new to sw

[lmaniotis35]

Hi...i have been reading posts for several months and decided it was time to join. I will be inhereting a 72 gal(us) bow front tank with an eheim 2215 canaster fileter. This tank was used for fw fish and am planning on using it for sw. I have decided on some live rock, inverts and to start the colony when fully cycled 2 clowns and a blue tang (you guessed it 3yo niece wants nemo).

1. is the canister filter enough? I have also heard one should remove all media from canister why if true. what else will i need

2. What type of lighting will be needed

3. what are the steps i should take regarding set up (what order should water, sand, rock be placed in the tank

4. once cycled and the three initial fish are in what else and how many more can go in this tank

thanks in advance...sure to be asking many more questions....not in a rush..i prefer to take my time and do it right

 

[soma]

1. Maybe. Canister filters work fine if you are planning to do a fish-only system. However, if you are planning on doing a reef tank (corals) then you're gonna have to upgrade to a wet/dry. A protein skimmer is a must-have, regardless of what type tank it will be.

2. Regular Normal Output flourescent lights that come with the tank are all you will need for a fish-only tank. If it's going to be a reef, power compacts are the bare minimum.

3. Put the sand in the tank, mix your water and salt (Reverse Osmosis water is the best kind to use - you will notice a LOT more algae growth if you use regular tap water) Then add the live rock. I assume you're cycling with the live rock? Good choice.

4. You've got a clown pair and a blue hippo tang... keep in mind the blue tang is going to get very large (around a foot long) and he needs a LOT of space to swim around if you want him to stay happy. Try to refrain from buying the little 1-inch long ones that you see in the fish store. Eventually he will be too big for your tank and you will need to put him in a bigger tank or get rid of him.

It's hard to just say how many fish you can stick in a 75 gallon, but as a general rule of thumb, 1 inch of ADULT fish per 5 gallons is the max. So, you have to measure this by the adult size of the fish, not the size that he is when you buy him. Good example: Longhorn cowfish can be as small as 1/2 inch in the pet store, but they grow to nearly 18 inches when they are adults.

If you want, list some fish you're interested and I or someone else can help you decide whether they would work in your tank or not.