Help with new setup

[evilfett]

Hello everyone! I'm a newbie to saltwater and need some answers to some questions. I have a 55gl tank and a PoS magnum 350. I wanted to know if 3"-4" of ls and about 30-50lbs of lr and a few powerheads is ok to start the cycle of a saltwater tank? Must I use my filter for bio/mec/or chem filtration to start the cycle? I've read on this BB that some of you are only running a protein skimmer with powerheads. Can you do this to when cycling a saltwater tank? I would really like your help and I'm alittle confused. Thanks

 

[maestro]

go aheah start up your tank you'll be alright mabye add a damsel or to to help your cycle go faster

 

[bobber]

Welcome to the board and to the saltwater hobby! You can't go wrong with 4-5" of sand. You will benefit greatly with the best filtration system for your tank. Ditch the Magnum. You won't need it with the LS and LR doing the filtering. An excellent protein skimmer is a must! You can purchase southdown sand from Home Depot or get Aragamax oolite sand. Keep in mind that this is dead sand. Then get LS. Only 10% of the total volume is needed. The LS by Natures Ocean works great. The combination of LS and LR will probably not give you a long cycle, if any. Shortly after that, add your detrivore kits. Powerheads are needed for circulation and to oxygenate the water. Be sure to eliminate dead spots and ripple the water surface. Three powerheads would work well. This should get you started. If you have any other questions, ask away! That's what we are here for! --Bob

 

[burnnspy]

Remove the filters from the Magnum and use it as a pump only, reefs need go flow anyway. If you use some Natures Ocean LS, you should be able to cycle the tank in short order. I would buy some uncured LR to cycle the tank, instead of fish.
BurnNSpy

 

[wolffam]

Welcome and enjoy the hobby. Just take your time and don't be afraid to ask any questions you might have. This site is excellent when it comes to advise. Also, read up on the fish and corals that you plan to get, this will allow you to give them the best possiblity for a long healthy life and give you hours of enjoyment. I suggest starting with RO water for starters. I didn't and now I'm in the process of changing out the water. Too many elements, mainly phosphates & nitrates in my tap water.

 

[jond]

There are many different opinions, but think hard before you use damsels to cycle with. They get very aggresive in a reef, and they are impossible to get out without pulling most of you rock out. Good luck

 

[jacrmill]

i also would recommend against damsels. use a piece of raw shrimp. just put it in there and let it rot. thatll get your cycle going.

 

[evilfett]

Thanks everyone for the quick replies. The people on this BB are very informative. I was wondering if I can put 3" of southdown sand(home depot)and 2" of LS? Is the southdown sand the same granule size as the natures ocean LS? I went to the local Pe*co and they had Natures Ocean LS $22.95 for 10lb. Is this about right? Then there is a LFS that has LS $25.00 for 20lb. Which do I buy? Is there any major differences? Thanks

 

[bobber]

The Natures Ocean LS is very good to use and you could do exactly what you said-southdown sand and Natures Ocean LS. The grain size will be slightly different, but that is a good thing. Too different in grain size isn't. I believe the grain size, I think, is on the bag somewhere.
The difference between the sand at your lfs and Natures Ocean, is the latter sand only has bacteria and no critters, where as your lfs sand probably does. I would ask them to be sure and there is no problem to mix these as well. You actually want more critters-more diversity of them to be exact. Buying a pound from a reliable lfs and a pound from a friends well established tank and so on. Or, like I said in my earlier post, detrivore kits-they are the best for LS. HTH and good luck. It sounds like you are on the right track-good to see that you are doing your homework first! --Bob

 

[evilfett]

I thank you all for the quick replies! I mixed my saltwater today and have it warmed to 79deg. Now if I buy the southdown sand from Home Depot do I just let it set in water to clean it? Or do I use a hose with a high pressure nozzle and spray it? Must I use saltwater to clean it or can I use my garden hose? These might seem like dumb questions but I want to try and get this right the 1st time! Thanks

 

[bobber]

There is no need to rinse the sand. You'll end up losing more sand through rinsing. Just place it in the tank and have your mechanical filtration take care of the cloudiness. It will seem too cloudy, but it will clear sooner than you think. When I added my sand, it looked like I had a tank filled with milk! The next morning-clear as a bell. I used Aragamax oolite and Natures Ocean. --Bob

 

[evilfett]

Ok, I went to home depot to buy this sand and all they have is play sand. I searched the BB and found out that I shouldnt use it. I live in cali so I dont think I have a choice of what sand to buy. I guess I will have to spend alot of $$$ for LS. I went to the LFS thats been around a long time, they have some nice looking LR. So tomorrow I'll go back and buy about 60lbs of it. Thanks

 

[burnnspy]

You dont need much LS to start with. I used Seaflor aragonite sand and a bag of Natures Ocean for a rapid cycle with only semi-cured LR.
BurnNSpy

 

[evilfett]

Another question for you all. Do you run your lights while cycling the tank? I read somewhere on this board that you shouldnt. Can I have some input on what you all did. I'm not running my lights right now but will turn them on if its a must. Thanks.

 

[bobber]

I left my lights off for the entire cycle. As a matter of fact, I was a little overboard and left the lights off in the entire room! There is no need to be that extreme. Leaving the lights off will help the bacteria to colonize a little quicker. Thats all--Bob