New tanks started what next?

kcobain111

kcobain111

Member
hey guys i'm real new to the salt water aquarium setup...i have a 55 gallon fish tank with a 60 gallon filter and an undergravel filter that's all i have right now what do i do next? is crished coral better than sand? my plan due to money is start a tank fish only and gradually make it a LR coral tank any know what my next sptep will be...i want to do it right the first time and i have time to wait heh so any info to help would be great
 
teresaq

teresaq

Active Member
Hi, im new too, but i can tell you get rid of the undergravel filter, and use sand. its much better then CC. good Luck
 
wbilton

wbilton

Member
the first thing you should is read there are plenty of books you can also search through this site there is a lot of good info. do a search on cycling.
 
mudplayerx

mudplayerx

Active Member

Originally posted by kcobain111
hey guys i'm real new to the salt water aquarium setup...i have a 55 gallon fish tank with a 60 gallon filter and an undergravel filter that's all i have right now what do i do next? is crished coral better than sand? my plan due to money is start a tank fish only and gradually make it a LR coral tank any know what my next sptep will be...i want to do it right the first time and i have time to wait heh so any info to help would be great
Do yourself a favor and get rid of both the undergravel filter and the crushed coral. The crushed coral will trap detritous and cause nitrate spikes.
The undergravel filter is both unnecessary and can potentially cause very big problems. For instance, if the power goes out, the toxic gases and acids under the plate can be released into the tank and kill everything.
Your next step is to buy a hydrometer and salt mix. Fill up the tank with either dechlorinated water or distilled/RO water (preferred). Follow the salt mix instructions for mixing the correct amount. Your specific gravity should ready around .023 at 75 degrees.
 
kcobain111

kcobain111

Member
right now the tank is full of water i treated with the same stuff i used in my freshwater tanks to get the water ready the water seems a bit cloudy and there's a slight film of ...dust...maybe .....if i get rid of the undergravel filter what will i need to buy for just fish and fake coral right now? will the 60 gallon filter be enough? for just fish?
Items in water to treat:
EasyBalance by tetraAqua says it reduces nitrates and phosphate and stabalizes alkelinity and PH
Stress Coat : replaces natural protective coat on fish removes chlorine and nutralizes chloromines and detoxifies heavy metal
and AquaSafe says it makes tap water safe for fish same as the stress coat pretty much
could i be treating it to much?
would that stuff cause the cloudyness?
Do i need to change the water and start over?
heh lots of questions but i just want to do it right
 
mudplayerx

mudplayerx

Active Member
I don't think the easybalance is necessary as your nitrites/nitrates are going to be all over the board for the first 30-40 days.
 
teresaq

teresaq

Active Member
make sure you check those chems are safe for salt water. also, do you have sand on the bottom of your tank.
also, i am on IM if you want to talk wlq402
 
kcobain111

kcobain111

Member
ok i got sand in my tank now and with 6 guppies i transfered to salt water right now my level is 0.018 it's day one of the cycle i put in some stuff called cycle i guess it adds good bacteria to the water to make the process faster any one have anything else i should do to make the cycling process move along?
 
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