A couple more rookie questions

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1hocking

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Jan 13, 2007
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Ok, so I have all of the main components figured out but now i'm ready to start the tank. What is the best method for placing the live sand into the aquarium? Do i fill the tank with saltwater first? How long should I wait to turn on the filters? (After the sand cloud has gone down) I am planning on just adding the live sand and saltwater as well as the heater, filter, lighting ect. I was going to wait a day or so before adding the live rock. Any advice or tips would be greatly appriciated.

Thank you
 
Reefscape

Reefscape

I shoot people with a Canon
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Nov 8, 2006
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When i setup mine, i started by filling the tank a 3rd full of water..Put in my substrate how i wanted it, then filled to 3/4 full of water, got my live rock in there ensuring that it is seated good enough on the live sand, use reef-safe epoxy to stick any rocks together, when happy, top up to the fill level of the tank. Switch on all equipment, leaving filter off..measure your salt out per how many gallons ( tend to measure on the light side becuase it is easier to add a little salt than start swapping water out ), get your salt in there and let it circulate for a day or so..Check pH and salinity, if all ok, switch filter on if you use one...

Then, its a case of choosing your cycling method. In teh saltwater newbie section, you will find a thread there by Yash on cycling methods. Read through it and choose what method you want to use..

Any questions on anything you dont understand or would like to know, just shout up when-ever you like...

Hope this helps you..

Niko
 
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1hocking

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Jan 13, 2007
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add just water to tank or treat first???

Thanks for the quick reply. I was wondering if I was to fill the 20 gal a third of the way full with water (without adding salt or conditioner) and then add the sand, would this hurt the bacteria in the sand at all? I was always under the impression that you should mix up the correct salt/conditionor/water into a seperate bucket then add. It does drag doing this 4 times though. Then again it does make more sense just to add the salt once at the end and let the powerheads mix it for you. Oh darn now i'm confused.
 
Reefscape

Reefscape

I shoot people with a Canon
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Nov 8, 2006
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Blinky
Nothing to be confused about really mate...Just do as you have said...Fill a third...Add sand...fill to 3/4 and add rock...fill to top....add salt and conditioner...circulate for 24 with all equipment running except filter so the salt dissolves well..then put on filter and get the party started...

Putting the sand in at that point will do noi harm at all to the sand, it will be fine...

Remember, as this is the initial fill, this is the only time that you will be doing it this way..Once this is done, you will be mixing salt water in the correct way..


Niko
 
T

TwanDizzle

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Jul 31, 2006
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well folks, (especially niko, cuz he's been a big help on info)... i've finally got it started up! too bad i didn't read this first or think of the displacement... i filled up my 55gal with water, added some ammo-lock (dude at LFS told me to add that to take care of the clorine and cloramine) and then the salt... dumped in the salt, and was like "man, this is easy!"... but only for a couple of seconds... i noticed a layer of "waves" in the bottom of my tank, and realized that almost none of the salt dissolved, but it just sunk to the very bottom... so i stuck my hand all the way down and brushed the salt around to get it to kick up into the water... and now the trouble...hehe... i put in one bag of livesand and had to remove a pretty good bit of water because it almost overflowed... then had to remove more water for the second bag of sand... but that much is finished... i think i need 2 more bags though... it was 2 20 pound bags, so only 40 in all.. and isn't like 80 lbs recommended? in this case, and when i add the liverock, i've gotta take out MORE water, which means i'll need more salt, because its coming out with the water! ugh... this is going to be a challenging thing for me... but i guess its too late to turn back now, huh? i just hope the end results make it worth it...
 
Reefscape

Reefscape

I shoot people with a Canon
Staff member
Nov 8, 2006
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Staffordshire, UK
seethroughmylens.co.uk
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Blinky
Firstly, when you remove the water, due to displacement, you wont need to neccesesarily need to add more salt because all your really doing is reducing the water volume and not just salt conent, so, in theory the salinity, if it was correct will stay the same..

Its always fun and games, learning the little pit falls, learning how it all starts off with hands on, rather than reading on a web site or a book..Its never the same as how you imagine it to be..

Sounds like you doing ok mate..It will all be fine..let the water ciculate for a good while and get your salinity and temp up to correct levels, get your rock in there and any more sand as needed...then..................................................................................................................................wait........................................................................and wait..............................................................................................................and wait.....................and..........................................................................................wait...

Patience is now your best buddy in the world, with out it, things start to go wrong...

enjoy it all and keep reporting back to us, and of course, supply us with some pictures through the stages...

Niko
 
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