Noob questions part 4

Cksnffr · Oct 29, 2013

Hi all,

I've got my drilled 200-gallon tank and stand on order. And I've got someone making me a 40-gallon sump. I'll set up my RO/DI system next week, and I have a 50-gallon wheeled HDPE can for mixing. So my FOWLR tank is starting to become a real thing. I have three FW tanks, but this will be my first venture into saltwater.

As I prepare for setting everything up and cycling, I have some completely dumb questions:

1. I plan to do ~40-gallon water changes using my 50-gallon container. But for the initial filling of the tank and sump (240 gallons in all), can/should I just mix my very first batch of saltwater in the fish tank itself? If I were to use my 50-gallon container and let the water mix for a day per batch, it would take me a week just to fill my tank with water.

2. I plan to cycle my tank by curing my live rock in the above-mentioned water. Is there a right way (and thus some wrong ways) of stacking/placing/attaching the live rock in the tank? I know you want to avoid lots of solid, dead spaces in order to maximize flow and create hiding spaces. What else?

3. Can I put my dry aragonite sand into the tank before the rock, or should I cure the rock in a tank with nothing but water? (If I can put the sand in first, when does the sand come in relative to the salt? First mix saltwater, then add rinsed sand, allow to settle/clear, then rock?)

4. Should I add anything (trace minerals, etc.) to the RO/DI water, other than Instant Ocean, to create water that makes my live rock happy? What about once there are fish in an established tank?

Thanks, guys.

TL1000RSquid · Oct 29, 2013

Being nothings in the tank you don't have to wait a day for it the water to mix, you just want to make sure the salt dissolves before dumping it in the tank, if its still a bit cloudy thats fine as long as no undissolved salts sitting on the bottom of your container.

stability and ability of water to flow around is the main concern, also proper placement for any critters that come attached to the rock.

My preferred method is rock first, it'll be more stable, if you have any burrowers they could force the rock to shift when they burrow under. If sand is done first you want to try to get the rock as close to the glass as possible when placing it.

Fish themselves don't need any additives, trace elements and all that are for corals and some macro's.

Trigger334 · Oct 29, 2013

Cksnffr said:
4. Should I add anything (trace minerals, etc.) to the RO/DI water, other than Instant Ocean, to create water that makes my live rock happy? What about once there are fish in an established tank?

Hi there, I'm new here and can't answer all of your questions, but I do know that trace elements are important to add back into RO water. Here is some information on the use of RO/DI water. I thought you would find it useful

http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumKH.html#rodi

greech · Oct 29, 2013

1. Yes you can mix your water in the tank. This is the only time you should do this. Don't put rock or sand in the tank until the water is mixed (24 hours is a good mix). You'll need a fair amount of flow to mix 200G all together.

2. The aquascape is up to you. As you mentioned, try and keep it open around the rock and try and create caves in the scape to allow water to flow through. +1 to rock first (at least the bottom rocks) or a little sand, then rock, then more sand.

3. Your sand needs to cycle too so put rock and sand in at the same time.

4. Don't add anything to the water. No need. Definitely don't need any elements other than what is in the salt mix. There are cycle "boosters" and "bacteria in a bottle" products out there but they are not necessary and some are questionable. Don't fall for "Purple Up" either.

Congrats on the tank order! Is this a Deep Dimension?

Cksnffr · Oct 29, 2013

Thanks!

The tank is a Deep Sea Aquatics. Marineland and some others were on my list, but it basically came to at least $1000 more to get a tank that was just a little bigger. I figure I'm better off putting that money into the skimmer and live rock.

Does anyone ever use adhesives to keep rock where they want it, or is that strictly for corals?

Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

greech · Oct 30, 2013

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/vertex-v-colla-voila-reef-safe-epoxy.html

There are others out there (Instant Ocean makes a version) and some can be bought at HD/Lowes (check to see if they are safe).

Don't count on this stuff to support heavy overhangs or adhere rocks to glass long-term. If you are trying to do something extreme or stack rocks that don't naturally lock together, considering drilling the rock and using theexpoxy to provide additional support or hide any exposed rods.

Personally, I don't like using this stuff. I find that most rocks can be naturally stacked due to all the nooks and crannies. Solid rocks don;t work as well and should be avoided for this reason as well as reduced surface area for bacteria. Expoxies would be helpful if trying to build a dry aquascape before adding it to a tank.

TL1000RSquid · Oct 30, 2013

I just use the natural nooks of the rocks to lock them together pretty stable. If I were going for extreme scaping I'd probably go with something like the kit from Marco's. http://marcorocks.com/aquascape-supplies/

WickedReef · Nov 1, 2013

greech said:
Don't fall for "Purple Up" either.

If I had been cultivating live rock and was told by someone that using "Purple Up" would help to get coraline, does that mean I fell for it?

Sent from my SPH-L720 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

ThatNewFishGuy · Nov 1, 2013

WickedReef said:
If I had been cultivating live rock and was told by someone that using "Purple Up" would help to get coraline, does that mean I fell for it?

Sent from my SPH-L720 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

I think it may or may not help. It's definitely something that's not required. I would only try it if it was a last ditch effort and I was super desperate for coralline algea. People usually get it just by intially having a small piece of LR that has it and running the tank correctly(good water chem, lighting etc.). I think certain types of lighting, like MH and T5 may be a little better for growing it than others, like LED.

OrionGirl · Nov 4, 2013

Get some of the ceiling light panels to put on the bottom. Put in a bit of sand, then rock, then more sand. The panel will keep the rock from ever hitting bottom, a good safety buffer.


zoomed.com	hikariusa.com		aqaimports.com	Store

Search

Search

Noob questions part 4

Cksnffr

AC Members

TL1000RSquid

AC Members

Trigger334

AC Members

greech

AC Moderators

Cksnffr

AC Members

greech

AC Moderators

TL1000RSquid

AC Members

WickedReef

AC Members

ThatNewFishGuy

AC Members

OrionGirl

No freelancing!