kirkreynolds
Member
So i need to get rid of everything in my tank and add sand and live rock. how much sand do i need to cover my tank? and do i just stack the live rock on top of each other?
nothing will live
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rabbit_72
Member
Originally Posted by kirkreynolds
why is it not a good idea to have my castle? putting that much live rock in there will make the tank into a reef tank wont it? i thought that you could just have a fish only tank? is there any way i could move my fish into a large rubber tub or something for a few weeks instead of giving them back?
The castle was probably made for fresh water systems, not salt water. Salt water systems are more delicate. As i mentioned earlier, the decorations and colored substrate look cute in Finding Nemo. It was probably used to make the movie visually appealing. But in real life, the decorations are not good for salt water.
why is it not a good idea to have my castle? putting that much live rock in there will make the tank into a reef tank wont it? i thought that you could just have a fish only tank? is there any way i could move my fish into a large rubber tub or something for a few weeks instead of giving them back?
The castle was probably made for fresh water systems, not salt water. Salt water systems are more delicate. As i mentioned earlier, the decorations and colored substrate look cute in Finding Nemo. It was probably used to make the movie visually appealing. But in real life, the decorations are not good for salt water.
rabbit_72
Member
Originally Posted by kirkreynolds
So i need to get rid of everything in my tank and add sand and live rock. how much sand do i need to cover my tank? and do i just stack the live rock on top of each other?
As someone posted earlier, put live rock in first. And yes, you stack them carefully. Make sure you designs are sturdy and won't fall over. Many people glue their rocks together. My hubby didn't. He tends to move everything around a bit. Then add sand or another kind of saltwater substrate.
But that's not all, you must let the tank completly cycle before adding any fish. I know at the beginning of all these new hobbyists threads, there are extremely helpful threads on cycling.
So i need to get rid of everything in my tank and add sand and live rock. how much sand do i need to cover my tank? and do i just stack the live rock on top of each other?
As someone posted earlier, put live rock in first. And yes, you stack them carefully. Make sure you designs are sturdy and won't fall over. Many people glue their rocks together. My hubby didn't. He tends to move everything around a bit. Then add sand or another kind of saltwater substrate.
But that's not all, you must let the tank completly cycle before adding any fish. I know at the beginning of all these new hobbyists threads, there are extremely helpful threads on cycling.
robdog696
Member
Ok Kirk, I'm going to give you a quick rundown of starting a saltwater tank.
1. You have the tank. Good! Was it used for freshwater first or did you buy it new?
2. You need to add Crushed Coral or Argonite SAND or Live Sand! NOT gravel!
3. You need a lot more than "one medium sized piece of live rock". You will need at LEAST 50 lbs. Fish only refers to not having corals. The corals make it a reef tank, not the rock.
4. You need RO/DI water mixed with the proper amount of salt. You can buy this pre-mixed from your lfs (local fish store).
5. After adding all of this to your tank it will be an additional month probably before you can add fish.
If you want something fast and pretty I suggest checking out Freshwater fish. African Chiclids are pretty and uncommon in the aquarium hobby. A chiclid tank could probably be set up using the tank, gravel, and castle you have. Good luck! Hope that helps!
1. You have the tank. Good! Was it used for freshwater first or did you buy it new?
2. You need to add Crushed Coral or Argonite SAND or Live Sand! NOT gravel!
3. You need a lot more than "one medium sized piece of live rock". You will need at LEAST 50 lbs. Fish only refers to not having corals. The corals make it a reef tank, not the rock.
4. You need RO/DI water mixed with the proper amount of salt. You can buy this pre-mixed from your lfs (local fish store).
5. After adding all of this to your tank it will be an additional month probably before you can add fish.
If you want something fast and pretty I suggest checking out Freshwater fish. African Chiclids are pretty and uncommon in the aquarium hobby. A chiclid tank could probably be set up using the tank, gravel, and castle you have. Good luck! Hope that helps!
rabbit_72
Member
Please check out the first thread on the New Hobbyists forum. "An extremely helpful threads for all hobbyists". I have been doing this for 3 years and need to refer to this thread often. Helps alot!!!!!! But this is a delicate and demanding and expensive hobby. Please keep that first and foremost in your mind.
kirkreynolds
Member
the tank was new. what type of water is that i buy the real ocean water its called catalinawater it comes in a 5 gallon box.
kirkreynolds
Member
Also how deep should my sand be?
farslayer
Active Member
Wow, I missed a lot on this thread, I'm glad I probed. Take the advice on the thread, I won't repeat any since it's all good. I'm going to recommend you start over however. You've got the wrong substrate, you didn't let your tank cycle, you've got some problems 
The castle is bad because ornaments will leak chemicals into your water. Saltwater is more basic and therefore corrosive; ornamental toys are a bad idea. Gravel won't house your bacteria. You need live sand to accomplish this. Listen to the folks in this thread, you'll get fixed up. Patience is by far the single most valuable attribute you can have in this hobby. No patience equals failure in any circumstance. Everyone here will get you fixed up.
The castle is bad because ornaments will leak chemicals into your water. Saltwater is more basic and therefore corrosive; ornamental toys are a bad idea. Gravel won't house your bacteria. You need live sand to accomplish this. Listen to the folks in this thread, you'll get fixed up. Patience is by far the single most valuable attribute you can have in this hobby. No patience equals failure in any circumstance. Everyone here will get you fixed up.
n_jones
Member
you don't necessarily have to do that. There are folks that run bare bottom systems with fish only and some live rock. The live sand and live rock are a big part of the filtration system. They house the bacteria necessary to break down the Ammonia created by the fish and food that you put into the tank. So you could have your gravel and castle but your filtering technique will need to be vastly different than what most would consider normal.
My tank is also new, I think I have the same thing that you do. A 55 gal with a Aqua-Tech 30-60 HOB (Hang on Back) filter. In FW aquariums they work well but in SW aquariums those types of filters house bacteria that could be harmful to SW fish. I have removed all the filter material from my Aqua-Tech and converted it into a mini refugium, it is full of live rock. I also added a skimmer, which primarily removes the bad stuff from the water.
All that aside I think the problem your having is that your tank is not ready to be able to handle the waste produce by your fish and by feeding your fish.The production of the beneficial bacteria that handle the waste is called the cycle. When you first fill you tank with SW, the water has all the oxygen and minerals your fish need to live, however it does not have the bacteria to dispose of the waste. Once the waste build to lethal levels, which can take only a few hours, your fish die. It takes several days to several weeks for the water to be able to handle the waste the fish make. You need to start the cycle which you have with the introduction of the fish into your tank. Next you wait for the bacteria to convert the Ammonia to Nitrites, then you must wait for another bacteria to convert the Nitrites to Nitrates. Like I said this can take several days to several weeks. Usually it takes about 2 weeks. In the mean time your fish die. It is advisable to get what fish you have left in the tank out, decide how you want to proceed, then get a SW testing kit so you can know how much Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrates you have in the water.
Sorry for the book..... but I felt like lots of folks were telling you that you had done wrong and no one was explaining where you had gone wrong. There is a great post on another forum that explains this all in greater detail but I cannot post a link to that here....... I hope at least some of this helps..... Just for the record I'm a newbie like you......
My tank is also new, I think I have the same thing that you do. A 55 gal with a Aqua-Tech 30-60 HOB (Hang on Back) filter. In FW aquariums they work well but in SW aquariums those types of filters house bacteria that could be harmful to SW fish. I have removed all the filter material from my Aqua-Tech and converted it into a mini refugium, it is full of live rock. I also added a skimmer, which primarily removes the bad stuff from the water.
All that aside I think the problem your having is that your tank is not ready to be able to handle the waste produce by your fish and by feeding your fish.The production of the beneficial bacteria that handle the waste is called the cycle. When you first fill you tank with SW, the water has all the oxygen and minerals your fish need to live, however it does not have the bacteria to dispose of the waste. Once the waste build to lethal levels, which can take only a few hours, your fish die. It takes several days to several weeks for the water to be able to handle the waste the fish make. You need to start the cycle which you have with the introduction of the fish into your tank. Next you wait for the bacteria to convert the Ammonia to Nitrites, then you must wait for another bacteria to convert the Nitrites to Nitrates. Like I said this can take several days to several weeks. Usually it takes about 2 weeks. In the mean time your fish die. It is advisable to get what fish you have left in the tank out, decide how you want to proceed, then get a SW testing kit so you can know how much Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrates you have in the water.
Sorry for the book..... but I felt like lots of folks were telling you that you had done wrong and no one was explaining where you had gone wrong. There is a great post on another forum that explains this all in greater detail but I cannot post a link to that here....... I hope at least some of this helps..... Just for the record I'm a newbie like you......
kirkreynolds
Member
is there any way i could just add the live rock and then buy the sand latter so that its not so expensive? or will this not help it go through the cycle?
am00re34
Member
It sounds like you have no intentions of having a reef tank and want a Fish only tank. For a fish only tank you can go bare bottom, sand, or crushed coral. I think 99% of the people here would recommend sand (and i agree with them)
If you want Live Rock it would be a great addition, but its not needed. If you get the proper filtration (Skimmer, powerheads) you can have a very successful fish only tank w/o live rock. Live rock can be very expensive esp. if you can't afford to buy it in large quanities.
I will give the same advice that everyone else did, slow down. I was the same way when i started in this hobby and learned the hard way.
If you want Live Rock it would be a great addition, but its not needed. If you get the proper filtration (Skimmer, powerheads) you can have a very successful fish only tank w/o live rock. Live rock can be very expensive esp. if you can't afford to buy it in large quanities.
I will give the same advice that everyone else did, slow down. I was the same way when i started in this hobby and learned the hard way.
1journeyman
Active Member
In my opinion, live rock is a must for saltwater aquariums. If for nothing else it provides habitat for the fish and inverts in the tank.
kirk, if you click on the left side of your screen in the menu (live rock, live sand) there is a calculator to tell you how much sand you need.
Home Depot did in fact use to sell a great sand for saltwater aquariums. It was sold under the names Southdown, Yardright and Old Castle. Unfortunately it has virtually disappeared from the market.
kirk, if you click on the left side of your screen in the menu (live rock, live sand) there is a calculator to tell you how much sand you need.
Home Depot did in fact use to sell a great sand for saltwater aquariums. It was sold under the names Southdown, Yardright and Old Castle. Unfortunately it has virtually disappeared from the market.
kilhullen
Member
Originally Posted by kirkreynolds
i was told that there is a type of sand you can buy from home depot and it is fine in the tank is that true? also this cycle thing you speak of what do i do with the fish i have wont the high nitrites kill them?
Yes, the nitrites are very poisonous to them. THat is why you should use something like a cocktail shrimp to cycle a tank. Then when the tank is cycled you add a CUC, then after it settles and gets balanced again, and then one fish, and build it up. It is a long process, not something you can throw together.
i was told that there is a type of sand you can buy from home depot and it is fine in the tank is that true? also this cycle thing you speak of what do i do with the fish i have wont the high nitrites kill them?
Yes, the nitrites are very poisonous to them. THat is why you should use something like a cocktail shrimp to cycle a tank. Then when the tank is cycled you add a CUC, then after it settles and gets balanced again, and then one fish, and build it up. It is a long process, not something you can throw together.
kilhullen
Member
Originally Posted by kirkreynolds
why is it not a good idea to have my castle? putting that much live rock in there will make the tank into a reef tank wont it? i thought that you could just have a fish only tank? is there any way i could move my fish into a large rubber tub or something for a few weeks instead of giving them back?
The castles are very often with metal on them and therefore only suited for freshwater tanks, not saltwater. The saltwater causes a corrosion to happen and also can react otherways to the metals.
If you don't have cycled water, you can't just move them to a new place or you will just be moving the problem. If you are afraid that the fish may be sold before you can get them back find someone with room and a willingness to temporarily house them in their tank.
why is it not a good idea to have my castle? putting that much live rock in there will make the tank into a reef tank wont it? i thought that you could just have a fish only tank? is there any way i could move my fish into a large rubber tub or something for a few weeks instead of giving them back?
The castles are very often with metal on them and therefore only suited for freshwater tanks, not saltwater. The saltwater causes a corrosion to happen and also can react otherways to the metals.
If you don't have cycled water, you can't just move them to a new place or you will just be moving the problem. If you are afraid that the fish may be sold before you can get them back find someone with room and a willingness to temporarily house them in their tank.
kilhullen
Member
Originally Posted by kirkreynolds
no i was not kidding about the sand thing someone posted in a different thread and thats where i read it. i cant remember exactly what kid of sand it said but someone said it.
You need to be very exacting about the type of sand you use. The best bet is to get the dry sand from the LFS if you don't want live sand. The Play Sand at Home Depot is high in sylicates (I think that is what it is) but anyway, it is not proper for a saltwater aquarium.
no i was not kidding about the sand thing someone posted in a different thread and thats where i read it. i cant remember exactly what kid of sand it said but someone said it.
You need to be very exacting about the type of sand you use. The best bet is to get the dry sand from the LFS if you don't want live sand. The Play Sand at Home Depot is high in sylicates (I think that is what it is) but anyway, it is not proper for a saltwater aquarium.
kilhullen
Member
Originally Posted by kirkreynolds
is there any way i could just add the live rock and then buy the sand latter so that its not so expensive? or will this not help it go through the cycle?
You CAN in theory do this, but still remove the gravel at minimum. Also be aware that putting in the sand after the tank is running can make the water cloudy and unappealing. You also *may* get a mini-cycle that happens.
I think it is more advisable to do it right from the beginning. That is why we are waiting to set up our 100 gal DT. We are just working on our 30 gal QT. So, do as you need, but please make sure you take this step by step.
is there any way i could just add the live rock and then buy the sand latter so that its not so expensive? or will this not help it go through the cycle?
You CAN in theory do this, but still remove the gravel at minimum. Also be aware that putting in the sand after the tank is running can make the water cloudy and unappealing. You also *may* get a mini-cycle that happens.
I think it is more advisable to do it right from the beginning. That is why we are waiting to set up our 100 gal DT. We are just working on our 30 gal QT. So, do as you need, but please make sure you take this step by step.
kilhullen
Member
Originally Posted by kirkreynolds
is there any way i could just add the live rock and then buy the sand latter so that its not so expensive? or will this not help it go through the cycle?
Also you do need something to cycle with - use a cocktail shrimp or some fishfood or something.
is there any way i could just add the live rock and then buy the sand latter so that its not so expensive? or will this not help it go through the cycle?
Also you do need something to cycle with - use a cocktail shrimp or some fishfood or something.
1journeyman
Active Member
Originally Posted by Kilhullen
Also you do need something to cycle with - use a cocktail shrimp or some fishfood or something.
Not if the rock is uncured.
Also you do need something to cycle with - use a cocktail shrimp or some fishfood or something.
Not if the rock is uncured.
zdthompson
Member
from reading this and im going to sound verry mean but im going to try to be as nice as i can.we have done our cycle on our first tank and did alot of reserch before we started.
You need to stop and read up on how to set up at SW tank. also you need to stop and save your money up insted of just skimping. you are going to be looking at about $500 bucks for live rock for a 55 and about $50 in CC ( have it in mine and it works fine switching to a coat of LS ina few months)
our BASIC set up is fallows
$250 tank hood and stand
$30 new lights
$500 for 100 pounds of live rock
$250 wet/dry
$35 Crushed coral
$40 starter fish to get the tank up and cycleing
$20 on clean up crew ( turbos and crab)
$20 salt
____________________
Total $1145 for BASIC set up
so SLOWWWWWW down and save up and read up!
You need to stop and read up on how to set up at SW tank. also you need to stop and save your money up insted of just skimping. you are going to be looking at about $500 bucks for live rock for a 55 and about $50 in CC ( have it in mine and it works fine switching to a coat of LS ina few months)
our BASIC set up is fallows
$250 tank hood and stand
$30 new lights
$500 for 100 pounds of live rock
$250 wet/dry
$35 Crushed coral
$40 starter fish to get the tank up and cycleing
$20 on clean up crew ( turbos and crab)
$20 salt
____________________
Total $1145 for BASIC set up
so SLOWWWWWW down and save up and read up!