View Full Version : Newbie with some questions????
dlucas
09-11-2007, 7:37 PM
I am new to saltwater aquariums. I today have started a 29 gallon saltwater tank with a penguin 350 with biowheels and live Caribbean sand. I would like to add live rock but want to know if it will be ok to add lace rock?? I have alot of lace rock that was in my 150 gallon freshwater tank. I have cleaned it with bleach and scrubbed it 2 days ago. I have rinsed it many times and am going to soak it in strongly mixed water and tetra aquasafe to remove any more of the clorox and any harmful metals and so on. Once this is done can I add it on top of my live sand? I love the look it has and hopefully will grow its own bacteria some day. If I cant add the lace rock I also have some rock that I purchased that I am not sure of what it is. Would it be safe??
Should I be concerned about the cloudiness of the tank after a few hours after I added the live sand? The salinity is right where it should be. The temperature is right on. Do you think I will need additional filturing. I plan on just adding a few fish but not for at least a couple of weeks. After a couple of days I am going to be adding mollies.
thanks for all your help.
First I wouldn't add the mollies to a s.w tank they will have babies like mad! I would add as much of the lace rock as you would like and some live rock to start your cycle. Throw in one cocktail shrimp and let your nitrogen cycle begin "do a search here there are tonnes of threads." If there was ever copper used in the other tank with the rock and you want any invertabrates I would get other rock. As to the milky appearance it's most likely just ca going into solution and nothing to worry about.
hth
max
dlucas
09-11-2007, 8:53 PM
Ok I will stay away from the mollies then and maybe go with the cocktail shrimp if any lps sell them. Never any copper just the ick green medicine that I can think of and some of those tank buddies tablets to cure ick. After the lace rock soaks for a few days I will put it in with some other live rock like you said. I am going to aquarium adventure tomorrow and will get some live rock there. thanks
dlucas
09-11-2007, 9:09 PM
one more question??? I mixed my salt in the water and tested it. then added the live sand. Should I not turn on the filter and wait till the sand has settled first.
next question I see alot of people saying if you have live sand there is not use for live rock, what if I like the look of both is it still ok to have both? looks more natural imo.
FeatherDuster
09-11-2007, 9:31 PM
one more question??? I mixed my salt in the water and tested it. then added the live sand. Should I not turn on the filter and wait till the sand has settled first.
next question I see alot of people saying if you have live sand there is not use for live rock, what if I like the look of both is it still ok to have both? looks more natural imo.
Actually, live rock is always best if you had to choose one. It can act as a filter. Live sand really doesn't do much expect add some sea critters to your aquarium. Most people start out with regular cheap aquarium sand and put a small amount of live sand in from other aquariums. Having both live sand and live rock is a good combo, but you don't need it.
dlucas
09-11-2007, 9:42 PM
Do you know whether or not I should turn my hob filter off for the first day to let the sand settle?
I dont see any critters in my live sand at all??
salty420
09-11-2007, 10:14 PM
i really don't know if you need to turn off the filter or not but i can say that anyone who says you don't need LR if you have LS is insane! don't worry if you don't see any critters in your LS, they will come. oh and try to get the rock sitting on the bottom glass (many put it in before the sand) so there is no movement over time (rocks falling!). as far as the shrimp goes - you take a shrimp (like the kind you eat), put it in some pantyhose (knee highs work great) and hang it in the tank. it will get nasty and stinky and cause your cycle to start without torturing any fishies :)
Reefscape
09-12-2007, 6:08 AM
Yes, turning the filter on will aid the system to clear out all the silt that is left in the water column. Clean out all filter media everyday to remove all sand deposits from it..
On the shrimp, follow what Salty420 said above, but please ensure it is raw and has had NO additives added to it...
Niko
salty420
09-12-2007, 9:49 AM
anyone who says you don't need LR if you have LS is insane!
i mis-spoke when i said this. one may use LS and no LR in a FO tank. the LS just won't do the job the LR does.