and observe the fish. So far, they seem happy, so I do not plan any drastic changes soon.

 

[Philly Reefer]

Welcome to R2R

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks for the feedback, Bfragale. I am considering using the smaller canister as a feed down to the sump with the larger as a return and an overflow from the main tank down to sump. It would be redundant filtration, but I already have the canister filters that were sized with flow to filter 175 gallons due to the original owner's mix-up on aquarium volume.
I have many available aquariums of 10,20,30,55, and one 75-gallon available from different reptile pets over the years. Some were purchased on Petco's $1 per gallon sale, which is a nice deal. This is why I will probably use an aquarium for the sump instead of purchasing a sump. My limitation on size of sump is that the cabinet under the tank is designed with a cupboard on each side and an open central shelf setup that are divided between with solid panels. I may have to cut out one side to allow for a larger sump, but this is certainly a viable consideration. I need to do more research on necessary sump size.

The eel is one of my favorite fish in the current setup. I like the size and coloration of the snowflake eel. So far, it seems like a fairly small risk with this eel along with smaller fish or a reef, since I can easily keep him fed on krill and chunks of frozen shrimp. I have already had some times where I cannot get him to eat since he is still full. The only limitation on whether he will be in my reef tank is bio-load. I would probably rather have a few smaller fish than one eel if they have equal total bio-load.


Thanks for the suggestion on lighting, vetteguy53081. I think this is about where my current color distribution is during the day. Would you consider the 2 hours of dawn each day including red light to be acceptable, or would you recommend lowering the red light then also? Of course, I will be monitoring the tank and making adjustments as necessary as I learn more. I may not need to limit algae much more than now, though, since it seems the aquarium has reached an equilibrium that is manageable by the tang and clean-up crew. Thanks to your comment, I will be aware of the possible effect of red lighting on algae blooms in the future.


Thanks for the suggestion, Cerberusfish. I have two 7-gallon buckets with lid holes to accept heaters and bubbler tubes for mixing new saltwater that I plan to implement soon for water changes. This would allow for a 10% water change from each bucket, so it should work well for my usual needs to simplify water changes.
For the nitrates, I plan to implement plants to help in uptake (phosphates as well), since I really would like to keep the number of fish I have. Ammonia levels are and have been essentially zero, while nitrites registered slightly right after setting up the tank and have dropped to near-zero. It seems I only have problems with nitrates which should be managed with plants and water changes.
Thanks for recommendations on fish. I am making a list of considerations based around setting up my 90-gallon as a peaceful reef tank, and some of your suggestions are on the list. Before any new big steps, I will try to research as much as possible to avoid mistakes.


Thanks for the welcome, ReeferBlaine. My plan is to monitor conditions for a while with no significant changes and observe the fish. So far, they seem happy, so I do not plan any drastic changes soon.

Lower morning red slightly, but ocean sun does start with reds and orange