Is this the right order for setting up my new tank?

[shilpe]

Ok, so I went to my LFS today to do some research as to what products are available before I take apart my 75g freshwater tank. I picked their brains as to what to do with setting up my sw tank, can you guys please look over the order they suggested to see if it sounds right? I really appreciate it!
They said to fill 75% of the tank with water, add half a container of the oceanic sea salt mix (90g container) , test salinity with hydrometer, adjust salinity by adding more water, or salt as required. Add regular sand, add Kent marine pH buffer. Add Chemi Pure Carbon pouches - one in each of my eheim filters. Then start the filters. They said I could also add 2 pks of Bio spira. I would like to do a fish only tank. I am still a little unsure of what time line I am supposed to be following, for example how long should I wait after adding the sand before I start my filters, and when can I add LR. They also said I do not need to use LS because I am not doing a reef tank, is this true? I do not mind adding LS, as long as it is going to be playing a beneficial role. I eagerly await your replies as to how I should go about this. Please help!

 

[lion_crazz]

Okay, well I am just going to break down what they told you piece by piece so that you know that you are off to the right start.
Filling the tank 75% is a good idea. Then like they told you, add the recommended amount of salt. I would just play with it a little bit until you get it adjusted.
At 75% though, I would also add whatever substrate they gave you. If they gave you crushed coral, just take it back. Saltwater aquariums do not really run well on crushed coral. There are only two things I would recommend, aragonite or sand. The only way you can do sand is in a tank where there are no predators. For example, in my aquarium, I cannot do live sand because I have a few predator-type fish. I could not keep all the organisms in my live sand alive if I had live sand because my fish would eat them. My puffer and hawkfish would have a field day with live sand, thus the reason why I have aragonite. It would kind of be helpful to know what fish you are looking to keep, but since you do not, that is perfectly okay, I would go with the aragonite. It is much finer than crushed coral, it does not trap dirt (and nitrates) like crushed coral does, and it is much easier to manually clean/vacuum than sand. It is a very good happy medium between the greatness of sand and thee poorness of crushed coral. I am very happy with the aragonite in my tank.
The salt that they sold you was an excellent choice, and it is good they sold you the pH buffer as well (what brand is it)? The carbon pouches in your eheims are good ideas, however, be sure that you replace them every so often and keep up on cleaning your filters or else you will really regret it.
Once you have your tank 100% filled, start up your filters and just be patient. Your tank will be cloudy because of the substrate giving off dust, but this is perfectly normal. Just let the tank take its course and do not do anything for a full 24 hours. Adjust the salinity as you need to, but that is all. After 24 hours, you may add the live rock and begin your cycle.
Good luck, and most importantly, be patient with your new tank and post any questions you may have. The only stupid questions are the ones not asked.

 

[shilpe]

Hey Lion_crazz thank you for my only reply. I just went to the LFS to do research as to what to do and how to do it, I didnt buy anything. I work at a pet store so I can order what ever supplies I need there at cost. Ideally I would like to do a dwarf lionfish and a puffer, but I realise I am a long way from that. The pH buffer they recommended was Kent, is that a good brand? How often should I replace the carbon pouches in the eheims, when you say I should clean out filters on a regular basis, who often would you recommend, do you mean just rinsing it out and replacing the filter pads, or doing partial partial bchanges. Do I have to cycle the live rock before I put it in the tank? Thanks again!!

 

[lion_crazz]

A 75 would be a great tank for a lion/puffer combo. That is what I have in my 75. That is the pH buffer that I use. It is Kent's Super dkH buffer. I would say replace the catridges every 2 weeks. I wouldn't bother running carbon in both filters though. One filter with carbon will keep your water clear, plus then you will save money on carbon. I would clean the filter pads very often and just make sure the dirt is not building up in the cannister. Lastly, I would cycle the tank with the live rock so that you don't have to cure it later. Don't bother with damsels, just cycle with live rock.

 

[shilpe]

thanx lion_crzz, i am going to place the order for everything i need for my tank tomorrow, so hopefully i will have everything in by tuesday. That way I can start my tank this weekend, cant wait, im so excited. I will keep you posted with the progress and any other questions I have.

 

[lion_crazz]

Awesome! What type of skimmer are you getting?

 

[shilpe]

i wasnt going to get one just yet, ive heard varying degrees of necessity when you first set up. I was planning on getting one eventually. What do you think? Also is Instant Ocean sea salt mix a good mix? Or do you think I should stick with The Oceanic brand? What exactly does a protein skimmer do?

 

[shilpe]

ok another question for ya, can i use my test kits from my fw tank for my sw tank like the pH, ammonia, the phosphate one I have to check because that was a red sea product. Would you recommend adding bio-spira to the tank during the cycling phase? Also I am thinking about building up a rock formation on one side of the tank so that when I do eventually get my dwf lion fish and puffer they will have plenty of room to swim, do you recommend this. I am worried about the weight of the tank on just one side, would this crack my tank. To avoid the weight issue I was going to use a plastic mesh used for lighting to build up a stand to put my base rock and live rock on so there wont be as much weight, but then I compromise all the rock that will help me cycle, what do you think? Also should I get a refractometer, or a hydrometer? I know I thought I only had a one question, what can I say I was wrong :joy: Thanks again lion_crazz! Talk to you l8r

 

[shilpe]

ok more questions for you, can I miz Estes aqua sand and Carib Sea aragonite? I have about 25# of the aqua sand and wanted to know if I could use it. Also the kent pH buffer, theres 2 types, the pH buffer and the superbuffer that you said you use, is one better than the other? Does it matter??

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally posted by shilpe
i wasnt going to get one just yet, ive heard varying degrees of necessity when you first set up. I was planning on getting one eventually. What do you think? Also is Instant Ocean sea salt mix a good mix? Or do you think I should stick with The Oceanic brand? What exactly does a protein skimmer do?
Okay, two or three part question.
In regards to the salt, definitely stick with the Oceanic. It has much better trace elements, magnesium level, and calcium level. I do not even add calcium in my tank because the salt is so good.
As to the neccessity of the protein skimmer, I would say it was the second most important thing on a cycled saltwater aquarium besides live rock. You do not need one until the tank is cycled, but I would say it was absolutley neccessary before anything live went into the tank. The less corners you cut the better the tank will look, and the easier it will be to take care of.
Basically, a protein skimmer has several functions. Of the main ones, it takes out debris and gases that the filter cannot, it puts a TON of oxygen into the water (something you need), and it breaks down nitrates into nitrogen gas.

 

[shilpe]

I will order the oceanic on Wed so it can come in on Fri, do you see how many questions I came up with while I waiting for you Sorry to have bombarded you.

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally posted by shilpe
ok another question for ya, can i use my test kits from my fw tank for my sw tank like the pH, ammonia, the phosphate one I have to check because that was a red sea product. Would you recommend adding bio-spira to the tank during the cycling phase? Also I am thinking about building up a rock formation on one side of the tank so that when I do eventually get my dwf lion fish and puffer they will have plenty of room to swim, do you recommend this. I am worried about the weight of the tank on just one side, would this crack my tank. To avoid the weight issue I was going to use a plastic mesh used for lighting to build up a stand to put my base rock and live rock on so there wont be as much weight, but then I compromise all the rock that will help me cycle, what do you think? Also should I get a refractometer, or a hydrometer? I know I thought I only had a one question, what can I say I was wrong Thanks again lion_crazz! Talk to you l8r
You may use the freshwater test kit if you it applies. Some companies make the readings a little different for each kit. So the color match on the freshwater is probably not the same as for the saltwater. I would recommend just getting a different master kit for high readings pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates. You do not need the phosphates one.
I wouldn't recommend adding the bio-spira to the cycling tank. Cycling it with the live rock will be more than enough. However, whatever you do, don't add any damsels or chromis. It is a waste of money, they are hard to get out of the tank, and it just isn't right to the damsel/chromis because the water is so toxic.
The build-up of rock on the one side would be nice, but you will need more live rock on the right side as well. Don't worry, the lion does not need that much swimming room. More important to him is room to perch on live rock. Also, there is no need to worry about the weight on one side of the tank. I have 95 lbs. of live rock in my tank and there are no problems with the weight. I would just forget about the mesh and put the rock right on the glass. The glass is build strong and meant to hold a lot of weight. Get all your live rock right in the cycling phase because it becomes a pain to have to cure live rock in buckets when your tank is already cycled and you are still purchasing live rock. It will seem like a lot of money, but it is an essential part of your tank, just like a skimmer is.
Lastly, a refractometer is a blessing in disguise to a saltwater tank. I would not trust a hydrometer at all if I were you. Not to get into too many details, but simply said, hydrometers are just not accurate and very fallible. I was using a hydrometer and I thought everything was fine, my specific gravity was at 1.022. One day, my lionfish stopped eating and began to wither away. He would still come to the top of the tank and look for food, but he would not eat a thing I gave him. I tried ghost shrimp, all kinds of frozen food, even live fish and he would not eat anything! Four weeks later, I decided to check my specific gravity with a refractometer and I found out that my specific gravity was really at 1.010. My tank was closer to a freshwater tank than it was saltwater. I could not believe it. Well,I fixed the salt level, the lion began eating in a week, and he is still alive and well today. He will turn one year old this month!

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally posted by shilpe
ok more questions for you, can I miz Estes aqua sand and Carib Sea aragonite? I have about 25# of the aqua sand and wanted to know if I could use it. Also the kent pH buffer, theres 2 types, the pH buffer and the superbuffer that you said you use, is one better than the other? Does it matter??
I see no problem in mixing the two substrates. It will work fine in your tank.
As to the buffer, I would use the Super dKH buffer over the pH buffer. The kH of Oceanic is low, so the superbuffer will raise the kH of the salt and thus stabilize the pH. So yes, one is more important and better to your situation than another.

 

[shilpe]

do you know which company produces refractometers? Are they complicated? Happy Birthday to your lion fish!:happy:

 

[lion_crazz]

If you have anymore questions as you go, I really do not mind answering them. I love to help people, so ask as many questions as you need.
Also, if I do not respond quick enough on the boards for you, my email is Ry84@MSN.com if you ever have anything you need answered. Feel free to email me anytime you like. Also, if you'd like, I can email you some pics of my own tank so that you can get an idea of how my 75 gallon tank is set-up. I would post them, but it seems the server is done (or at least for me it is).

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally posted by shilpe
do you know which company produces refractometers? Are they complicated? Happy Birthday to your lion fish!:happy:
Refractometers are simple to use. The good thing about them is that they are 100% accurate, easy to use, automatically adjust to different temperatures, and never have to be replaced. Hydrometers need to be replaced every 6 months. So in 2 years, you will have paid off the refractometer anyway with how many hydrometers you bought lol.
I am actually not sure who they are made by. I went down to see if mine had it on the box, but it does not. I just can't think of the company name. However, I do know of a place where you can get them for $42.99. That is the very cheapest you will find them (that is even cheaper than what I paid for mine). If you want the link, just email me (as we cannot post links on these forums).

 

[shilpe]

In terms of lighting I was talking to someone on here before, I was recommended to use a Zoomed Ultra Sun, and a Zoomed Reef sun, is that adequate lighting for the tank I am trying to set up?

 

[shilpe]

Also, what do you think about getting a RO/DI? Are there are brands out there that you suggest? What should I look for?

 

[lion_crazz]

That lighting would be fine. On my tank, I just have regular standard lighting and my tank looks fantastic. I do not keep corals, so there is no need for the extra light. I have tons of live rock, but the coralline algae grows great under my lighting.

 

[lion_crazz]

RO/DI units are very good tools to keep your water algae free and crystal clear. They will produce very clean water for you, and you should not have many algae problems in your tank as a result.
What to look for is at least 3 chambers for purifying your water, and something that you are not paying an arm and a leg for. Kent makes a very good RO/DI unit, but it runs $200. I have seen some equally as good that go for $100-$150. I would not pay any more than $200 for one though.