making that bold step

[brad614]

hello everyone. i'm a rookie the sw community and i'm about to start my own tank. my tank is a 67gal (36"x18"x24") custom tank with an overflow to a 50gal sump. it will have 2-3" of sand. aside from the pipework, return pump and protein skimmer i have nothing else setup yet. i dunno how much live rock to put. i plan to start with a fish-only system and maybe move up to a reef as i grow in experience.

do you guys have any tips or a good source of info how do get this baby rolling? any info would be much appreciated. thanks.

 

[Max]

well be happy to answer any quetions that you might have! As to your first one on the live rock add about 1-2 lbs per gallon if you want a reef. IME the lighther and more porus the rock is the less you need to use big heavy non porus rock go to the 2lbish side. I also am a firm believer in fishless cycleing all you have to do is throw in a coctail shrimp let it rot and wait for your readings to 0 out. Also I see that you're in the Philipines so be carefull of your locally caught fish in a lot of cases fishes from the Philipines tend to be caught with cyanide so be alert. Look for fish that show difficulty breathing, not eating or that are mcuh brighter than normal and avoid them.
Welcome to A.C.

chris

 

[mogurnda]

Welcome to AC!

Although I encourage you to ask lots of questions here, I am also a big proponent of good books. The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Bob Fenner is less than $30, and gives an excellent overview of marine aquarium keeping. John Tullock's Natural Reef Aquariums is also quite good. Like all books, there is some dated information, but one nice thing, especially about Fenner's book, is that he gives you a lot of information about alternative methods.

Live rock is important in a fish-only system, and critical if you want to have a reef. I agree with maxilaria about the amounts. I like the aquacultured stuff from Florida, either from Gulf View or Tampa Bay Saltwater. Lots of life, less die off, and you know that they didn't damage the reef to get it.

 

[brad614]

thanks chris and dave. will be taking things really slow. got a lot of stuff to consider before actually putting water into the tanks. will be doing a lot of reading. thanks for the cyanide alert chris. will be on the lookout.

i have a couple of questions regarding filtration though...

1 . i'm a bit confused regarding filter media. the guys at the fish store and some books say that i should get those ceramic pieces to provide an environment for bacteria inspite have live rock. should i even consider it? some say by doing so will just get my nitrate level on the high bar...

2. do bacteria suplements like CYCLE speed up the process?