New commer to saltwater tank

[mmstillwell01]

I have always wanted a saltwater tank, but I was always worried that I may not be able to make it work so I told my self if I can take care of a freshwater tank for a year that I would give saltwater a go, well I've had my 55ga freshwater tank now for 4years and I have only lost three fish in that time, I want to transfier my freshwater tank into a saltwater, with fish and live rock. I have a filter, skimmer, two power heads and a heater. I have been cycleing a 40ga freshwater tank to tranifer my fresh water buddy for about three weeks now and it's ready so now I have to set up the saltwater tank I drained and cleaned the tank with hot water and all the equment, I have live sand and rock, but i want to make sure I do this right, so my question is what do I place in the tank first sand, live rock, or saltwater and what chemicals should I get to start out with and what do I put in the water other then salt? in my freshwater I put a stress coat. and how do I know when it's ok to start adding fish, and how many to start with? I'm thinking I would like to have six total, and do I need to put any cleaners in the tank right off or do I waite until the tank has cycled? and what cleaners should I have?

 

[mkroher]

you don't need ANY chemicals for your saltwater tank. The only chemical i can think of is something to dechlorinate the tap water.. IF you use tap water. Since it sounds like you want to do things the right way, invest in an RO/DI kit.
You'll also need a refractometer. Maintaining a constant salinity level during water changes is very important.
When i start a tank, I fill it up with RO/DI water first.. then I add the salt. I let the power heads circulate the water for 24 hrs, then I check the salinity and make changes necessary. At that point I add live rock and sand,and begin the cycle process.
Do not add any animals to the tank until it has cycled. Do you know how to cycle a tank?

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by mkroher
http:///forum/post/3087015
you don't need ANY chemicals for your saltwater tank. The only chemical i can think of is something to dechlorinate the tap water.. IF you use tap water. Since it sounds like you want to do things the right way, invest in an RO/DI kit.
You'll also need a refractometer. Maintaining a constant salinity level during water changes is very important.
When i start a tank, I fill it up with RO/DI water first.. then I add the salt. I let the power heads circulate the water for 24 hrs, then I check the salinity and make changes necessary. At that point I add live rock and sand,and begin the cycle process.
Do not add any animals to the tank until it has cycled. Do you know how to cycle a tank?
Good advice..Welcome to the forum!

 

[mmstillwell01]

Thank you for your replay,
I have filtered well water, I have been looking into a RO/DI kit, I'm guessing that a RO would be a better way to go then using filtered well water.
I will get a refractometer I just learned of those.
my understanding a cycling a tank is the chemicals will spike then I waite until they are back to normal is this right?
Thank you

 

[mkroher]

Originally Posted by mmstillwell01
http:///forum/post/3087026
Thank you for your replay,
I have filtered well water, I have been looking into a RO/DI kit, I'm guessing that a RO would be a better way to go then using filtered well water.
I will get a refractometer I just learned of those.
my understanding a cycling a tank is the chemicals will spike then I wait until they are back to normal is this right?
Thank you
if you have well water, that might be OK since well water doesn't contain Chlorine. But if it was my tank, I still would get an RO/DI kit, that way I know what's in my water to start with, and limit causes for any problems in the future.
Yes you are correct about the cycle process. Make sure your test kit is for saltwater. I think the only difference between fresh and salt kits, is the pH card that comes with the kits.
Place an uncooked shrimp in the tank, or fish food, or anything that will decay to start the cycle process. Your ammonia will spike, then your nitrite will spike. Your tank is cycled when ammonia AND nitrite are both ZERO. Do not add any fish until they are both zero. Ammonia and nitrite are toxic to fish.
Some people cycle their tank with fish, which is just cruel.

 

[jdl]

Originally Posted by mkroher
http:///forum/post/3087036
Some people cycle their tank with fish, which is just cruel.
as cruel as buying fish that may have been caught using cyanide?
as cruel as ripping a fish out of the ocean, shipping it to point A, to point B, to point C, to point D .... and finally mailordering from a site to someone tiny home aquarium?
as cruel as putting a fish into an environment where it may be killed by another fish in the tank?
i could go on and on. Please dont think cycling with fish is the cruel part of the hobby.

 

[meowzer]

Welcome to SWF....As you may have noticed already..lol...you will get many different opinions on everything.......
At the top of this section are some great introductory threads to read...and remember what works for one...does not necessarily work for another...

 

[mmstillwell01]

I do have another question,
I ordered live rock and sand from this website and I went to a saltwater store yeaterday and she told me if I ordered it online that it was not live rock or sand, has anyone ever ordered them online and does anyone know if it is in fact live or not or do I need to go to a store and buy more and add to it to make it live?
Thank you for all your help.

 

[dragonzim]

Originally Posted by mmstillwell01
http:///forum/post/3087942
I do have another question,
I ordered live rock and sand from this website and I went to a saltwater store yeaterday and she told me if I ordered it online that it was not live rock or sand, has anyone ever ordered them online and does anyone know if it is in fact live or not or do I need to go to a store and buy more and add to it to make it live?
Thank you for all your help.
Live rocks ships damp so while it still needs to be cured and cycled properly, it is most definitely still live rock. Where do you think your local store gets theirs from?

 

[maryg]

I am sure that on this site you will get some nice live rock and sand. I ordered from here many times but not sand or rock. I was never disappointed.
I would get a few small pieces of dry base rock. Place directly on the bottom. Now cover that with the sand. I do this because I usually have diggers and other sand dwelling critters and to prevent avalanches. Then place your pretty live rock on top of that. Stagger the pieces making some nice caves and crevices for fishies to swim through and ledges for corals and you are set.
As far as water goes. If you do not have a RO/DI you can go to one of those machines that sell it for .25 per gallon. I would mix my own salt and let it cycle. It may take a few weeks. The first sign of your cycle being completed is the brown dust everywhere. That is diatoms. Then do a 20% water change and add inverts (clean up crew). Add 1 or 2 fish at a time slowly and weeks apart to let your system adjust for the bioload. And READ, READ, and READ! If you ever have any questions. We are always here to help out. Good luck.

 

[maryg]

Originally Posted by DragonZim
http:///forum/post/3087950
Live rocks ships damp so while it still needs to be cured and cycled properly, it is most definitely still live rock. Where do you think your local store gets theirs from?
You are probably going to get a more premium rock form here and not have to pay 8$ a pound either.

 

[mmstillwell01]

Thank you,
That is what I asked her and she said it was the way they ship it and when I asked how her's was shipped she said FX and I said thats who is shipping mine so I didn't see the difference, I thank she just wanted me to buy from her, but I wanted to make sure before I start out all wrong.
Thank you so much I feel better about it.

 

[mmstillwell01]

Originally Posted by MaryG
http:///forum/post/3087952
I am sure that on this site you will get some nice live rock and sand. I ordered from here many times but not sand or rock. I was never disappointed.
I would get a few small pieces of dry base rock. Place directly on the bottom. Now cover that with the sand. I do this because I usually have diggers and other sand dwelling critters and to prevent avalanches. Then place your pretty live rock on top of that. Stagger the pieces making some nice caves and crevices for fishies to swim through and ledges for corals and you are set.
As far as water goes. If you do not have a RO/DI you can go to one of those machines that sell it for .25 per gallon. I would mix my own salt and let it cycle. It may take a few weeks. The first sign of your cycle being completed is the brown dust everywhere. That is diatoms. Then do a 20% water change and add inverts (clean up crew). Add 1 or 2 fish at a time slowly and weeks apart to let your system adjust for the bioload. And READ, READ, and READ! If you ever have any questions. We are always here to help out. Good luck.
Thank you,
I was also told that putting small Strips of PVC pipe under my rock that if they do digg the pvc would hold up the rock is this a good idea? or would the pvc hurt something in the tank?

 

[dragonzim]

Originally Posted by mmstillwell01
http:///forum/post/3087958
Thank you,
I was also told that putting small Strips of PVC pipe under my rock that if they do digg the pvc would hold up the rock is this a good idea? or would the pvc hurt something in the tank?
PVC works great for this. Wont hurt anything in the tank. Just make sure it is clean before you put it in.

 

[mmstillwell01]

Hellow again,
Ok I think I know what fish I want in my tank in the end, Please let me know if there will be problem with this list.
I have a 55 gal Tank
I realy wanted a Regal (Pacific Blue) Tang but I read that they need at least a 130 gal tank so maybe one day I will have a bigger tank, time will tell.
2 -False Percula Clownfish
1 - Cherub (Pygmy) Anglefish
1 - Sunburst Butterflyfish
1 - Hawaiian Spotted Pufferfish
1 - Royal Gramma
1 or 2 - Blue Neon Goby
1 or 2 - Pistal Shrimp
1 - Spotted Mandarin Dragonet
2 - Cleaner Shrimp
It is my under standing that after my tank cycles that I need to waite three weeks in between new fish, is this true with the shrimp two, and should they be the first one that I get.
and should I get snals?
Thank you for your help.

 

[maryg]

You can go ahead and add the shrimp after the cycle. I would be weary getting a puffer with any inverts. Seems like the fish list is too many. You might have to settle for less. Also, are you planning on corals in the future. If so then the butterfly is out as well. Sorry. Research each and every animal before you purchase.

 

[flower]

I found these books to be really helpful on chosing what gets along with what. They are the very same ones LFS use. I also included a page so you can see the kind of info they offer.

 

[mmstillwell01]

Thank you I thought I might have to settle for less but I thought there would be a few that I would have to take off the list, and I have thought about adding coral later on when I know more about what I'm doing.
So if I take the puffer and the buterfly off do you thank that will still be to many or should I take off a few more?

 

[mmstillwell01]

I do have a book but it doesn't realy tell me alot about each fish, I will look into those books thank you, I just started my cycle so I have some time to research each fish.

 

[mkroher]

get a description of the fish here:
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11...ory=4&x=5&y=14