Substrate question?
- Thread starter mary787
- Start date
T
thomas712
Guest
LFS, bull$/ni@&.
This LFS of yours is still offering you sand, sand in any aquarium becomes alive, and is known as live sand.
No matter the sand, as long as its aragonite its good.
No matter the sand you can still have algae problems for many reasons.
Of course it depends on what your LFS calls live sand. I'm not debating his choice of sand at all, but it will still become live.
The best I've used is the Southdown playsand, its aragonite, calcium carbonate based, and is ootlic, which means it has rounded edges..You can't get better than that.
Thomas
How many pds. of live rock should I get for my 30 gal tank, and how long do I wait to put the live rock inside the tank? In what order do I put in the water, salt, and sand?
T
thomas712
Guest
Place half the saltwater in, then the sand till you have about 2 inches, then gently place the rock on the sand, add the rest of the saltwater slowly.
Fire it up and let it cycle with the liverock, or you can also add one coctail shrimp to help it cycle. Do not add fish until the cycle is complete.
Fire it up and let it cycle with the liverock, or you can also add one coctail shrimp to help it cycle. Do not add fish until the cycle is complete.
southcoral
Member
this is very helpful. Let me get this straight, you can buy non-live sand, and during cycling it will become a live? You don't have to buy live sand? And has anyone bought things from SWF? Is their products anygood? Any complaints, any compliments? ~*thanks a bunch love ya*~ :cheer:
T
thomas712
Guest
Originally posted by mary787
[BI will be using tap water and use a chlorine remover......so what do you think? [/B]
Leave the cocktail shirmp in for a week or so, that should be long enough.
Tap water is OUT. Start from the begining with RO/DI water. Tap can have to many metals, impurities, COPPER that will kill inverts, Nitrates...etc... Then you start adding/dosing with all those additives that say they will remove this and that. Believe me the price you pay for many additives would be better money spent on buying RO water and salt.
Thomas
[BI will be using tap water and use a chlorine remover......so what do you think? [/B]
Leave the cocktail shirmp in for a week or so, that should be long enough.
Tap water is OUT. Start from the begining with RO/DI water. Tap can have to many metals, impurities, COPPER that will kill inverts, Nitrates...etc... Then you start adding/dosing with all those additives that say they will remove this and that. Believe me the price you pay for many additives would be better money spent on buying RO water and salt.
Thomas
T
thomas712
Guest
Originally posted by southcoral
this is very helpful. Let me get this straight, you can buy non-live sand, and during cycling it will become a live? You don't have to buy live sand? And has anyone bought things from SWF? Is their products anygood? Any complaints, any compliments? ~*thanks a bunch love ya*~ :cheer:
Yes, I started my tank with dry Southdown/Yardright playsand for about 8.00 per 40 pound bag.
I also started it with base rock that had once been in the ocean for only 1.00+ per pound in stead of cured liverock for 6,7,8 or 9.00 dollars per pound.
Once through the cycle both will become live with bacteria, but not live with pods and critters, that takes longer, also not live with coralline algae, that takes longer still.
Just seed it with some livesand and live rock that you purchase from the LFS or also get a cup of livesand from a buddy's tank. This will add pods and worms with cured liverock.
I have ordered many times from this site and their livestock, always great. I have never ordered livesand or liverock, but I hear it is top notch.
Thomas
southcoral
Member
so where do you get the regular rock from? oh and i was just wondering about the orders because someone said that they got an order, and it was filthy and it made their tank look filthy. so...just buy about 30lbs regular sand, and 10lbs live sand? And it gives it the same effect? And the rock, regular rock about 10lbs (need to know exactly what this is) and about 10lbs of live rock. I plan on doing this with my tank (so far, unless any suggestions are made) setting my tank up (which i need to know what size powerhead to use, my filter is 160gph, and is the "freshwater" filter the same for saltwater) let it cycle for a month or two with 30lb RS (regular sand) and 10lbs LS, 10lbs RR, 10lbs LR. Then once the levels are good, buying a royal or magenta gramma (very hardy fish), then slowly months later buying more fish. Am i doing anything wrong? ~*thanks a bunch love ya*~
PHP:
southcoral
Member
so where do you get the regular rock from? oh and i was just wondering about the orders because someone said that they got an order, and it was filthy and it made their tank look filthy. so...just buy about 30lbs regular sand, and 10lbs live sand? And it gives it the same effect? And the rock, regular rock about 10lbs (need to know exactly what this is) and about 10lbs of live rock. I plan on doing this with my tank (so far, unless any suggestions are made) setting my tank up (which i need to know what size powerhead to use, my filter is 160gph, and is the "freshwater" filter the same for saltwater) let it cycle for a month or two with 30lb RS (regular sand) and 10lbs LS, 10lbs RR, 10lbs LR. Then once the levels are good, buying a royal or magenta gramma (very hardy fish), then slowly months later buying more fish. Am i doing anything wrong? ~*thanks a bunch love ya*~
PHP:
:cheer:
blemmy_guy
Active Member
i would mary just to be safe. but its probly not needed, but i would still use it. todd
blemmy_guy
Active Member
Dont worry you will do fine!! Good luck and keep us up on how its goign, and just remember one word.... Patience! have fun Todd:happy: