What is "light stocking" in a sumpless 75g?

[BradFish]

This is what I have in mind for a 75G (47" x 20") lowtech reef tank -

5" live sand bed, 90KG / 200LB (Caribsea Ocean Direct Natural Live Sand)
60LB Live Rock (Real Reef)
Surface skimmer (APS SKIM-2 - heard good things about this little contraption compared to Eheim 350)
Movement (undecided on tech but I'll go with something suitable for Softy/LPS)
300w heater
Lighting (again, undecided - I'll probably try a couple of ebay blackboxes... something suitable to nicely grow Softy/LPS)
Clean up crew (just a combination invert critters suitable for 75G)

Undecided on a HOB protein skimmer.

I'll be aiming for bi-weekly 10% - 20% water changes and manual top off as needed with my own RODI water from a RODI system.

I think that's it, I have a Juwel Bioflow L which I could put in service, it came with the tank (RIO 350), I just don't know if it will be needed and I'd rather try to start and see if I can get the water params good and corals growing without it, rather than take it away later and that being a catalyst for killing progress.


So eventually - I want some fish, and anemones, I intend to target feed and really focus on being as clean as possible, this means "light stocking"...

So my question to you - the experienced reefer, what would be considered light stocking for the above?

 

[Impala67]

This is what I have in mind for a 75G (47" x 20") lowtech reef tank -

5" live sand bed, 90KG / 200LB (Caribsea Ocean Direct Natural Live Sand)
60LB Live Rock (Real Reef)
Surface skimmer (APS SKIM-2 - heard good things about this little contraption compared to Eheim 350)
Movement (undecided on tech but I'll go with something suitable for Softy/LPS)
300w heater
Lighting (again, undecided - I'll probably try a couple of ebay blackboxes... something suitable to nicely grow Softy/LPS)
Clean up crew (just a combination invert critters suitable for 75G)

Undecided on a HOB protein skimmer.

I'll be aiming for bi-weekly 10% - 20% water changes and manual top off as needed with my own RODI water from a RODI system.

I think that's it, I have a Juwel Bioflow L which I could put in service, it came with the tank (RIO 350), I just don't know if it will be needed and I'd rather try to start and see if I can get the water params good and corals growing without it, rather than take it away later and that being a catalyst for killing progress.


So eventually - I want some fish, and anemones, I intend to target feed and really focus on being as clean as possible, this means "light stocking"...

So my question to you - the experienced reefer, what would be considered light stocking for the above?

here’s a list of what I would do.
Six line wrasse
Two clowns
Watchmen goby/pistol shrimp pair
Lawnmower blenny
Royal gramma
And then for your anemones I would just stick with the RFA and the BTA or the RBTA those are probably a good bet. Ps if you want a sump but don’t want to drill you can always put a hang on back overflow!!

 

[dedragon]

Honestly if you havent set up the tank, I would just drill the tank and put in a diy sump (20 gallon tank + baffles, under $100 easy). This will just increase the equipment options and hide all of your equipment. For lights, try the noopsyche or smatfarms units over traditional black boxes, just safer IMO and easier to adjust lights (black boxes work as well though just harder to work with)

 

[BradFish]

here’s a list of what I would do.
Six line wrasse
Two clowns
Watchmen goby/pistol shrimp pair
Lawnmower blenny
Royal gramma
And then for your anemones I would just stick with the RFA and the BTA or the RBTA those are probably a good bet.

I love this, fish are essentially the last thing on my list and I'm not even close yet, but having somebody put into perspective what might be possible... and that being what you suggested, makes me really excited.

 

[Impala67]

I love this, fish are essentially the last thing on my list and I'm not even close yet, but having somebody put into perspective what might be possible... and that being what you suggested, makes me really excited.

Happy to help, if you have any questions just ask. But like I said there’s other ways to have a sump without drilling. I have a hang on back overflow on my 55 gallon and it works great!!!

 

[dedragon]

that list is very good, beware the sixline wrasse though as they will harass fish twice their size in my experience with them (had 2, never again) good alternatives are peaceful damsels like springeri or azures or halicores and leopard wrasses (make sure they are eating before you buy them and qt). This is a 75 so you can add 1 medium size fish

 

[ApoIsland]

I ran a similar setup for a couple years in a 55g tank. zero sump or any other filtration. Just water changes every week or two.

Get just enough fish that you can keep fed on 1/2 a cube of regular mysis just once per day and you should be fine.

Assuming you are going to get one clown fish for your anemone, I would also include a yellow tang, a leopard wrasse, and a royal gramma.

That would be an extremely lightly stocked tank. I had all those fish plus a blue tang, and a pink spot jawfish, and a marine beta in my 55 without any issues. Was doing a decent water change every week though. Coral looked better in that tank than it has in any tank before or after. The magic of a 55 I guess. Hope you can replicate it in a 75...

 

[BradFish]

Ps if you want a sump but don’t want to drill you can always put a hang on back overflow!!

Honestly if you havent set up the tank, I would just drill the tank and put in a diy sump (20 gallon tank + baffles, under $100 easy).

But like I said there’s other ways to have a sump without drilling. I have a hang on back overflow on my 55 gallon and it works great!!!

I'm thinking about it at least 48 times per day.

I see a house move in my near future, a DSB so unappealing in that respect -

However - to achieve that low tech, sumpless, (protein)skimmerless - natural filtration, the DSB filtration is an integral aspect of the finer examples I've seen whilst researching these setups.

I've actually cancelled my 200LB sand order, with the idea that I can order it last right before the cycling begins - whilst exploring the idea of going bare bottom, I do like the aesthetic of bare bottom, but I'm sure I'll need to heavily compensate filtration - so much so that a sump begins to make a lot of sense... but that also eliminates a lot of species I can keep too, including those beautiful Wrasse, although could a Wrasse make use of a square-ft of sand in a tub of some sort to make that viable?

... and there we have it, inspiration to have a natural sumpless setup goes completely up in the air ;Nailbiting



Then there's this...

...which is a complete headscratcher for me at the moment and questions a lot of things I've researched recently.

 

[BradFish]

Turns out my tank is actually a 90g, huh