New Aquarium NEED HELP

[racinmom]

I had a fresh water tank (30 gal) with an oscar in it. I love saltwater tanks so i gave me oscar to a friend adn got rid of everything in my tank but the filter, light and cover and the heater. I am working with someone at the local pet store on setting up a saltwater tank. She is on vacation now but i need a few questions answered . I bought a starter it with the ph, alk, nitrate and hydrometer tests in it it also came with salt, buff and calcium. I bought the crushed coral rock and put it in the tank dechlorined the water filled it up and added the salt. i have not bought the live sand yet and i do not have any plants or live coral. I need to know what to do next. i also need to know if the filter that i have will work for the saltwater or if i need to get something different. I also would like to know what lights should i buy if i want to get some live coral and anemone. are there artifical rocks that i can put in there? Pretty much i just need to know what to do next!!! If anyone could please help me i would appreciate it. I know this is going to take a while for the tank to be ready for fish. Please help, Thanks in advance, Mandy

 

[bpd]

I dont mean to be rude, but read a book. Read 5 books. Read other "please help me" posts - many of your questions have been addressed.
A hang on back filter? there are other ways.
Crushed coral might not be the best choice for substrate.
Lighting for "coral"? Depends on what coral you want.
"dechlorinated the water"? yeah that might work - but starting with pure water in the first place would be better.
Did you test the water? What about nitrite? Ammonia? Test for calcium? You shouldnt add anything you're not testing for.
I'm no expert by any means, but i've learned that the key to this hobby is patience.
And remember that the local fish store is there to separate you from your money, so take what they say w/ a grain of salt.

 

[racinmom]

I hae done ph test which is reading fine
hydrometer is reading fine
alkalinity test is off but i cant find any information in the starter kit on how to get it down
nitrate test i just did it says .1 if i read correctly it should be at .2? if so how do i get it up there and
where do i find good books on this can you reccommend one?
thanks for your help

 

[ridomart]

Patience,, ,slow, & read everything. Crushed coral is hard to clean ,live sand bed ,2 inches is beter.Pc lighting or MH if you have the money. Good test kits, Salifert is IMO the best. Nitrate & nitrite should be 0 after your aquarium has cycled.Don't rush into this or your going to lose a lot of money & get disscouraged. Read thease post, thease people can awnser any question & are more that willing to help.

 

[wangotango]

before jumping into a full-blown reef, stick to a fish only or fowlr (fish only with live rock). you can save a lot of money this way, and if you decide to turn it to a reef, it's still possible. a hang on the back filter is fine for a setup like this, however i would suggest that you use ro water which you could probably get from your lfs. you should have at least test kits for pH, ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, and a hydrometer. like everyone else has mentioned, patience is key, as you'll have a few weeks to kill while your tank is cycling, and this forum has a wealth of information that is useful. just start slow and go slow and you should enjoy the hobby.
-Justin

 

[dadszx7]

First as stated in prior statements.
1. Be patient.
2. Ditch the crushed coral and use live sand. Easier to keep clean.
3. Ditch the hydrometer and buy a refractometer. This will give you accurate gravity readings.
4. Always use RO/IO water.
5. Use your lfs as a place to buy things that you need. Not for advice.
6. We are here to help, just ask. But read as much as you can.
There alot of things to learn about the hobby and by no means am I an expert. But we do have a ton of people on this site with a ton of knowledge.
Here are some base numbers for you. After your tank cycles. This is what I keep my tank at.
Specific gravity 1.024
PH 8.2
Ammo 0
nitrates 0
nitrites 0
temp 79 degrees
Don;t be afraid to ask questions. As one that you don't ask could throw your tank into a downward spiral.

 

[racinmom]

what is tank cycling how do i know it has cycled?
should i add live rock first then fish?
i am getting live sand this week
i have all of the above mentioned tests
my tank has been up with filter running for 5 days.
i have been trying to read as much as i can i know that it all takes time that is why i have been purchasing everything in stages. i want a successful tank with beautiful fish that are happy. i have always had fresh water tanks they are much easier but i have always loved the beauty of saltwater fish.
thanks for all your advice and please feel free to keep it coming.
i need the help

 

[wangotango]

cycling is the maturation of the tank water so it becomes safe for animals. what happens is ammonia, nitrate, nitrite all rise at some point (spike) then drop. after there is zero ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite, and all of your other levels are in-line, the tank is cycled and ready for one or two beginner fish. you have to start slowly because your biological filtration is not ready for the tank's entire load. as for live rock. add it before the fish, as there is usually some die-off which can harm fish, but make your cycle quicker.
-Justin

 

[tall_90]

i have learned alot by reading varous books on marinbe fish and reef systems. The best information has come off this site though, keep reading the posts!!

 

[racinmom]

Ok I just did the tests fro today all the levels are to normal or 0 except the ph and as i understand a 10% water change should fix that. correct?
my tank has been up for a week now it is crystal clear.
the hydrometer is at 1.024
and the temp is holding at 79 still which is good from what ive read.
thanks to all of you that are helping me with all the advise
I appreciate it and please dont stop with the advice
:cheer: :happyfish

 

[dadszx7]

Now you've got wait for it to cycle. The ammonia, nitrates, nitrites will rise together. Then fall together. Then do a 10% water change. Making sure that all perimeters are were they need to be. This will take between 4-6 weeks. BTW to jump start the cycle, go to grocery and buy 1 small cocktail shrimp. Throw him in dead of course. let it decompose. This will kick start the cycle. This takes about 2 days.
If you only have water and crushed coral in the tank now. I would switch to live sand, it better in the long run and helps keep the perimeters in check. Doing it later is more of pain in the butt IMO.

 

[racinmom]

i checked with the local fish store the price of live rock with them is $5.00 per pound. i think that sounds like a real good price? thanks for your advice again. ill keep you posted on what happens next. thanks for helping