Very new guy with new tank!

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WoodRight

New 75 gal not set up yet.
Jan 18, 2008
776
0
0
49
Watertown,CT
Hello Everyone, I'm new to the site and just wanted to say Hi. I just set up this acount about 5 mins ago so I'm a bit lost. Any help would be great.

Today I just picked up my fist fish/SW tank. My girl friend has a 20 gal tall that she has been running for about a year now. I like it so much that I wont to start my own. Plus she lives with me now and her tank isn't here.

My new tank is a 75 gal long set up for a MegaFlow overflow. I also have built a Wet dry filter out of a 20 gal long tank that I plane to put live rock and live sand in. I also plan 2 put the heater skimmer in there also. I was also told buy my girl friend LFS owner to put a Mag Flow 9.5 pump in the wet dry. I have been reading alot of books that my girl friend had and I'm learning alot but feel I need to learn more. I'm sure that is normal. It seems like this is a good site for that. I'm still researching everything else that I need for the tank. Also have to build a cabinet for it. I'm not really worryed about that, I'm a cabinet maker but everything else is up in the air. If anyone has any ideas I would love to hear them.

Well Hello again and thanks for reading this.
 

wantvws

AC Members
Jul 15, 2007
861
0
0
Waynesboro, VA
:welcome: Sounds like your off to a good start....but I am still very much a newbie too. This is a great site full of great people that are always willing to answer your question no matter how ridiculous you might think it is (speaking from experience:D).
Robbie
 

WoodRight

New 75 gal not set up yet.
Jan 18, 2008
776
0
0
49
Watertown,CT
Thanks Guys!
 

bowser7of9

Bowser
Nov 16, 2007
51
0
0
61
Victoria, BC Canada
:welcome: and you will notice we all to see pictures of new stuff...

Maybe start a blog of your tank with pictures of what you have (even if it's all in the corner somewhere.

I hope you have informed your banker that you have joined the marine club.:eek:
 

WoodRight

New 75 gal not set up yet.
Jan 18, 2008
776
0
0
49
Watertown,CT
No I haven't yet but I think he might know already.
 

WoodRight

New 75 gal not set up yet.
Jan 18, 2008
776
0
0
49
Watertown,CT
I'm trying 2 figure out the best method 2 cycle my tank once I get it up and running. My girl friend seem to think that the shimp thing is a bad idea. Also the pure ammonia thing. Going by what I have seen on here those are to 2 way that most people think works the best. Please let me know what you think and why. Thanks ahead a time!
 

jagr200

AC Members
Oct 3, 2007
740
0
16
America
:welcome: to AC! I believe the shrimp way is the best way to cycle. Its natural and it dosent harm a fish. You could also add a bag or 2 of Bio-Spira for Marine tanks. I added 2 to my 10 gallon nano reef and it was cycled in just over a week. Another good way is to add some fully cured LR with a couple of piece of LR with quite a bit of dieoff. That will boost you ammonia quite high but it will also help cycle your tank fast and allow a high bio load. Either way good luck.
 

WoodRight

New 75 gal not set up yet.
Jan 18, 2008
776
0
0
49
Watertown,CT
Yeah I do plane on putting LR and LS in both the main tank and in the 20 gal wet/dry that I made for the setup. She wasn't planning on putting fist in the tank to cycle it. Only after it cycled would we do the fish thing. She wants to do the uncured LR deal. I just have been reading that the shimp thing was a better way to go.

I also have a question about my sand bed. I have read that you can use sand box sand for a base for the LS if it is agraget base. She thinks that might not be a good idea becouse it might fowl the tank. Is there something you have to do to the sand befor installing it in the tank to clean it? The reson I want to use the sand box sand is that I have to get alot to make a 4" base and to by sand from My LFS would be alot of $. Im just trying to get what I need to get the tank cycling. I will get everything else while I'm waiting. So far (not that it is alot in the grand sceam of things) I have spent $198.00 on the tank and MegaFlow kit, $80.00 on the wet/dry. So far that is all I got and I think I'm doing alright as far as what I have spent. I know I have a long way to go but trying to keep things as cheap as possable and still do it the rite way.
 

clown-lover

AC Members
May 26, 2007
2,448
0
36
Fargo, ND
Welcome to the salty side.. Or as MGamer calls it the dark side.. As far as cycling procedures go there is a sticky at the top of the forum that describes methods on how to cycle tanks. I personally prefer a fishless cycle.. But it kind of boils down to three methods

1. Uncurred Live Rock - some report that this smells to high heaven. This is the way I did my tank, but I didn't smell anything.
2. Pure Ammonia - Robbie did this and personally I think this is the way I'll go on future tanks as I keep pure ammonia around for making window cleaner.
3. Shrimp in Pantyhose Method - seems like it has worked for many people.
 
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