live rock

[queentiger]

hi i'm starting a saltwater tank i have a 30gallon tank with water and live sand in it. i have a heater and a machanical filter with active carbon. i also have a bubbler and right now i have fake plants as decoration in it. i also have a digital thermamater. it has been set up for like three days and right now i'm tring to get the temp. right it's at 83 now. my question is that i've heard alot about this live rock and wanted to know when i should add it to my tank and how much sould i add to a 30 gallon tank?

 

[lion_crazz]

I would add the live rock to your tank as soon as you can, as this will begin your cycle. You want to add between 30-40 lbs.
I would also recommend getting rid of the bubbler, as these really aren't for saltwater tanks. They do more harm than good in saltwater.

 

[queentiger]

if i get rid of the bubbler then what should i use to airate the water.

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally Posted by queentiger
if i get rid of the bubbler then what should i use to airate the water.
You have a filter on the tank. That is aerating the water some. Do you have powerheads in the tank for water movement? I would strongly recommend getting one or two small ones if you don't have any.

 

[nereef]

bubblers really don't add much dissolved oxygen to your tank. surface agitation from a powerhead does a better job. i agree with lion on the powerheads. i would reccomend one high on one side and one low on the other side.

 

[fishguy84]

If you go with a small protien skimmer, agitation inside the skimmer will definately be enough to oxygenate the water. Rather than exchange gasses at the surface, bubblers in salt tend to leave a film of bubbles, making it look almost like a massive betta bowl. I don't know what other people's experience with the Berlin Airlift, but the smaller model uses an airstone inside to agitate the water. I myself am partial to Remora, so if you find a real good deal on that somewhere, grab that baby and plug it in. If you do something like the remora however, you will need a powerhead, as they don't run off of airstones like the berlins