New tank setup question

[satiger]

The tank (55g Seaclear System II) will be delivered in couple of days. To begin with Fish & little coral setup (salt water), I have few questions:

1. Do I need to have sand?. If so, what type of sand should I buy?. How much should I fill with sand?.
2. What is the good salt that you recommand?. Can I buy them at PetsMart or Petco?.

Thanks for your time..........

 

[Reefscape]

Hi there and Welcome to Aquaria Central and the wonderfull world of marine keeping.

Whether you have a sand bed is down to personal preference whether to go bare bottom or not. If you do decide on sand, then i would recomend aragonite sugar grade reef sand, which can be found here..

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~idProduct~CS0930.html

How much sand do i need? i hear you ask..Well, roughly, work with 1Lb of sand per gallon with give you about an inch or so deep sand bed..many opt for around a two inch sand bed, so, work on 2Lbs per gallon if that is your choice.

A good salt i would recomend is Reef Crystals. Comes in various package sizes which will suit your needs. This is a great salt as it has added trace elements.

I dont know if you can buy the above at the shops you mentioned, as we dont have them shops where i live...

Thanks

Niko

 

[Grins]

You can buy salt at both of those stores but not neccessarily the reef crystals or other better reef salts. PetSmart here carries Instant Ocean which is fine for basic saltwater. I'd encourage you however to look outside those 2 chain stores and investigate what saltwater stores might be in your area. Some of the club members here in my local area even have an arrangement with a local store that buys salt in bulk for us so we can get it at a reduced rate.

 

[Max]

I would also start a q.t. / hospital tank at the same time that you start your main tank! It will save you lots of money time and heart ache!