Newbie Help - what's best for a 75 gal setup?

Hi guys! I've just started going saltwater almost a month now (FOWLR). I currently have a 75gal system, with around 4inches of sand and 50 kgs of live rock, 1 queen turbo skimmer with a 2200 seaquest pump, and 1 overhead filter with a powerhead, 2 lamp setup both 30 watts (1 coralife 22,000k flourescent and a blue actinic flourescent. I really want to improve what i have. I have a few questions tho...

1. Do i really need a sump? What are the benefits of having them? On my current setup is it a must? (FOWLR)
2. What is a refugium? What are the benefits of having em? Where can i find DIY plans for a sump and a refigum (not too complicated ones please).

I currently have 5 african clowns, 1 blue damsel, 1 yellow tail damsel, 1 powder brown tang, 1 blue tang (an inch size), 1 firefox, 1 banded shrimp and 3 turbo snails. Am i too crowded for my tank already? Thanks in advance!

Here's a snapshot of my tank:


Marc

 

Hi guys! I've just started going saltwater almost a month now (FOWLR). I currently have a 75gal system, with around 4inches of sand and 50 kgs of live rock, 1 queen turbo skimmer with a 2200 seaquest pump, and 1 overhead filter with a powerhead, 2 lamp setup both 30 watts (1 coralife 22,000k flourescent and a blue actinic flourescent. I really want to improve what i have. I have a few questions tho...

1. Do i really need a sump? What are the benefits of having them? On my current setup is it a must? (FOWLR)
a sump hides equipment from view, i recommend you set up one if you don't have one as your equipment collection will only grow as time passes.

2. What is a refugium? What are the benefits of having em? Where can i find DIY plans for a sump and a refigum (not too complicated ones please).
a refugium is a small tank that is dedicated to plants.
if you do a reverse day cycle with it, it will stabalize ph in your tank.
filters water(the plants do the filtering) , copepods will breed in it and will flow out in to the main tank provide the fish with more food. im not gonna find plans because its basically just a tank that plumbed in the system somehow, and if you search this site they are instructions on sumps with built in refugiums.
I currently have 5 african clowns, 1 blue damsel, 1 yellow tail damsel, 1 powder brown tang, 1 blue tang (an inch size), 1 firefox, 1 banded shrimp and 3 turbo snails. Am i too crowded for my tank already? Thanks in advance!

i wouldn't add any more fish, because those others will grow and you probably be over stocked.
full grown allards clown is 5 inches, powder brown will be about 8 inches, blue tang about a foot,and lets say another 5 for both damsels.
so you will have 50 inches of fish.
(the only other fish i would add is a sand shifter because you should have one)

as for firefox it depends how big your computer monitor is... lol im sorry i don't know what fish that is, do you mean foxface?;D

but you can have a bunch more cleaning animals(snails and crabs).

i would lose a couple inches of sand too, the deeper it is the harder it is to keep clean

 

will this setup work?

 

it looks fine to me
but whats the crushed coral for?biofiltration like bioballs?

 

for filtration bro... for sucking up the dirt...

 

lol too funny! Not making fun...just a funny comment.
couldn't you just put the LR in the fuge part?

 

what's funny about it?

 

Thats a similar sump / fuge setup that I have but I put all the liverock in the tank because it looks nice =).

 

A fuge will really help with algae in the long run as it will export all the waste in your system and keep nuisance algae from your display. It's not "needed" but it very good to have in place. If you want to add any type of coral in the future, your lighting will need to be changed. Even with FOWLR tanks, you want about 2-3watts of lighting per gallon of water, 4-5 watts for softies and like 7-10 for hard stuff and anemones. Fish also need adequate lighting to produce vitamin D.
That being said, and don't take this the wrong way. Your tank is WAY too stocked for a tank that is only a month old. Normally it would take at least a year to get it as stocked as you have it now. After one month of running, you would want to think about one starter fish to start the bioloading cycle of the tank, and maybe a couple cleaners, like snails. After having that for about a month after your ammonia spike flattens out, add one fish. etc. I don't want to be a downer, but be prepared if your tangs get stressed with the ride they are in for since your tank will go through a heavy cycle soon. They may develop ick or worse. To help lessen the effects of this, add "Cycle" into the tank, as it will help seed the beneficial bacteria in the tank and will speed up the nitrifying cycle of the tank.

 

instead of using crushed coral rubble for "sucking up the dirt " , couldnt you just use a sock filter in that set up ? I use one with my skimmer in my sump and it keeps all the debri out of the tank .