New 75 Saltwater Tank

[Stephen]

I inherited another tank today. It's a 75 that came with a hood, lights, stand, 300 watt heater, protien skimmer, and a wet dry filter. I'm most excited about the price... FREE! :D I'm not sure of the brand name of the skimmer and filter though. All I know about it was that it was made in portsmouth va. They had basically the same filter at the pet shop tonight when I picked up some instant ocean, 37 pounds of live rock, and some sand for the bottom, they wanted 200 bucks for it and it didn't include the skimmer. I don't know anything about wet dry filters barely except I did manage to set it up. It's got a skimmer and heater in the first section the water pours into and the a large chamber full of bio balls in the second chamber. Anyway, enough of my rambling... Just kinda exicted about it. I have been setting it up and I'm finally finished (on a night I thought I'd actually get some sleep).

My question is this. I'm not sure what to put in it. The only other salt tank I have is a future home of a mantis shrimp. I've kept salt before but it was years ago and just the basics. This time I'd like to have something a little more challenging. I know about cycling and nothing will be added until that's over. Here's a describtion of the tank. Maybe you guys and girls can give me an idea of what to put in there with the set up and equipment I have. I'd like fish and invertabrates for sure, but I'd also like to try my hand at some corals.

75 Gallon Saltwater

Inhabitants
none yet

Decorations:
1/2" sand on the bottom. Of which includes 4 small bags of that "live sand" the guy talked me into.
30 pounds of "fiji" live rock.
50 pounds of rock that I used in a previous saltwater tank years ago. All I know if that it's from the carribiean and looks like the live rock sorta only bare.

Lighting:
1 48" Full spectrum bulb
1 20" Spectrum V bulb
1 20" Blue Actinic bulb.

Filter
Wet/dry filter (dimensions are 24" L x 16" W x 18" H (I'm guessing on the dimensions but those aren't far off)
Protien skimmer

1 300 Watt heater

So what would you put in it? Is there anything else I need?

[kreblak]

Sounds like you wandered into a pretty sweet deal. Free is always good. Anyway, a 75 can house just about whatever you wish to keep. If you want to do corals, I would set it up as a reef tank, made specially for corals. Aqauscape your rock to provide the best vantage points for your future corals to sun themselves under your lights. For fish, you can add whatever you want, really. Maybe a pair of clowns, a tang, or some green chromis.

You didn't list the wattage of your lights. For corals the wattage recommendation is 3-5 watts per gallon.

[mogurnda]

Wow! What a deal! I am going to sound like a broken record, but people seem to agree with me that it's worth getting a couple of books to help you in the long term. The first is Bob Fenner's Conscientious Marine Aquarist, the second is John Tullock's Natural Reef Aquariums. They are excellent, under $30 online, and will help you to understand a lot of that junk you have.

The world is completely open to you. If you are going with "fish only," which includes, at least in my mind, shimp, hermits and snails, then the setup you have sounds good. The wet dry will be fine, although some will argue that it will keep nitrate high. You probably don't need it if you have enough live rock. The live rock you have will seed the dead rock from your previous aquarium. That may take a while.

Start slowly with the invertebrates. If the tank or rocks have been in contact with copper, then you may have some trouble with them. If you try some hermits and snails and they do OK, then you're probably allright.

If you want corals, you will need at least 3 watts per gallon VHO or power compact lighting. Preferably more. You will probably have to upgrade. Get rid of the wet/dry and rely on the live rock and skimmer. I would wait until the tank has cycled and stabilized for few mionths. Then add slowly and see how it goes.