New to saltwater, advice is always welcome!

[newguylovesfish]

I have loved aquariums and fish my entire life. They have always been freshwater and have had great success with all of them. I am ready to step up and finally dive into salt. A little nervous, yes. But also excited to get started. I am hoping some of you more experienced hobbyists can help me with a basic questions.

I have found a 265 gallon, already established tank for sale. It's a great deal and it has been very well maintained. How do I even go about moving this to my home? The trip will be about 40 minutes.

Keep or replace the substrate? LIve rock? I've been told and read that a larger tank is actually easier to handle than a smaller one, true?

Keep the rock and sand in the existing water in separate buckets until they are in the new home? How long should I let the tank "cycle' before introducing fish?

I am only interested in a live rock-fish only aquarium for now.

That's enough questions for the first thread. I am sure there will be lots more later.

Thank you to all who have some insight on this subject.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by newguylovesfish http:///t/396648/new-to-saltwater-advice-is-always-welcome#post_3534241
I have loved aquariums and fish my entire life. They have always been freshwater and have had great success with all of them. I am ready to step up and finally dive into salt. A little nervous, yes. But also excited to get started. I am hoping some of you more experienced hobbyists can help me with a basic questions.

I have found a 265 gallon, already established tank for sale. It's a great deal and it has been very well maintained. How do I even go about moving this to my home? The trip will be about 40 minutes.

Keep or replace the substrate? LIve rock? I've been told and read that a larger tank is actually easier to handle than a smaller one, true?

Keep the rock and sand in the existing water in separate buckets until they are in the new home? How long should I let the tank "cycle' before introducing fish?

I am only interested in a live rock-fish only aquarium for now.

That's enough questions for the first thread. I am sure there will be lots more later.

Thank you to all who have some insight on this subject.

Hi,

Welcome to the site!

Larger is better and easier. There is very little good bacteria in the water, so there is no reason to keep it. The rock will stay moist enough with damp paper towels draped over it in a tub while you move it. Time means nothing for the cycle, your test kits will tell you when it's ready to add fish. I wouldn't get rid of the sand either...however don't leave it in the tank during the move, move the tank empty.

Since you are not moving live fish, keep the substrate. Otherwise the sand may have to be rinsed before you put it in the tank. Rock goes in first, and put the sand around it. Set up your filtration and power heads. Toss a chunk of raw shrimp into the new set-up tank and let that kick start the cycle. I only test for ammonia at first, once it spikes and drops back to 0, then I check on nitrites...once that drops to 0, then I check on the nitrates. If it's over 10, and it should be, I do a small water change. Then I ghost feed an invisible fish for one more week and retest all three...if the ammonia and nitrites are still a 0,your tank has cycled, I do a 3% water change.

During the cycle I would set up my quarantine to cycle at the same time (chunk of raw shrimp as well). Once it's cycled, add one little fish to it. Keep a watch on the new critter for about 3 weeks and if it's healthy, add it to the display and then add a new fish into your quarantine. Repeat until you have stocked the tank.

While the tank cycles for the first time, is a good time to read up on SW tanks and learn everything you can get your hands on.

Use lab type kits, not dip sticks. Fill the tank with RO (reverse osmosis) water with a mix that you churn with a utility pump or powerhead for 24 hours in a separate container before you use it. The stuff that dies on the live (kept moist) rock and sand during that time, will help with the cycle. Patience is the key to success.

Your own RO unit is best, but any grocery store with a refill water station has RO water. Super Walmart sells RO water for 37 cents a gallon. Water quality is the life of your SW tank, tap water or even well water, has stuff in it that fish don't need, and it causes algae nightmares.

 

[newguylovesfish]

Thank you so much for some direction with this. It is very much appreciated. When you mentioned mix of my own with an RO unit. How do I add that much water from a separate container into a tank of this size? I was going to purchase a 55 gallon drum for this but obviously, I'd need 6 of these to do this correct?

Should my quarantine tank be set up in a similar fashion with lighting, substrate and the like?

Thank you again!

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by newguylovesfish http:///t/396648/new-to-saltwater-advice-is-always-welcome#post_3534244
Thank you so much for some direction with this. It is very much appreciated. When you mentioned mix of my own with an RO unit. How do I add that much water from a separate container into a tank of this size? I was going to purchase a 55 gallon drum for this but obviously, I'd need 6 of these to do this correct?

Should my quarantine tank be set up in a similar fashion with lighting, substrate and the like?

Thank you again!

Hi,

Fill it a little at a time, a pump with a hose attached to it in the holding tub will make life easier. If you power the pump by a power strip, you will have an easy on/off switch.

Once the tank is filled a 55g drum will be fine for your water changes. It's that first fill that's a pain in the butt.

A quarantine is super easy. A tank either paint the outside bottom dark, or put the tank on a towel to keep reflection down, an air line, a HOB filter, and a piece of PVC pipe or décor, to give a fish a place to hide and feel secure. I attach the air line via rubberband to hold the air line to the bottom of the tank. No need for a power head, the air line will move the surface water...some macroalgae will help keep the parameters good.

No substrate, if the fish is sick, the macros will have to be removed before you dose any medicine, and a QT will make it easier to measure the water volume to get the correct dose.

 

[geridoc]

Quote:
Originally Posted by newguylovesfish http:///t/396648/new-to-saltwater-advice-is-always-welcome#post_3534244
Thank you so much for some direction with this. It is very much appreciated. When you mentioned mix of my own with an RO unit. How do I add that much water from a separate container into a tank of this size? I was going to purchase a 55 gallon drum for this but obviously, I'd need 6 of these to do this correct?

First of all, be sure it is a plastic 55 gallon drum. Most of us use rubbermaid plastic garbage cans. I have my water station in the basement, and the display (220 gallons) is on the first floor. I make RO directly into the garbage can. After several floods in the basement I have added an automatic shut off float to the drum. I have a mag 7.5 in the can that I use for stirring when I am making salt water, then I can hook up a line that goes through the floor to the display to add the water. I have another drum that I use for ATO that is plumbed the same way, but run off of a JBJ ATO float in the display's sump.