Just getting started in SW. Have a 75 gal reef ready but thought I better get my feet wet w/SW first. i HAVE 5 fw tanks, 75g, 35g, 37g, 2-10's. Just got a 54 corner, will be FOWLR before I attempt the reef.  Any suggestions welcome!!

Welcome to GIRS!

You've come to the right place for advice. Don't be afraid to ask questions as we're here to help!

-JB

Cool welcome to the site.

without knowing anything about your plans or system I would say try to get a sump & refuge going with a skimmer. This will really help keep your algae under control.

Where are you from?

Craig

CR area. Sump for the 46g? It will be FOWLR.  I got a bakPak for it and will use an emporer 400. For the reef I'm planning later I have a Oceanic 75g reef ready with Oceanic 75 wet/dry trickle filter I got at the EIAA auction for 120$

Nice! I'm always impressed by the EIAA. They have a great little news letter and very well organized meetings and events.

Wet/Dry filters are fine, but they have to be carefully monitored so that they keep working right and don't become a nitrate factory. The wet dry will act as a sump so that the water level in your main tank stays constant (an issue you might have on the 46 without a sump).

You'll find that the sump/refugium combo is a widely used setup for most reefers. If you have enough live rock, you don't really need any other filtration and the sump provides an area to deal with evaporation, place equipement (heaters, skimmers, etc) and can also be used to house a refugium which will provide good nutrient export and free fish/coral food.

The other thing I might mention is to be sure and test your 75 for copper before trying to use it for saltwater. If by chance it was used for fresh water instead of saltwater before, there is always the chance that copper medications were used. If that was the case and the tank leaches residual copper back into the water, you might have a major problem.

-JB

Welcome to the club!! Are you going to join us for the frag fest November 15th?

I hope so!!! I need to learn alot yet!!!

Welcome fishyness. I'm just getting started into SW too with a 12 G nano-reef. We'll see how it goes. I'm really scaling back on my freshwater stuff (down to just one tank of African cichlids now - mbunas). I'm sure we'll have some of the same noob questions. :-) Again, welcome!

--AJ

I have a mbuna tank also!!!  Plus 4 more.... can't scale back tho!!!

I might be getting rid of them too...time will tell.  I think my favorites in there are my Cynotilpia Afra Jalo Reef and my Demasoni.Â