Restarting hobby with a 75 gal build

[jeep and goose]

I wanna make like a journal type post to document things for a tank I plan on starting when I move, currently I don’t have much besides the tank itself and a gyre 3k pump. My budgets around 3000 dollars. Looking into lighting rn and a sump setup if anyone has reccomendations. I’m kinda averse to drilling the tank cause I think I’d mess it up so I will probably use a hanging overflow. And I plan on either making my own rocks from something I read or using live rock. I’ll probably mix both together honestly I want spotlights I think. Also is it ok if I use a glass lid so my cats don’t try to swim in the tank. Fish wise I’m not sure whether I want to doa more reefy set up or more boisterous fish. Some of my bucket list fish include butterflies, rabbit fish (rehome when big) some wrasses, and mandarins. I also like jack knife fish, coral catfish, and mimic cardinal fish but I don’t think I can get any of those or they would grow to fast.

 

[JumboShrimp]

That's a great budget-- you can have a lot of fun for $3K! Enjoy.

 

[Red_Beard]

Way cool, it will be fun to look back on this journal in a few years and see how far it has come!
Glass lid is ok, but mesh is better. Glass you will have to keep clean or it will cut your par down as well as limit gas exchange. You can do it, skimmer will make up for the lack of air in the display.
With mesh, as long as it holds up to the first jump or 2, they will hate standing on the mesh and figure that out pretty quick.

 

[jeep and goose]

Way cool, it will be fun to look back on this journal in a few years and see how far it has come!
Glass lid is ok, but mesh is better. Glass you will have to keep clean or it will cut your par down as well as limit gas exchange. You can do it, skimmer will make up for the lack of air in the display.
With mesh, as long as it holds up to the first jump or 2, they will hate standing on the mesh and figure that out pretty quick.

I used to have mesh, they broke it so quickly

 

[Mebbid]

Is a canopy an option?

 

[jeep and goose]

Is a canopy an option?

Possibly but I feel like it’d be pricey

 

[Mebbid]

Possibly but I feel like it’d be pricey

Possibly, but it solves both of the issues you're facing. Keep the cats out while keeping good gas exchange without losing par.

$459 here
https://www.aquariumspecialty.com/tideline-classic-canopies.html

 

[Red_Beard]

I used to have mesh, they broke it so quickly

Woof. you have some aggressive cats! They usually don't like standing on mesh. Glass will work, especially if you have a sump and skimmer running all the time. You can get all the gas exchange done in the sump.

Possibly, but it solves both of the issues you're facing. Keep the cats out while keeping good gas exchange without losing par.

$459 here
https://www.aquariumspecialty.com/tideline-classic-canopies.html

That is a great suggestion, and is precisely what i did with mine, except it was all DIY. It is open with a piece of white plastic lattice on top. Only 1 of 3 of our cats has ever been up there and only once.

 

[Mebbid]

Black eggcrate might be an option too. It doesn't reduce par too much and is sturdier than mesh.

As for drilling the tank: It's not as complicated as it seems, it's just scary. You could call around and see if there's any glass shops that would be able to drill it for you. Personally, i'm more scared of the HOB overflows than drilling a tank.