Finally bought my supplies, any last minute tips for setup?

meemo

meemo

Member
After weeks of thinking, reading, and surfing here, I finally bought my supplies to set up my tank to cycle. Keep in mind I'm on a tight budget. This is a fowlr to be. Here's what I have:
30 gallon tank
50 lbs aragonite play sand
15 lbs live rock (to start with)
r/o water purchased by gallon
150 watt heater
whisper power filter 20-40 (to be replaced by 280 later)
Don't have any power heads yet
My plan is to rinse the sand in tap water and put it in first. Then mix the salt water and put it in next using a bowl in the bottom. Then place the live rock last. I will wait for the sand to settle before adding the heater and filter. I would LOVE any last minute tips or advise anyone can give me. I really want this to go as smoothly as possible. I'm so excited to be getting started but I still want to take my time and do it right.
Thank you!:hilarious
 
wakeskater

wakeskater

Member
IF IT WHERE ME I WOULD PUT THE WATER IN THE TANK AND THEN PUT THE SALT IN TURN THE FILTERON SO THAT THE SALT DESINAGRATES. THE PUT THE SAND IN AND LR.BE CAREFULL WITH THE USE OF TAP WATER IT HAS CLORINE IN IT I AM TOLD.AMQUEL WORKS GREAT TO DECLORINATE THE WATER. BE CAREFUL THAT YOUR ALGE LEVEL DOESNT BUILD UP ON YOU OR YOU WILL HAVE A TUFF TIME GETTING RID OF IT. A DECENT AMOUNT OF ALGE BUILD UP IS TO BE EXPECTED WITH THE CYCLE SO DONT WORRY. MABY A CRAB OR TWO IN THE TANK SO IF THEY DIE THEY WILL SPIKE AMMONIA IF THEY LIVE THEY WILL EAT ALGE. A WIN WIN SITUATION. GOOD LUCK.
 
meemo

meemo

Member
I have the live rock here now. It's in newspaper in a box. The lfs said I could put it all together this weekend and let the lr sit there a day or two until I put it in the water. They are closed tomorrow. I probably should have waited to get the rock but they were encouraging me to go ahead. And they had just gotten some new ones in that had a lot of cover.
I got the water there and salt and am thinking now that I will mix it in the tank and then add the sand. That does sound easier. I have some dechlorinator for tap water and I have r/o water they sold me too. What would be the best way to add the sand after the salt water mix to prevent making a mess/cloud?
I hope I won't hurt the lr by adding it too early. What do you all think? The lfs acted like it was no big deal.
 
squidd

squidd

Active Member
Get the water and salt mixed and up to temp in your tank...use the filter skip the pads...
Place sand as soon as it's rinsed and ready...
After 4-6 hours and water is up to temp and at correct salinity you can add the rock, cloudy water or not...
Any die off from the rock being exposed to air will only help start your cycle...
Add a dead shrimp and start your testing to follow the ammonia rise and fall and the nitrite rise and fall...
 
fishcake

fishcake

Member
is the LR straight from the lfs tank?If so.. you dont want to wait that long, the longer you wait the more die off there will be . the lR will help you cycle tank faster .Also,you may want to add some live sand
 
meemo

meemo

Member
The lr is right from the lfs. How long can it sit without die off too bad? I don't have any live sand, was thinking the live rock would seed it. Plus lfs gave me "stress zyme" to help add bacteria.
Thanks squidd for the detailed description, that helps a lot. What do you mean skip the pads? Run the filter without the filter pad?
 
squidd

squidd

Active Member
Yep, at this point they would just get cloged from the sand and you'd be throwing them out...all you really need is the circulation to areate and mix the salt/water...
Bacteria from the Live rock will seed the sand and the bacteria growing on the sand will "settle" it down...
Stress Zyme won't hurt and "might" add some benificial bacteria, but it's not a substitute for real stuff multiplying on the LR...
Don't forget the shrimp to feed the tank...at this point you are interested in growing bacteria...
 
meemo

meemo

Member
That is what I thought you meant about the filter but just wanted to double check. I see that would be good too since I don't have powerheads yet.
I was planning on using shrimp instead of live fish.
Thank you so much!
 
meemo

meemo

Member
I am almost there! I mixed the water and salt in the tank. Then I rinsed and added the sand gradually. Then I turned on the heater and filter (without cartridge). The sand stopped the impeller so I had to clean it out and put pantyhose on the end. That worked. Now I am waiting 4-6 hours to put the live rock in. And after that I will put the shrimp in.
The water is cloudy but I was expecting that from all I've read here. It helps SO much to have so much reading material and helpful advise here. Thank you all so much. And feel free to add any additional advise you think would help me at this point. I could use info about salinity, testing ph and ammonia etc. Any good tips or preferences on brands of testing kits would be helpful. I have a deep six hydrometer. I tested the water although I know it is too early and it said 1.0275. The temp is 80. Do you all think 80 degrees and 1.025 are good amounts to shoot for right now?
Boy the sand made a lot of foam when I rinsed it. I guess better in the pail than the tank. That reminds me, what powerhead would be good for my 30 gallon tank? Would it help to use an air pump with air stones I have right now? ( I bought my whole aquarium and supplies used and that was included.)
I'm on my way!:happy:
 
meemo

meemo

Member
Hmmm.... I just put my heater back in, I had taken it out so the sand wouldn't hurt it, while I added it. I was going to set it for 80 but cant see it because of the cloudiness! What is a safe way to turn it to 80? Can I turn it on before I put it in the tank so I can see what temp I am putting it on?
eek!
 
vwbortoni

vwbortoni

Member

Originally posted by Meemo
Hmmm.... I just put my heater back in, I had taken it out so the sand wouldn't hurt it, while I added it. I was going to set it for 80 but cant see it because of the cloudiness! What is a safe way to turn it to 80? Can I turn it on before I put it in the tank so I can see what temp I am putting it on?
eek!
I think that 80 is a little high, from what I have read 76-79 is a good range. Also, usually hydrometers are calibrated at 75 degrees.
Set it, put it in, plug it in.
 
meemo

meemo

Member
Well, the instructions said to turn it on after it was in the tank and plugged in so I thought that was the only time you could set the temp. So I put the heater in the cloudy tank, turned it 12 notches to go from 68 ( the off reading) to 80, and let it work last night so the temp wouldn't drop in the tank. This morning I looked and it was 83. I guess that was stupid but I didn't get a response last night and I thought it would be worse to be too cold.
So this morning I added a gallon of cooler freshwater and turned off the heater. I checked the salinity and it had gone from 1.0275 to 1.026. Still too high even though the sand may not be desolved. So should I take out some saltwater and replace it with cooler freshwater, or leave it to settle?
This isn't going so great. Help!
 
moprint

moprint

Member
Just keep adjusting your heater till you get your temp around 79, remember you still have a few weeks to get it your want it. 83 is not going to hurt your live rock. I would take out a half gallon of water and replace it with fresh water to help your salinity. Do not use the airstone it will just make your salinity harder to keep in line. I use the deluxe laborett test kit from Tetra. As far as powerheads I would get 2 maxi-jet 400s. It's not going as bad as you think it is, just go slow.
 
squidd

squidd

Active Member
Two things...
The heater is "self regulating" don't be turning it on and off...Set it and let it stabilize the temp..then if it's too warm "click it " down a notch or two, until it holds at the temp you want ...then don't worry about it (keep a thermometer in the tank to keep an eye on it though...some times they stick on or quit)
It takes a good 24 hrs for salinity to stabilize with newly mixed water...so keep that in mind for "future" WC prep. (separate bucket before adding)...in the mean time...1.026 is not WAY out of wack for a "brand new" tank...let it set and stabilize, adjust SG slowly after checking later today...
Your safe to add your rock though...
 
oceanminded

oceanminded

Member
I dont know how far along you are but if you still could I would add a small bag of live sand on top of your play sand. It will really help your cycle.
 
meemo

meemo

Member
You all make me feel so much better! The temp is down to about 82 and I took the heater out and set it to 79. I will leave it alone now. I went ahead and put the filter bag in. Is that ok now that the sand is settling? Theres so much foam and gunk in the water. The salinity is the same. I took out a gallon of water and replaced it with fresh earlier. I think I had the tank too full and took out a little more water so it is just below where the filtered water pours in the tank. I have the live rock in but left the air stones out. I'm glad 83 won't hurt the live rock. Whew. I was going to put the shrimp in ltoday. Is that ok to do now?
 
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