Setting up a 75g saltwater aquarium

[cj049678]

I am setting up my first saltwater aquarium and am not sure what is the best way to add the salt into the tank. Should I fill the tank with water first? Add the salt and than the water? Any advice would be helpful. And what chemicals would you recommend to remove any chlorine out of tap water. I have been using Prime that removes ammonia, chlorine, Chloride and detoxifies nitrite, and nitrate. I had a freshwater aquarium so I have all the chemicals just don't know if there are certain ones for freshwater and saltwater.

[Shadow1]

Don't use tap water with or without conditioner. Get RODI water mix either in the tank or bucket. Salt water creatures are a little more finicky than fresh.

[bluwtr]

Richard is spot on. No matter what you read on the labels or what you may hear, if you want a successful SW tank, you must use RO/DI water. Never mix the salt in the tank. You need to mix the salt and RO/DI water in a container and make sure all of the salt dissolves. Let it sit for 24 hours or so for it to truly mix and then add this to the tank. Many of us use a large mixing container to store the water in. I have a 33gallon Brute garbage can in my garage that I mix my SW in. I have an inexpensive power head in it to help keep the water circulating and pull the water out as I need it for water changes etc.

Hope this helps.

[Gerwin]

well my friends are correct, but....
if this is going to be a fish only tank, tap water with dechlor will work fine, but with the levels of phosphates that come along with the tap water you can expect more algae blooms as well.
I use city of Biloxi tap water in every tank at the shop for 4 decades except the reef tank and frag tanks. (you can tell which ones by algae growth )
also out the gate with nothing in tank and just setting up, will be the ONLY time you can just mix it in the tank. After that I recommend as they suggested, buckets etc, premix prior to putting into tank.
Fish tank setups I do the following:

Wipe out tank
Put in live sand
put in salt
Add water
turn on filters and heaters
leave and come back in 24 hours
add live rock
add starter fish etc.

Sound easy? it is, the hard part is the waiting , which comes next...

[Doug]

Put in live sand
put in salt
Add water

As one who only had saltwater tanks in the Long Ago Time, I am moved to wonder if the undissolved salt mix and freshwater would not have a detrimental effect on whatever is live in the live sand. Am I missing something?

[Gerwin]

not sure I understand the biology of the why it works, but from years of doing I can say without a doubt it does