Hello, getting into saltwater tanks... Could use some advice...

Hi everyone... Im knew here and i needed some help. I have a bmw and am part of a forum for it so i figured there has to be one for saltwater enthusiasts.

Well a friend of mine gave me his 75gal tank that has not been running for about a year but stored the live rock in a plastic bin along with the sand and some water that was in the tank i also have a fluval canister filter and a water heater and a 48'' single bulb light... (is the live rock even still good)

Bottom line is i wanted to know from you guys what else could i use to set up this tank? I just want to do a basic tank with a shark and some other fish from Finding Nemo... lol my son wants all those fish! I like to ask the people at pet stores but sometimes i feel that i will be getting into more then what i need or that they will purposely make me screw up my tank in order to keep coming back to spend more money.

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if it were me i would get new sand...then use all that live rock... to seed that live rock get a little piece from a friend or local fish store... also for your lighting, its not enough to grow corals.. but fine for fish only.. if u wanna grow corals look into at least a 4 bulb t5 fixture or halide or leds..

as for a shark your not gonna be able to put one in a 75 gallon.. you need at least a 6ft long tank for them..

 

Welcome to 3reef,

I agree get new sand.

Congrats on the new system. If you are totally new to this try reviewing this link it has a lot of good pointers.

http://www.3reef.com/forums/new-hobby/whats-important-successful-tank-108699.html

 

Welcome to 3reef

Saintsfan is spot on on the shark, most need at least an 8 foot tank and you would most likely lose the rest of the Finding Nemo fish to it.

 

HI and WELCOME

I would say no to the shark but in a 75 you can do the nemos, dori, and maby some shrimp but you would have to upgrade the lights for corals other than that I would sugest reading Corailline's thread link so you can get a better idea.

good luck ;D

 

Hello and welcome to 3reef

 

Hey LagunaCarbonM3, Welcome to 3Reef! Nice car you got there, btw.

It's not too hard to be in this hobby, here's a quick New to Saltwater Hobby Guide to give you an idea before you go to the fish store!

New to Saltwater Hobby Guide:


For those who are starting saltwater aquariums, start here:
Great Beginner's Guides:


The Ultimate Newbie Guide
http://www.3reef.com/forums/new-hobby/ultimate-newbie-guide-86462.html

Mistakes as Newbies
http://www.3reef.com/forums/new-hobby/mistakes-i-made-newbie-83502.html

Important to Keeping a Successful Tank
http://www.3reef.com/forums/general...st-important-keep-successful-tank-108543.html




Good Book to Start & Learn About Marine Reef Aquarium:
The Marine Reef Aquarium by Philip Hunt





Quick Tips & Rule of Fin:
Rule of Fin




Tips:
- If you want to start, start off with a big tank. The bigger the tank, the less fluctuations in your water!
- Weekly Water Changes are Crucial! 20%-30% Water Change is typically suggested by experienced aquarists. (I personally do partial water changes every other day!)
- Every new tank MUST go through the cycling process.
- Be extra careful when adding new things into your tank
- 1 Inch of Fish per Gallon
- 1 lb of Live Rock per Gallon
- 1 lb of Live Sand per Gallon
- Wait for tank to finish cycling before adding livestock
- Research, research, research!!!
- Be Patient

______________________________

Here's the Secret to Success:

- Constant water changes (this is a HUGE success factor - twice a week, 25-30% water change, if possible! Just be careful of doing it too fast though, you don't want to shock/stress your tank inhabitants)
- Checking parameters weekly/daily (if you have time or money)
- UV Sterilizer (this worked REALLY REALLY well for me!)
- Freshwater Dips + Quarantine Tank (really helps in the long run!)
- Chiller + Good Heater (stable temperature = healthy fishes, since fishes are poikilothermic, their body fluctuates with temp.)
- Auto Top Off (you can do it manually, but it's just more work!)
- Good Protein Skimmer
- Don't Overpopulate your Tank!
- Choose Compatible Fish/Corals

- Be Patient. As Matt Puts it, "Go Slow, Let it Grow." Great Piece of Advice. Don't rush things, being into reefing and saltwater, it's all about patience and diligence.

Essentially, if one can sum it up, it's about keeping your tank as stable as possible with good parameters.



Good luck!

 

Welcome to 3reef and there is lots of things you can do with a 75gal

 

i would scratch the one inch per gallon rule.