Building a new reef

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sgtmet154

New Member
Hi, I have recently gotten back into the hobby. I have a 75 Gallon drilled tank with about 60 lbs. of rock. The rook is from when I had the tank set up 8 years ago and was put in storage after kids came along. I set the tank up with about 4-5" of live sand and crushed coral.

I currently have (4) chomis, (2) clowns, a diamond goby, (4) Mexican Turbo Snails, (4) sand sifting snails, and (10) blue leg hermit crabs.

I need to get better lighting and plan to add corals. I have an existing canopy and need to find lights that will work within that. Retrofit kit? Cost is a major factor as my wife has vetoed the $750 lights that I wanted.

How much live rock should add I have to supplement the rock that I am using from the past that was thouroughly dead after 8 years in dry storage. Also what corals are good to start with?

Any suggestions on how to get started would be appreciated. Thanks
 
chipmunkofdoom2

chipmunkofdoom2

Well-Known Member
Welcome back!

For lighting, retros will probably be the best in terms of ease, but you can probably get away with cheaper if you feel like doing some research and buying everything separately, like ballasts, end caps, what have you.

When people have dead rock that they'd like to make live, I usually suggest a 1:1 ratio of dead to live rock. I don't know if you can fit another 60lbs in that tank, but you should try to equal the amount of dead rock. Part of the benefit of live rock is all the bacteria and organisms living deep within the rock and after being dry for 8 years, it's safe to say there's none of that left.

Easy corals are mushrooms, zoas, ricordea, and some LPS.

Keep us updated!
 
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sgtmet154

New Member
I bought this tank 10 years ago. I had a 90 tall on the same stand in our old house and it broke in the move. I had salt water with live rock for about 6 years total. When my 1st son was born, we converted it to freshwater to save time and money. Last year we had to take the tank down to get new carpet and left it down for the year. My wife innocently said “Why don’t you try salt water again after we take the Christmas tree down”, next thing she knew the tree was gone and the tank was back from the garage. And it has been a money pit ever since.
Speaking of which, does anyone recommend a live rock type and seller? Internet of LFS?? I want to get 10-20 lbs to supplement my “Dead” rock. I assume the rock will again become live rock as bacterial and algae recolonizes in it.
 
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