Initializing a 300 ga plus tank

[shawn_dude]

How does one go about preparing for a 300ga FOLR tank? You can't possibly use a RO/DI to fill the tank without having a tremendous water bill. Does the LFS offer pre-made salt water by the bulk? Can you you use tap water and try to filter out all the pollutants? Can LR and LS be ordered in bulk also? These are just a few questions I have about setting up a large tank in the future. All comments welcome. Thanks...Shawn

 

[phixer]

Good question. I wonder if you could fill the tank with tap water and then possibly run the reverse osmosis system in a closed loop, so that its supply is the tank water and its return is also the tank, eventually filtering all of the water until its clean? Just a guess. Or use a Diatom filter to prepare the water.
Phixer

 

[1journeyman]

1. You get your own RO/DI filter or you buy it! I filled my 210 with store bought RO/DI water... Trust me, that's not the worst expense you'll have. You can't filter out the pollutents.
2. LR and sand can be ordered online... but you are going to spend quite a sum on this too.

 

[murph]

IN this case I think the "Rome wasn't built in a day" cliché applies.
There are probably very few people who have the time or money to set up complete system like this in a days time.
If it where me I would use the RO water machines found in grocery stores/ Walmarts. Walmart also sells 7 gallon water jugs in the camping/sporting goods department. I would then make a trip or two per day or what ever time allowed to the RO machines and start filling the tank.
After it was half full I would mix in the salt, start up a pump and buy suitable base rock. To keep cost down on a project like this I would use half base. In that quantity it should cost no more than a buck a pound and place it right on the glass bottom of the tank. 100 to 150 pounds
Then the sand. Again to keep cost down I would just use Home Depot play sand rinse it out and pour it in around my base rock.
Then the live rock. In quantities over a hundred pound you should not expect to pay more than 4 bucks a pound maybe less. If you can afford 150 pounds, more power to you but if not cured rock can be added in smaller quantities at any time.
Then top it off with pre mixed water complete your circulation system and watch it run for a couple of months.
It would probably take me six months to afford to set up a system that large :joy:

 

[birdy]

I think your water bill from filling a tank with an RO/DI filter at home would still be less than buying the water elsewhere.
Also you are taking a chance with water from another source that it is not pure.

 

[acrylic51]

I agree with Birdy

 

[merredeth]

Originally Posted by Shawn_dude
How does one go about preparing for a 300ga FOLR tank? You can't possibly use a RO/DI to fill the tank without having a tremendous water bill. Does the LFS offer pre-made salt water by the bulk? Can you you use tap water and try to filter out all the pollutants? Can LR and LS be ordered in bulk also? These are just a few questions I have about setting up a large tank in the future. All comments welcome. Thanks...Shawn
Yes, live rock and live sand can be ordered in bulk. My LFS will buy LR for anyone needing a bulk puchase and will pass the savings over to the customer. If you purchase the LR and sand from the LFS that you purchase a tank from, he is going to be more inclined to give you a discount because he wants you to come to him to stock the tank and purchase other miscellaneous products and food after the tank is set up.
Here is Northern Iowa, Fiji is around $7.99 per pound. Personally, I have given him orders of stuff I want and when he gets a good deal and orders for the store he orders the things I want so we can both benefit from a cost savings. Most things I have wanted in larger quantities was worth the wait because the savings was worth it to me. The LFS also won as he has a loyal customer who spends plenty of money in his store before I go to the great auction site or surf the net looking for the best price.
Since I have been on this board, I have pointed my local store owner to some products he didn't carry and he began to stock them as he has come to recognize that my participation on this board was a valuable tool for him too. Not only did I buy the products he ordered, but when he is busy and cannot help multiple people at once, I will talk with the customers and help him out by answering questions about the products the customer was considering for purchase.
As for buying bulk live sand, why not buy live sand and play sand from Home Depot if you are looking to reduce costs? Put the Home Depot sand on the very bottom of the tank and then top off the sand bed with the live sand purchased? It will help seed the play sand.
Denise M.

 

[37g joe]

alright some lfs you can buy water at. I got a local place where I get R/O salt water for around 3 bucks for every 5 gallons and for fresh R/O water $1 for ever five gallons you have to buy the jugs seperatly though and you can only hold so much water in your car. that much water for your tank weighs over 2400lbs so unless you have a really big truck you are gonna have to make many Trips. also post your email I have a website that has live rock for 2.85 a pound but note that also includes box weight so you getting a little less than that and you have to pay shipping but if you buy large amounts at a time you get less cost for shipping.

 

[shawn_dude]

Thanks for all the recommendations!

 

[heath492]

I would just fill it with the ro/di machine and save the trouble. I filled my pool last year, 15,000 gallons in all and my water bill was only $250..... It took 2 days with the hose running non stop just pouring out. So to fill you 300 gal tank.... maybe just maybe an extra $50... a lot cheaper than going to the store to buy water jugs??????

 

[jobob]

i fill all my tanks oringally with tap water and treat it with chor. remover. its has to cycle anyway!! and with adding all that salt and the uncycled live rock. y bother, seems like to much work. dont get me wrong i use ro to top off my tanks daily, i bought a ro machine so i dont have to keep on running to walmart every other day. but just to fill it use tap.

 

[heath492]

Hey Jobob, where do you go in WB. We have nothing but crap for a LFS in Scranton. Looking for a place better than (where the pet's go) if you know what I mean...

 

[37g joe]

if you want to deal with silicates in your tank and have alot of hair algai that well be a big pain to get rid of yea sure use your tap water. But if you want to save you from problems in the long run than Use RO water or at least filter it through a britta then use the declorinator.

 

[littlebuck]

dont use the walmart instore units because they are starting to be bad. Got 20 gallones for my tank the other day and now i have a break out in red slime. Spend the money on a good ro unit and then you wont need to worry about gonig to the store checking to see if there water is good. Like i didnt do this one time since it was good the rest of the times. BUt there is that one chance that water is crap and then you will know it. GO online and buy a ro unit for $115 and you will be better off

 

[37g joe]

when I upgrade to a larger tank I am getting an RO unit but with my 37 gallon I havent had a need yet I do a 5 gallon water change every two weeks and I only need about five gallons of fresh water for a month for doing top offs so It cost me 7 bucks a month for water thats 84 bucks a year. It also gives me an excuse to goto the lfs. I dont have to wory about having to buy salt either because it is all pre mixed. I have three five gallon jugs so once a month I go get water 2 jugs of salt and 1 jug of fresh. but with your tank you probaly well be doing 50 gallon water changes thats is over 400lbs of water and you well need tons of regular Fresh water for top offs so I would sugest that you get an RO unit.