Questions from a beginner

[samspades]

I bought a 50g tank last Friday and I have started setting it up.
Currently it is running with a filter, heater, lights, protein skimmer, and live sand.
I finally did get the salt at the right level per the hydrometer.
How much LR should I start with?
Raw shrimp for the initial cycle. Do I just get one from the local grocery store and toss him in? can I do this before I put in the LR or not, I will provably will not get any LR until this weekend.
Power Heads? What is this? I don’t have any.
I have seen a few references to cleaning crews, I gather these are algae eaters, what should I start with and when should I put them in?
I'm sure I am going to have more questions.

 

[reefnut]

How much LR should I start with?
1 1/2 - 2 pounds per-gallon as a general rule. You can look into getting base rock also. It's a lot cheaper and can be seeded with LR.
Raw shrimp for the initial cycle. Do I just get one from the local grocery store and toss him in?
Yep, make sure it's uncooked and unseasoned.
can I do this before I put in the LR or not
I wouldn't... the LR is where the majority of the bacteria needed for the nitrogen cycle will be built up.
Power Heads? What is this?
Powerhead are small water pumps that are used to create circulation in your tank. You should have a minimum of about 500 gallons per-hour of water flow in a 50g tank. This would include powerheads, skimmer (if in the display), return pumps, etc.
I have seen a few references to cleaning crews, I gather these are algae eaters, what should I start with and when should I put them in?
Don't add anything until the cycle is complete. Cleaning crews are algae and debris eaters. Snails, crabs, etc...

 

[jay knows]

Question,
WHy do you use raw shrimp in the loading of the tank? Dead or alive shrimp?
I am planning on setting up my 55 gallon this weekend. I just want to know other then the water, salt, cc, filter, and water treatment stuff, what i need to do to make it successful.

 

[pontius]

If you have live sand and rock for cycling, a shrimp is not needed.
the reason for the shrimp is to leak ammonia into the tank to setup the bioload. some people use shrimp, some use flake food, some use live rock and live sand, and some use live fish (usually damsels).

 

[jay knows]

Thanks Pontis
So if I am planning on some live rock and fish in my tank..
I should, load the tank up, try to get levels right, and then add some shrimp or damsels?
Just trying to understand...
Thanks

 

[pontius]

no, if you're going to have rock and sand from the very beginning, just get the salinity and temp right, then add the rock and sand and the tank will cycle.
if not, get the salinity and temp right, and add the shrimp. I would not use damsels, because #1 it's not necessary, shrimp is just as good #2 they're hard as hell to catch when the cycle is over and #3 it's just inhumane when it not necessary

 

[bill f]

If your LR is uncured it is ok to cycle tank with the rock that will help in cycling.
But if your buying cured LR, add that only after your tank has cycled.

 

[jay knows]

ty pontius..
I am not going to use sand at all, just 60 lbs of Crushed Coral gravel stuff I already got....
SO load the tank with CC, and salt then fill and treat water till levels and temp is right. Then add some live rock and damsels?
Another question....
When you refer to Cycle, is that when the levels go up and down until they become steady? When the levels hold steady, the cycle is complete? and then when that happens, I should do a partial water change and use distilled water, salt and water treatment stuff?
After that is done, then add different fish?
I am sorry, but I am alittle confused, I read the posts, I have read a book, and spoke to some people, but honestly everyone is telling me something different and conflisting information..
Please help me out!
Thanks

 

[someone400]

It may just be a matter of preference but I would recommend using Chromis (sp?) instead of damsels to get things started. My blue damsels killed alot of my first fish ($$!) but I did not have the heart to flush him. Luckly my LFS was willing to take him in and give me a few bucks credit for it.

 

[evilbob22]

Dead or alive shrimp?
Dead shrimp, just your normal cocktail shrimp. The idea is to let it rot, releasing amonia so that the amonia eating bacteria multiplies (and Nitrate eating bacteria multiplies too).
I did not have the heart to flush him
You souldn't ever flush fish of any kind... they go through a slow, tortuous (sp?) death that way. Either sell them back to the lfs, or use the garbage disposal for a quick death.

 

[jay knows]

DO I have the process down correctly? In my earlier post..

 

[reefnut]

Originally posted by Pontius
If you have live sand and rock for cycling, a shrimp is not needed.
Not nessesarly... if you're using live sand and live rock you still usually need something to kickstart the cycle. Uncured live rock usually has enough die off to kickstart the cycle but cured live rock usually does not.
jay knows, I would highly recommend using sand instead of the CC.
I would not use a damsel or any other live animal. The cycle process is hard on fish... no need to make the fish suffer. Using a dead shrimp or uncured LR will do just as good.
During the cycle ammonia and nitrites will spike. After both the ammonia and nitrites have spiked and return to 0 your cycle is complete. At this point nitrates are usually around 20ppm or so. Do a good water change and slowly start adding fish and cleaners.

 

[jay knows]

Reef nut thanks.
SO I posted this before in reference to your advise on the CC, but what are the benefits of the live sand or sand versus the cc.
I just got my cc in the mail yesterday and it resembles gravel like in FW tanks, but smaller of course.
Some people have told me the CC is the only way to go, other say sand... Maybe a mixture of both? I am so new to this and Jay doesnt know all that much about the SWF.

 

[samspades]

Now I am confused, I mixed one 15lb bag of crushed coral, with about 40 lbs of live sand so if I am going to get Live rock from my lfs, should I still toss in the shrimp?
Also I might be having problem with my submergible heater it is 200w and set at its lowest setting it keeps the water at 80 - 81 degrees is this normal?

 

[reefnut]

what are the benefits of the live sand or sand versus the cc.
CC has a habit of trapping debris and without critters to process the debris you can get nitrates problems. Sand gets full of live that feed on debris and process the waste that lands on the sand bed. When deep enough sand can also process nitrates. Do a search and you will find MANY posts from people that tare down their system to switch from CC to sand... do it right the first time. Don't mix the CC with sand or anything like that... I would just return the CC and go with straight sand.
SamSpades, I would add the shrimp.

 

[jay knows]

I just spoke to my LFS expert who has a impressive collection of SWF and tanks etc. He told me to go with the CC and not with the sand, b/c I am just starting out, and may have trouble keeping the sand alive.
Any thoughts on that Reef?

 

[greatfullreefer]

Originally posted by jay knows
I just spoke to my LFS expert who has a impressive collection of SWF and tanks etc. He told me to go with the CC and not with the sand, b/c I am just starting out, and may have trouble keeping the sand alive.
Any thoughts on that Reef?
Doesnt sound like much of an expert with a comment like that i am affraid.

 

[evilbob22]

Umm... yea.... it is almost impossible to kill live sand. If you do something that would kill live sand, you would loose all of your fish and inverts long before hand.

 

[reefnut]

Originally posted by jay knows
I just spoke to my LFS expert who has a impressive collection of SWF and tanks etc. He told me to go with the CC and not with the sand, b/c I am just starting out, and may have trouble keeping the sand alive.
Any thoughts on that Reef?
For some reason a lot of LFS recommend CC. Most experienced hobbyists do not... most beginner hobbyists that get talked into using CC end up removing it and replacing it with sand.
LS does NOT need anything special to "stay alive". For him to say that you "may have trouble keeping the sand alive." is just ridiculous. Sorry but he obviously knows very little about sand beds.

 

[jay knows]

Does LS require special lighting or anything to keep it alive?
Is it easy to clean with a vaccuum?
I am just trying to do the right thing form the beginning..
I totally appreciate all of your information.