Need basic startup info

crazy8

crazy8

Member
I have just recently bought a 55 gal setup. I have regular flor lights. Crushed coral base. I want mostly fish in this aquarium, but as I am understanding it, I will need live rock at a minimum to maintain a balance. I also want some hiding places for the fish to get comfortable in anyway.
Here is the question.....in a mostly fish tank with regular lighting, what should I buy for decorations and hiding? Should I go with "live" Fiji rock and fack plants or buy fingered coral and upgrade lighting. I have had the tank up and going for 2 weeks empty....that is nothing but the crushed coral substrate.
I don't want the tank to look so empty anyway, so I plan on getting rock or coral and some vegetation (even if it is fake). I just don't want to buy something uncompatile with the fish I am going to get later. I was thinking clowns and damsels and of course a yellow tang too.
And while I am asking questions, is it reasonable to even try to breed any of these fish? I obviously haven't had saltwater tanks before.
Any help is appreciated.
 
crazy8

crazy8

Member
Kipp. What is so bad about the crushed coral? I only have enough to cover the bottom and I got it large enough so that any gases could escape. I am not as interested in sand as the coral personally, but do you really think I would have a problem with it? And if you do, what should I be on the lookout for. Nitrate spikes in the future?
Also, I was thinking of ordering live rock to add to my tank. I have never bought anything like this over the net so is this the site or is there another site that you guys would recommend.
 
broomer5

broomer5

Active Member
Crazy8
Kip is offering up some sound advise for sure.
There are people that use crushed coral - and it can work okay - but it takes so much more work.
Crushed coral needs to be vacuumed regularly to keep it clean of detritus and wastes.
In reality - very few people do this on a regular basis.
After a period of time, the wastes accumulate in the pockets of the substrate. Over time it get's pretty ugly down there, and some feel that it can lead to an increase in nitrates.
Depending on several factors including the number of fish you keep and feeding habits, you'll need to keep the nitrates in check with a lot of water changes.
Nitrates are the result of the nitrogen cycle.
There's no way around it - they will be produced.
They better be or we're all in trouble.
A crushed coral substrate provides little if any means for nitrate reduction .. where as a living deep sand bed does.
So .... going with the deep sandbed offers a lot of benefits.
Much less maintenance.
No need to vacuum at all.
A potential for natural nitrate reduction ( good chance too )
Far less need for large water changes.
Better overall water quality.
Increased surface area for bacteria to grow.
Less reliance on power filters, or other means of biofiltration.
Sandbeds are just the greatest thing in this hobby since live rock.
Having live rock and a deep sand bed is no guarentee of having a successful marine tank - but I would suggest to anyone interested in setting up a saltwater tank to do it this way.
I've run tanks with crushed coral before.
I along with many here have changed over to using a deep sandbed.
IMO - there is NO comparision.
It makes for a better tank.
It makes for an easier maintainance.
It makes for a more stable tank.
Hands down ;)
As Kip mentioned - this site has excellent live rock, and is a very good econmical source. Free Shipping - can't beat that !
Live rock + deep sandbed + worms, pods and marine bugs = a much better chance for having a wonderful tank.
It's a major part of the puzzle that many have found to be the best choice.
 
crazy8

crazy8

Member
Okay.....lets say I am convinced into going with a sand base as suggested. God knows I want this to work and hopefully be as easy as possible. I have built my tank into a room divider that I had so it is now a fixture in my house that will not be removed even if I fail at saltwater.
In the case of the sand, do you strongly recommend getting rid of my coral entirely or would it be possible (and even look right) to put sand in the tank as it is now. First that will allow me to get by with less sand. Second, it would fill the gaps up in the coral to prevent the bacteria and gas buildup. Or am I just being stubborn in the fact that I bought something I may not even be able to use.
 
theshadowwrx

theshadowwrx

Member
I currently have 80 lbs of crushed coral in my 92 gallon aga and i CAN"T get my nitrates down so im adding 40lbs of live sand over the cc is that ok?
Thanks,
Mike
 
bheron

bheron

Member
Mike,
Based on the above, I wouldn't think its a good idea to just throw live sand over the coral.
In fact, I've been toying with the idea of starting over with my tank (75 gal, fish only, crushed coral, live rock). It's a year old and I'm having trouble getting anything other than hardy fish to stay alive. I can't even get a snail to stay alive. By the process of elimination the only answer is my water - which seems to be the answer most of the time. I did not use RO water to start 1 year ago - I used regular house water. I now use 1 gallon jugs of RO water from Walmart and my PH is still mysteriously high. Plus I still have traces of copper in it. I am buying a Typhoon III and, after reading the great comments here, might empty the whole thing, get rid of the CC, and start over with RODI and Live Sand (and anything else I can learn before I begin again).
Any thoughts?
Either way, I've learned alot just from this one thread!
Thanks
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member

Originally posted by Crazy8
How much sand would you recommend for a 55 gal aquarium?
Oh about 3-4 inches deep.
 
theshadowwrx

theshadowwrx

Member
Live sand here is 35 bucks for 20 lbs and for a 90gallon tank i need like 120 lbs which is EXTREAMLY EXPENSIVE.
I can't find Southdown sand around here, are there any other kinds?
Thanks,
Mike
 
crazy8

crazy8

Member
I don't have the Home Depot here in this town, but I do have Lowe's. Went and looked for sand yesterday and I found 50 lb bags of playsand, but it was Quikcrete (sp?) namebrand. It is extremely fine sand and has a beige (very light tan) color. Is this sand good enough? It is definitely priced right to go along with a 20lb order of live sand. Thanks again for the info.
 
crazy8

crazy8

Member
Well, I thought I posted this earlier, but can you tell me if that Home Depot sand is going to be pretty white. The one thing I wanted was a nearly white bottome on this tank. I really like the look of the crushed coral, but the ease would make me go get the sand. I can get to a Home Depot about 1 hour from here and would be more than willing if it looks good. Any idea of the color or where I could see it. Heck, post a picture of your tank would do the trick. ;) Thanks again Kip
 
reefnut

reefnut

Active Member

Originally posted by beaslbob
BTW It will be extremely hard to keep anything white in a tank.
With proper techniques and a good cleanup crew it is pretty easy to keep the sand white...
 
crazy8

crazy8

Member
Kip, if you are still there. Okay, I have looked and looked for the play sand. I have had 0 luck. I sure would love to know if anyone else carries this stuff. It would be a lot easier to set up this substrate before I cycle my tank. I was looking to put live rock in next week. I built my fishtank into a room divider so I have had my water set up (not cycling) for over 2 weeks while I fixed around it.
I could buy that quikcrete sand, but I would be worried it was wrong for the use. No specs on the bag! Any other suggestions for a relatively cheap sandbed?
 
califishdude

califishdude

Member
Hey crazy, There is someone here on theboard that is selling carib sand Do a search and maybe he might be closer to you. i have a 55 and i put sand in it with 3 cups of LS form the LFS personel Reef Tank and it took good. I only have it about 2 inches but i m going for another 2 inches with LS with Bacteria in it. I switched from CC cuz the time it took to Water change and vacum, i went from 20-30 just setting up to finishing the cleaning the gravel to 10 minutes now for the complete water change.
 
lesleybird

lesleybird

Active Member
Hi, I have a tank that is doing fine without purchasing live rock. I started out with a bunch of those large, porous rocks with many large holes and caves in them....My fish love to hide in them. I seeded these rocks with a reef bug and worm package, snails, micro hermits, etc. from Indopacific Seafarms found on line. My dead rock turned into live rock. Those large porous I mentioned are great growing mediums for you good nitrogen reducing bacteria. You can also use just one or two live rocks to seed your other rocks. Good luck, Lesley
 
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