diverdown
New Member
OK, The Bermuda Project is underway.
As indicated in a previous thread, I am attempting to start up a reef tank here in Bermuda. As local law prohibits importation of saltwater fish and inverts, I will be setting up and maintaining this project without the help of any LFS or local experts, and will be stocking the tank with fish, and eventually reef from the local waters (located, conveniently, about a hundred and fifty yards from my back door).
My only source of assistance will be the good readership of this forum.
So, I went out and got a tank. It was previously a freshwater aquarium, but I checked with the owner to see if he had ever treated the fish with any medicines which included copper. He had not. Good start.
The equipment is in pieces in my back yard being thoroughtly cleaned at the moment. As I type this I am covered head to toe in fish crap!
So, the tank specs are as follows:
Tank - 55 Gallon (12" deep x 18" high x 48" wide)
Filter - Aquaclear 300
Lighting - Coralife 10,000K (not nearly enough for a reef, but how about FO with live sand??)
The next steps:
I plan to set the tank up tonight, and tomorrow fill it with water straight from the ocean (collected well away from the beach). I will also be adding aprox 3" of live sand, collected while diving (about 25-30 feet down, near a coral head).
That's step one. Here are a few questions:
1. Once the water and the sand are in, and the parameters are clear, what should I look to introduce first? Fish or cleaners (Shrimp/snails/hermits)?
2. Should I begin a light cycle immediately? There will be critters living in the sand I'm sure.
Any thoughts will be MOST appreciated.
Diverdown
As indicated in a previous thread, I am attempting to start up a reef tank here in Bermuda. As local law prohibits importation of saltwater fish and inverts, I will be setting up and maintaining this project without the help of any LFS or local experts, and will be stocking the tank with fish, and eventually reef from the local waters (located, conveniently, about a hundred and fifty yards from my back door).
My only source of assistance will be the good readership of this forum.
So, I went out and got a tank. It was previously a freshwater aquarium, but I checked with the owner to see if he had ever treated the fish with any medicines which included copper. He had not. Good start.
The equipment is in pieces in my back yard being thoroughtly cleaned at the moment. As I type this I am covered head to toe in fish crap!
So, the tank specs are as follows:
Tank - 55 Gallon (12" deep x 18" high x 48" wide)
Filter - Aquaclear 300
Lighting - Coralife 10,000K (not nearly enough for a reef, but how about FO with live sand??)
The next steps:
I plan to set the tank up tonight, and tomorrow fill it with water straight from the ocean (collected well away from the beach). I will also be adding aprox 3" of live sand, collected while diving (about 25-30 feet down, near a coral head).
That's step one. Here are a few questions:
1. Once the water and the sand are in, and the parameters are clear, what should I look to introduce first? Fish or cleaners (Shrimp/snails/hermits)?
2. Should I begin a light cycle immediately? There will be critters living in the sand I'm sure.
Any thoughts will be MOST appreciated.
Diverdown
