Idea's on a 75gal FOWLR tank

[Str8baller]

I am planing on buying a 75gal tank,the goal is to create a FOWLR aggressive tank. But I'm new to the hobby and new to aggressive tanks. At the moment I have a successful 55gal reef ready tank, with semi-aggressive fish. And a small reef nano cube cycling, I was thinking triggers and puffers and possibly a loin? I will most likely go with wet-dry filtration and a good skimmer, with 100lbs of LR (Fiji). I don't have anything for this tank yet, but am planing to buy it in a week or two (a huge sale at my LFS, LR for $3.50 a lb, and fish at great prices). But as I said I'm new to this kind of tank, and looking for some advice.

Any idea on a really cool tank would be greatly appreciated. Good started fish suggestions, equipment that is needed and overall thoughts on this would be a great help.


Thanks

[I like Triggers]

Hmm... you could get a canthigaster sp. puffer, and a dwarf lionfish and they would do well with a couple fish. A 75 is too small for the full life of any trigger, but if you plan to upgrade, you might look into the humu trigger, in my avatar, they are great fish. He could live in a 125 for life. If you do get a trigger, its advised for the safety of both fish, not to get a lion as well. They usually dont mix well with one of the others killing each, either on purpose or accident.

[xhaust50]

Equipment: protein skimmer, some powerheads, refugium, live rock. I wouldn't use the wet/dry, but that's just me.

Fish possibilities:
valentini puffer
dwarf lion
flame hawk
flame angelfish
maroon clown

[Str8baller]

xhaust50, you say not to use the wet/dry, should i just use the 100lbs of LR, or canister filters or what kind of filtration?

Also what do people think of live sand in an aggressive tank? (overkill or good idea)

[andrewsmart]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9059264#post9059264 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Str8baller
xhaust50, you say not to use the wet/dry, should i just use the 100lbs of LR, or canister filters or what kind of filtration?

Also what do people think of live sand in an aggressive tank? (overkill or good idea)

just get the lr and aragonite sand the rock will seed the sand.

[Monkeyfish]

Use live rock and sand - the sand can be dry and will gain bacteria from the rock over time. However, I'd add a pound or two of live sand to jump start things and get some life (worms,etc.) into the sand-bed.

Get a pre-drilled tank and install a sump/refugium. I'd skip the wet dry - you need to wash the bioballs every week in tank water (taken from tank during water changes) or you run the risk of getting very high nitrates.

[Str8baller]

The tank is a one-time sale thing, so i cant get it drilled (unless they do that at the store?), but its a good idea, ill look into getting it drilled. Thanks for the posts and ideas, and if you got more, keep them coming :)

[Monkeyfish]

You may not be able to get it drilled. Some of the All-Glass 75s (75E ?) have a tempered bottom.

[xhaust50]

Doesn't need to be drilled, you can run an overflow instead but it's more stuff you have to buy. I run an AC110 HOB filter converted refugium on both my 45G and 55G tanks and it keeps nitrates at 0, but for a 75G I'd plan on a sump. I wouldn't run the wet/dry for the previous reasons mentioned. Live rock, protein skimmer, refugium, and water flow and you should be fine.

[Str8baller]

well tomorrow I'm buying the tank and stand, in a week I'm going to buy 100lbs of Fiji LR, and get that cycling. I don't know what I'm going to do about the overflow, i hope its not expensive, but then ill need a return pump, more money :(. But what can you do. I'm thinking a 30gallon sump. Ill try to buy an old tank from the LFS, for a good price (if they are willing to sell it). So my new list looks like

-100lbs of Fiji live rock
-around 60lbs of aragonite sand
-around 20lbs of live sand (to help seed the aragonite sand)
-protein skimmer
-return pump
-overflow (hang on tank) box
-30gallon sump
-small 5gallon tank for cheato algae (what other types of algae would be good?)
-powerheads?
-lights
-heater
-thermometer

Anything I'm missing?

Thanks for all the help so far :)

[Str8baller]

anyone? is the list ok?
--bump

[xhaust50]

Add salt and a refractometer. Also, not sure what you mean about the 5G tank for the chaeto, I thought that was going into your sump and it was going to be a sump/refugium setup.

[Str8baller]

I already have salt and refractometer, so im set to start setting up the tank, thanks once again :D