going reef what next

[sandman1966]

i am goin reef i have a 75 gallon setup with fluval 404 , a satellite 4x96 pc coming on monday, 50 lbs. of live rock i know i need a powerhead or two and a skimmer. what else is needed. can i get some brand recommendations.

 

[drew2005]

Id say at least another 25lbs of LR. Do you have any live sand yet? Also you may want to consider MH lighting if you want more coral options. Oh and look into a good protein skimmer.

 

[sandman1966]

i see in the threads using egg crate instead of the glass top? yes i do have around 3-4 inches of sub live sand

 

[fishieness]

oo!! a deep sand bed! very nice!
yes, egg creat is great because it prevents fish from getting out, but glass prevents gas form getting out! With no gas exchange, there is no O2 for the benificial bacteria
i would say the other thing you need the most is reserche before you buy :happyfish

 

[snipe]

I would say one thing you need is salt cant have a salt tank without that lol. You also need some test kits.

 

[airforceb2]

Originally Posted by sandman1966
can i get some brand recommendations.
AquaC Remora Pro and Excalibur HV2 are awesome skimmers. Stay away from cheap skimmers.
Maxi Jet makes very good economical powerheads. Stay away from Rios.

 

[snipe]

I have what most would call a cheap skimmer and I love it. Its really quiet and it pulls the awfullest smelling stuff you ever smelled out of the tank.