Couple questions...

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dub*c

Tha Shadiest 1
Apr 26, 2007
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Hey everyone. over the past few weeks i've really developed an interest in fish. At first I wanted to set up a chiclid tank. Then i dedcided to take a stab at a bracishwater aquarium, the over a while of doing some research on the net i think i might go with salt water. I have a 55 gallon tank right now with a canopy. Im going to buy a stand and filter and stuff for it tonite. Im probablly going to let it cycle for about a week or two before adding some fish. I just had a few questions. What is "Base Rock" and what does it do? It looks really cool. And whats this about "curing" live rock? Also what is the sand that would be best for it??

Thanks
 

USCavalry19d

AC Members
Oct 27, 2005
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base rock is basically "dead rock," meaning it has no life on it. Live rock is considered "live rock" by the life it has on the rock itself not that the rock breathes and reproduces. Alot of time Live Rock comes in with dieing creatures on it IE coral algaes etc etc. The curing process is basically letting all that stuff completely die off before you add fish or any other livestock.

Base rock over time if mixed with Live rock will become live rock as well. So if your on a budget i would mix some live rock with the dead base rock. keep in mind that it is recommended to have 1-1.5 lbs of LR per gallon of water. As for the sand it would be cheaper and smarter to use simple dead sand meaning it is plain old sand. you can use a cup of sand from your LFS to dump in with the dead sand and it will seed and become live sand as well.

Hope this helps feel free to ask more questions if needed
 

C&T

AC Members
May 1, 2007
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ditto to the previous reply, with the addition of "Go Slow"!! Let nature take its course in the curing process and the cycling of your tank....
When we were setting up our first marine tank I felt like I was constantly needing to lasso my husband and pull in the reins so to speak....he was very eager to add stuff and was impatient with waiting for the tank to fully establish itself before adding our first coral...I came home to a grinning husband and a "surprise" more than once....
We did pretty good on that first tank but could have done better, mainly by sticking with more "beginner" species the first year, and waiting to graduate on to better stuff...
On the other hand we have 3 fish still with us from that first tank, and that was five years ago!
 

BIGgourami

One With the Fish
Apr 30, 2007
477
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rolling meadows,IL
i would buy about 10-20 lbs of the live rock and the rest (30-40 lbs) as base and let that sit in your tank to cycle for about 2-3 weeks and add a few damsels or clowns and after another week or two you can add the other fish.
 

Pallen81

TheSunCoralTamer
Jun 20, 2006
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Lawrenceville, NJ
www.mygodmusic.com
Before you buy any equipment, you should decide what fish you want. this will greatly impact your other purchases. it would suck to buy a bunch of stuff that you don't need or need to upgrade after a few months.

have you done freshwater before? I would recommend tackling that and mastering that first, but that is just personal opinion. You can start right in on saltwater if you are ready to make a serious commitment and put in some time, $$, and effort. Too many people jump into saltwater to only give up months later in frustration. we don't want that!

I highly recommend buying a few beginner saltwater books and reading them over before making any moves. Could end up saving you money. I like "the new marine aquarium" book. explains everything from scratch so you won't be confused.

Depending on if you buy "cured" or "uncured" rock your tank could cycle quite fast or much longer then you expect. Uncured rock can really stink up your place too. Live rock is far more expensive but its really packed with good bacteria and advisable to get as much as you can spend. generally 1 to 1.5 lbs per gallon. live rock is usually $5-10 per pound. so you can imagine the expense. this live rock is basically your filtration system. it will convert all your ammonia, nitrite to rather harmless bacterias.

Maybe you know all this and i'm just paranoid. I just want you to be educated and enjoy the hobby! Plus, I don't want you to get in over your head. Fish keeping is lots of fun! by the way, Welcome to AC! Ask any questions... better to ask first. I do! we're all here to help.
 
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dub*c

Tha Shadiest 1
Apr 26, 2007
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Thanks guys. When u say sand do u mean like regular play sand?? And live sand and dead sand?? does live sand just mean theres life in the sand?
 

Pallen81

TheSunCoralTamer
Jun 20, 2006
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Thanks guys. When u say sand do u mean like regular play sand?? And live sand and dead sand?? does live sand just mean theres life in the sand?
No prob man... no, we don't mean regular sand. People really recommend against this because of some element in it that I think helps produce algae. (I'm not really sure... I think its like silicates or something like that. someone else will know better) Do not use crushed coral either as a substrate. Most people choose a sand that is designed specificly for marine use. My personal experience, I choose Arganite Fiji Pink sand. The great thing about getting sand for marine use is that it has natural buffers in the sand. This will help buffer your alkalinity and help to stabilize your pH.

When you buy marine sand it is not "live sand". It's just plain sand... over time you will have live sand. Tiny organisms/worms/etc will take up their homes in your sand. This is a natural process and is good for a tank because bacterias in the sand consume toxins. However, some people buy already mature "live sand" and mix it in with their "new" sand. This will encourage healthy growth in the sand obviously much quickier.

With that being said.. . live sand is not a neccessity. like I said, over time it will come alive. Also, live sand tends to be pretty expensive unless you can find someone to give you some or a crazy good deal. When I setup my tank, I didn't use live sand at all. A month later I have worms in my sand and all sorts of micro citters running around. Doesn't take too long.

Live sand is a great option if you can get it and afford it. Live Rock is much much more valuable. I'd rather spend more money on live rock, personal preference.

Hope that helped!
 

USCavalry19d

AC Members
Oct 27, 2005
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Im with Pallen i also use the fiji pink sand because its a better sand in my personal experiance. Marine sand also helps to break down nitrates and other bacteria which is good. Ordinary play sand doesnt do this. Also most play sands are too fine for a marine tank. When i said "As for the sand it would be cheaper and smarter to use simple dead sand meaning it is plain old sand" i didnt mean to make it sound like i was saying play sand. Your LFS should sell plain dead reef sand. Caribsea in my Opinion is the best out there.
 

dub*c

Tha Shadiest 1
Apr 26, 2007
120
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Thanks a lot everyone. I went out and bought 40 lbs of Caribsea Argonite Marine Sand, and 15lbs of Instant Ocean Salt. I need about 15 more pounds of sand and about 5 lbs of salt for my 55 galllon right? I want to keep the specific gravity around 1.025. Also I was looking at the protein skimmers and the guy there was informing me on them and he made it seem that all the tank really needs is a strong current. If this is true i was thinking about getting a fairly powerful filter (like a hang on one) and a couple fairly strong power heads (opposite side of the tank). Think this will work??
 
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