Newbie here.. need info! :)

Old&Salty · Dec 8, 2020

Hello all! So ive been out of the game for 12 plus years. Had saltwater fish only tanks in the past with grwat success (never had a wipeout)..... wanting to try to do reef. Soooooo, last night went out and spent too much money, bought and filled up my new 75 gallon, fluval 407, live sand, 20 pound live rock, reef crystal/salt, thermostat set at 78, wavemaker, salinity at 1.025, couple cap fulls of prime.... now i wait for a month for the cycle..... in the meantime, searching for good lighting (nowhere to hang above), and protein skimmer.

Couple questions:
1) what else do i need to get started?
2) what do i need to test and when do i need to test as I wait.... keeping in mind, im wanting a reef tank.
3) I used tap water and mixed 5 gallon buckets at a time..... moving forward, wanting a home RO/DI system as I will use RO/DI water moving forward.

Mannnnnn has the technology changed in 12 years.... im a dinasaur and appreciate any and all info!

Old&Salty · Dec 8, 2020

nobody??? lol

CMMorgan · Dec 8, 2020

Hey there!!! WELCOME!!!!!
Just an aside... I did not have RODI when I started my tank, so I went to Publix, Walmart, etc. and filled bottles there. (It is RODI water.. carbon filtered blah blah blah) That lasted like two years before my husband got sick of filling bottles for me. It's cheap and it works great if you have those water cooler bottles.
What do you need? Well... my best advise is to remember that this is a marathon, not a race. Start out FOLR... then add some softies and grow from there.
There are some amazing threads here from reefers that do basics and do it very well. It is so easy to get sucked into wanting controllers and dosers and bells and whistles. Take it slow and get a bit at a time - and learn what you have. My daughter met a guy today with 150 gallon tank, full Apex system ... the works. His tank looks bleh. He told her it will look better if he ever figures out how to use his Apex. (CRY!)
Don't let tech be a barrier. Go get yourself a basic test kit like Red Sea that has all the biggies. You'll eventually want calcium, Alk, mag when you get beyond just fish but right now you want ammonia, nitrites (so you don't kill the fish), nitrates, PH, etc.
You are off to a great start. Once you get stable, invest in a great clean up crew and replenish it as often as needed. It's all about balance. A CUC can solve many problems before they become problems.
Last word of wisdom - don't believe everything the LFS says. They are running a business and some are more ethical than others. My closest LFS sold me so much stuff I did not need or should not put together. There are many trusted people here who just want to help.
Welcome to the reef! Reach out anytime, happy to listen.
Michelle

living_tribunal · Dec 8, 2020

Old&Salty said:
Hello all! So ive been out of the game for 12 plus years. Had saltwater fish only tanks in the past with grwat success (never had a wipeout)..... wanting to try to do reef. Soooooo, last night went out and spent too much money, bought and filled up my new 75 gallon, fluval 407, live sand, 20 pound live rock, reef crystal/salt, thermostat set at 78, wavemaker, salinity at 1.025, couple cap fulls of prime.... now i wait for a month for the cycle..... in the meantime, searching for good lighting (nowhere to hang above), and protein skimmer.

Couple questions:
1) what else do i need to get started?
2) what do i need to test and when do i need to test as I wait.... keeping in mind, im wanting a reef tank.
3) I used tap water and mixed 5 gallon buckets at a time..... moving forward, wanting a home RO/DI system as I will use RO/DI water moving forward.

Mannnnnn has the technology changed in 12 years.... im a dinasaur and appreciate any and all info!

I’d love to help! Typing up some points I learned when first starting out.

living_tribunal · Dec 8, 2020

Old&Salty said:
Hello all! So ive been out of the game for 12 plus years. Had saltwater fish only tanks in the past with grwat success (never had a wipeout)..... wanting to try to do reef. Soooooo, last night went out and spent too much money, bought and filled up my new 75 gallon, fluval 407, live sand, 20 pound live rock, reef crystal/salt, thermostat set at 78, wavemaker, salinity at 1.025, couple cap fulls of prime.... now i wait for a month for the cycle..... in the meantime, searching for good lighting (nowhere to hang above), and protein skimmer.

Couple questions:
1) what else do i need to get started?
2) what do i need to test and when do i need to test as I wait.... keeping in mind, im wanting a reef tank.
3) I used tap water and mixed 5 gallon buckets at a time..... moving forward, wanting a home RO/DI system as I will use RO/DI water moving forward.

Mannnnnn has the technology changed in 12 years.... im a dinasaur and appreciate any and all info!

The first major thing I learned was it pays to get the expensive items out of the way first and don’t skimp on these. I first bought every bargain bin piece of equipment and was going back to re purchase a nicer version of each a month or so later. There are definitely some amazing values out there, here are the ones I’ve found:

Return pump- the hygger 1060 dc return pump is an amazing steal for only $90. It has full speed control, automatic low water level sensors, and everything else the $500 returns do. I’ve had mine for over a year and love it.

Skimmer- For a 75g, there’s no better deal than the classic reef octopus skimmer for $120 (if I remember correctly)

Nothing wrong with jebao pumps, mine have been running strong for years.

Rodi- the rodi buddy unit would work great for a 75g and it’s only $60.

If there was anything I could go back and tell myself it would be to just drill the dang tank. I was so nervous for the longest time and it eventually led to me buying a used pre drilled tank (which ended up being a nightmare). Having all hob is fine but if you’re like most people, you’ll want a sump ASAP.

In 2020, there’s no need to spend a month cycling your tank. Buy a crap ton of bacteria and a pure ammonia chloride source and cycle it in a couple of days.

If you’re using dry rock, try binding some phosphate to it before you add stuff to the tank. Dry rock is capable of binding an insane amount of phosphate and can lead to dino in the beginning.

Always be checking your local fb group for steals. I’ve seen many full tank, expensive light, expensive everything pieces of equipment for amazing deals. It’s also a nice way to meet your local reefing community.

DON’T skimp on test kits. The only api kits you can get away with are ammonia and nitrite. For nitrate, Alk, phosphate, calc use salifert or better hanna. In my opinion, it’s worth the money to get just the Alk and ulr phosphorous hanna kits. Those two will save you a lot of time and headache, for nitrate get salifert. If you want to test Calc, get salifert. Whatever you do, don’t use api for the big 3. I’ve also grown to love my Milwaukee for testing salinity. Calibrating a refractometer is such a nuisance and is very prone to user error. My Milwaukee has saved me hours and given me piece of mind about the salinity consistency of my new water batches. Worth every penny imo.

Everything else is up to you man. I quarantine everything from fish to frags but if you’re ok with the risk, you can forego spending the $50 to get a small qt setup. I will say that qting your fish is a great way to pass the time while your display is cycling. Up to you.

Lastly, don’t go nuts getting a bunch of expensive equipment. It’s worth the money to buy nice equipment but buy something when you need it. Have dino? Cool, spend the $120 to get a nice uv sterilizer. Going insane dosing? Cool, spend the $120 on a nice doser. Don’t preemptively buy stuff you may or may not need because this hobby gets expensive real quick. So spend the money but on things that are essential to your set up.

Those are the main things I wish I could go back and tell myself when I first started.

vetteguy53081 · Dec 8, 2020

Too bad tank isn’t reef ready utilizing a sump
A hang on five and/or skimmer will be helpful

Old&Salty · Dec 8, 2020

CMMorgan said:
Hey there!!! WELCOME!!!!!
Just an aside... I did not have RODI when I started my tank, so I went to Publix, Walmart, etc. and filled bottles there. (It is RODI water.. carbon filtered blah blah blah) That lasted like two years before my husband got sick of filling bottles for me. It's cheap and it works great if you have those water cooler bottles.
What do you need? Well... my best advise is to remember that this is a marathon, not a race. Start out FOLR... then add some softies and grow from there.
There are some amazing threads here from reefers that do basics and do it very well. It is so easy to get sucked into wanting controllers and dosers and bells and whistles. Take it slow and get a bit at a time - and learn what you have. My daughter met a guy today with 150 gallon tank, full Apex system ... the works. His tank looks bleh. He told her it will look better if he ever figures out how to use his Apex. (CRY!)
Don't let tech be a barrier. Go get yourself a basic test kit like Red Sea that has all the biggies. You'll eventually want calcium, Alk, mag when you get beyond just fish but right now you want ammonia, nitrites (so you don't kill the fish), nitrates, PH, etc.
You are off to a great start. Once you get stable, invest in a great clean up crew and replenish it as often as needed. It's all about balance. A CUC can solve many problems before they become problems.
Last word of wisdom - don't believe everything the LFS says. They are running a business and some are more ethical than others. My closest LFS sold me so much stuff I did not need or should not put together. There are many trusted people here who just want to help.
Welcome to the reef! Reach out anytime, happy to listen.
Michelle

thank you so much.... ive had 2 other tanks years ago that were fish only..... got spoiled because I never had an issue..... I alwaus had patiejce which I learned was key..... im literally on day 2 now and 13 years later, much has changed.
Thank you very much for your response!

Old&Salty · Dec 8, 2020

living_tribunal said:
The first major thing I learned was it pays to get the expensive items out of the way first and don’t skimp on these. I first bought every bargain bin piece of equipment and was going back to re purchase a nicer version of each a month or so later. There are definitely some amazing values out there, here are the ones I’ve found:

Return pump- the hygger 1060 dc return pump is an amazing steal for only $90. It has full speed control, automatic low water level sensors, and everything else the $500 returns do. I’ve had mine for over a year and love it.

Skimmer- For a 75g, there’s no better deal than the classic reef octopus skimmer for $120 (if I remember correctly)

Nothing wrong with jebao pumps, mine have been running strong for years.

Rodi- the rodi buddy unit would work great for a 75g and it’s only $60.

If there was anything I could go back and tell myself it would be to just drill the dang tank. I was so nervous for the longest time and it eventually led to me buying a used pre drilled tank (which ended up being a nightmare). Having all hob is fine but if you’re like most people, you’ll want a sump ASAP.

In 2020, there’s no need to spend a month cycling your tank. Buy a crap ton of bacteria and a pure ammonia chloride source and cycle it in a couple of days.

If you’re using dry rock, try binding some phosphate to it before you add stuff to the tank. Dry rock is capable of binding an insane amount of phosphate and can lead to dino in the beginning.

Always be checking your local fb group for steals. I’ve seen many full tank, expensive light, expensive everything pieces of equipment for amazing deals. It’s also a nice way to meet your local reefing community.

DON’T skimp on test kits. The only api kits you can get away with are ammonia and nitrite. For nitrate, Alk, phosphate, calc use salifert or better hanna. In my opinion, it’s worth the money to get just the Alk and ulr phosphorous hanna kits. Those two will save you a lot of time and headache, for nitrate get salifert. If you want to test Calc, get salifert. Whatever you do, don’t use api for the big 3. I’ve also grown to love my Milwaukee for testing salinity. Calibrating a refractometer is such a nuisance and is very prone to user error. My Milwaukee has saved me hours and given me piece of mind about the salinity consistency of my new water batches. Worth every penny imo.

Everything else is up to you man. I quarantine everything from fish to frags but if you’re ok with the risk, you can forego spending the $50 to get a small qt setup. I will say that qting your fish is a great way to pass the time while your display is cycling. Up to you.

Lastly, don’t go nuts getting a bunch of expensive equipment. It’s worth the money to buy nice equipment but buy something when you need it. Have dino? Cool, spend the $120 to get a nice uv sterilizer. Going insane dosing? Cool, spend the $120 on a nice doser. Don’t preemptively buy stuff you may or may not need because this hobby gets expensive real quick. So spend the money but on things that are essential to your set up.

Those are the main things I wish I could go back and tell myself when I first started.

awesome! Im going to look into, basically.... everything you said. lol

Old&Salty · Dec 9, 2020

living_tribunal said:
The first major thing I learned was it pays to get the expensive items out of the way first and don’t skimp on these. I first bought every bargain bin piece of equipment and was going back to re purchase a nicer version of each a month or so later. There are definitely some amazing values out there, here are the ones I’ve found:

Return pump- the hygger 1060 dc return pump is an amazing steal for only $90. It has full speed control, automatic low water level sensors, and everything else the $500 returns do. I’ve had mine for over a year and love it.

Skimmer- For a 75g, there’s no better deal than the classic reef octopus skimmer for $120 (if I remember correctly)

Nothing wrong with jebao pumps, mine have been running strong for years.

Rodi- the rodi buddy unit would work great for a 75g and it’s only $60.

If there was anything I could go back and tell myself it would be to just drill the dang tank. I was so nervous for the longest time and it eventually led to me buying a used pre drilled tank (which ended up being a nightmare). Having all hob is fine but if you’re like most people, you’ll want a sump ASAP.

In 2020, there’s no need to spend a month cycling your tank. Buy a crap ton of bacteria and a pure ammonia chloride source and cycle it in a couple of days.

If you’re using dry rock, try binding some phosphate to it before you add stuff to the tank. Dry rock is capable of binding an insane amount of phosphate and can lead to dino in the beginning.

Always be checking your local fb group for steals. I’ve seen many full tank, expensive light, expensive everything pieces of equipment for amazing deals. It’s also a nice way to meet your local reefing community.

DON’T skimp on test kits. The only api kits you can get away with are ammonia and nitrite. For nitrate, Alk, phosphate, calc use salifert or better hanna. In my opinion, it’s worth the money to get just the Alk and ulr phosphorous hanna kits. Those two will save you a lot of time and headache, for nitrate get salifert. If you want to test Calc, get salifert. Whatever you do, don’t use api for the big 3. I’ve also grown to love my Milwaukee for testing salinity. Calibrating a refractometer is such a nuisance and is very prone to user error. My Milwaukee has saved me hours and given me piece of mind about the salinity consistency of my new water batches. Worth every penny imo.

Everything else is up to you man. I quarantine everything from fish to frags but if you’re ok with the risk, you can forego spending the $50 to get a small qt setup. I will say that qting your fish is a great way to pass the time while your display is cycling. Up to you.

Lastly, don’t go nuts getting a bunch of expensive equipment. It’s worth the money to buy nice equipment but buy something when you need it. Have dino? Cool, spend the $120 to get a nice uv sterilizer. Going insane dosing? Cool, spend the $120 on a nice doser. Don’t preemptively buy stuff you may or may not need because this hobby gets expensive real quick. So spend the money but on things that are essential to your set up.

Those are the main things I wish I could go back and tell myself when I first started.

do i need to be testing anything now or wait until it starts to cycle..... do I need to be adding anything?

living_tribunal · Dec 9, 2020

Old&Salty said:
do i need to be testing anything now or wait until it starts to cycle..... do I need to be adding anything?

For cycling, you will just need to test ammonia and nitrite which you can use api kits for. Just be sure to get the vial kits and not the strips. You'll have greater accuracy testing parameters by drinking tank water than using strips.

You don't have to drill your tank but from personal experience, and I'm sure I can speak for many others who wait on this, you'll wish you had 3-4 months down the line.

After the tank has cycled, you will need to start a weekly/bi-weekly testing regiment for just nitrate and phosphate. Those are the two you'll want to keep in check for the next couple of months until you have to start dosing alk/calc/mag. Dosing is many months out so don't worry about that for now. You will also need to start testing salinity. A refractometer will suffice for now if you want to save the money, that's no problem.

For testing, for you, today, I'd get salifert nitrate, salifert phosphate, api ammonia, api nitrite. That's all you need for the time being.

Old&Salty · Dec 9, 2020

living_tribunal said:
For cycling, you will just need to test ammonia and nitrite which you can use api kits for. Just be sure to get the vial kits and not the strips. You'll have greater accuracy testing parameters by drinking tank water than using strips.

You don't have to drill your tank but from personal experience, and I'm sure I can speak for many others who wait on this, you'll wish you had 3-4 months down the line.

After the tank has cycled, you will need to start a weekly/bi-weekly testing regiment for just nitrate and phosphate. Those are the two you'll want to keep in check for the next couple of months until you have to start dosing alk/calc/mag. Dosing is many months out so don't worry about that for now. You will also need to start testing salinity. A refractometer will suffice for now if you want to save the money, that's no problem.

For testing, for you, today, I'd get salifert nitrate, salifert phosphate, api ammonia, api nitrite. That's all you need for the time being.

thank you! great info!

castro13 · Feb 1, 2021

living_tribunal said:
The first major thing I learned was it pays to get the expensive items out of the way first and don’t skimp on these. I first bought every bargain bin piece of equipment and was going back to re purchase a nicer version of each a month or so later. There are definitely some amazing values out there, here are the ones I’ve found:

Return pump- the hygger 1060 dc return pump is an amazing steal for only $90. It has full speed control, automatic low water level sensors, and everything else the $500 returns do. I’ve had mine for over a year and love it.

Skimmer- For a 75g, there’s no better deal than the classic reef octopus skimmer for $120 (if I remember correctly)

Nothing wrong with jebao pumps, mine have been running strong for years.

Rodi- the rodi buddy unit would work great for a 75g and it’s only $60.

If there was anything I could go back and tell myself it would be to just drill the dang tank. I was so nervous for the longest time and it eventually led to me buying a used pre drilled tank (which ended up being a nightmare). Having all hob is fine but if you’re like most people, you’ll want a sump ASAP.

In 2020, there’s no need to spend a month cycling your tank. Buy a crap ton of bacteria and a pure ammonia chloride source and cycle it in a couple of days.

If you’re using dry rock, try binding some phosphate to it before you add stuff to the tank. Dry rock is capable of binding an insane amount of phosphate and can lead to dino in the beginning.

Always be checking your local fb group for steals. I’ve seen many full tank, expensive light, expensive everything pieces of equipment for amazing deals. It’s also a nice way to meet your local reefing community.

DON’T skimp on test kits. The only api kits you can get away with are ammonia and nitrite. For nitrate, Alk, phosphate, calc use salifert or better hanna. In my opinion, it’s worth the money to get just the Alk and ulr phosphorous hanna kits. Those two will save you a lot of time and headache, for nitrate get salifert. If you want to test Calc, get salifert. Whatever you do, don’t use api for the big 3. I’ve also grown to love my Milwaukee for testing salinity. Calibrating a refractometer is such a nuisance and is very prone to user error. My Milwaukee has saved me hours and given me piece of mind about the salinity consistency of my new water batches. Worth every penny imo.

Everything else is up to you man. I quarantine everything from fish to frags but if you’re ok with the risk, you can forego spending the $50 to get a small qt setup. I will say that qting your fish is a great way to pass the time while your display is cycling. Up to you.

Lastly, don’t go nuts getting a bunch of expensive equipment. It’s worth the money to buy nice equipment but buy something when you need it. Have dino? Cool, spend the $120 to get a nice uv sterilizer. Going insane dosing? Cool, spend the $120 on a nice doser. Don’t preemptively buy stuff you may or may not need because this hobby gets expensive real quick. So spend the money but on things that are essential to your set up.

Those are the main things I wish I could go back and tell myself when I first started.