Help setting up my first reef tank.

[Mmbra]

Hi I have been keeping freshwater tanks for the past 20 years or so and have always dreamed of setting up my own reef tank. Now I'm looking to make that happen. I've been slowly. Buying items I need and have come up on a pretty sweet acrylic tank which I believe is 75 gallons. It has a rear compartment with various chambers and a pump that moves water back to the main tank. I believe its a overflow/refugium? IT also came with a coralife light fixture with 2 65w coralife actinctic bulbs and 2 65w 10000k coralife bulbs. Would this be enough for coral?

My main question is how do I get this badboy started? My plan is to use 40 pounds of Marco rock for my main aquascape, then add 40 lbs of argonite sand. Then mix the salt water using rodi water in my tank. I then planned on seeding the Marco rock with 10 lbs or so liverock and letting it cycle. Will I have to add food or a shrimp to the tank to let it cycle or will the liverock kick it off? After the cycle I planned to seed my system with amphipods and isopods to try to start my foodchain from the bottom up. What do I feed the pods? Next I plan on adding various snails and hermits as a clean up crew. Then I was hoping to add a clown and a beta combo. When will I know when a good time to add an anemone will be? And will my lights be enough for it? Eventually I want to add some zoas and other easy to keep corals. Again, when would be a good time to add those?

So is my plan a sound one? Does anyone have any suggestions or helpful advice for me before I kick this thing off? I can add some pics of my tank tomorrow if anyone wants to see or if it would be helpful. Thanks for any assistance reefers!

Equipment list so far:
75 Gallon acrylic tank
Coralife Flourescent light fixture with 2 65w actinctic bulbs and 2 10000k 65w bulbs
Digital Thermometer
50 lbs Marco rock
Jebao Wp-25 Wavemaker

Still need to get:
RODI Filter
40 lbs of Argonite sand
10-15lbs of live rock
Reef crystals

Front view of tank

Here is a pic of all the back chambers, the water runs here throught a overflow on the front left side and winds its way through and is returned back to the front of the tank. Can i throw some rock back here and use it as a refugium?

Pic of return pump

 

[Daytonareefing]

It sounds like a pretty good plan. I would wash the tank out with ro water to start maybe use some white vinegar. I like the tank. I and its just me would still run a sump it would be easier to use a skimmer and refugium even though you could setup the tank with a refugium in the back it will be hard to get to to remove overgrown algae. You don't have to use a shrimp to help cycle it but you can. Just me but I would put live rock rubble in the back of the tank and it will act as bioballs would but better as long as there's a lot of flow thru it then run a sump with a skimmer as well. What are you planning on keeping in the tank.

 

[twilliard]

Welcome to the world of saltwater!
it has its ups and downs but just remember to always ask questions that's what we are here for.
fill your tank with RODI saltwater and your rock.
let it run and watch this addictive habit take place!
do not add any coral, or livestock to get it running. Avoid this!
get quality test kits, there are many threads on this. Keep an eye on the nitrites
And even wait longer when those read zero.
this is a SLOW hobby. Push it and you will want to give up lol
Ask away!

 

[Reefrookie220]

Macro rock is way too dense to use it exclusively, its good to use as a base along with as much dead rock of your chosen variety. Seed with a few pieces of live rock just like you planned. 60-80lbs sand wait around a month for your first small water change and keep an eye on levels. Your ready for lps corals and zoas after your parameters have been stable for a month and 2 weeks.

Just remember slow ans steady wins the race