Im a newbie with questions (big surprise huh)

[rocket81]

Ok, so for the last 8 hours I've done nothin but read data online from this site and a few others on the things you need to know when setting up. I'm goin with a 55 gallon tank, and a FOWLR setup. So I plan on gettin a couple LR, adding sand, and enough of the other rocks to equal up to about 50 lbs or so.
My main question is on water changes. After about the first month or so when all the levels get to where they need to be how do you go about a water change. Do you need to heat it to the same temp. as your tank, etc.
Any advice you guys wanna give would be great since you are experienced with this and well, i'm not. Thanks for anything

 

[seaham358]

New SW sould be as close as possible the same salinity and temp. Mix new water for 24 hours before using it.
Keep doing your homework and you will save yourself time money and headaches in the end.

 

[Jermz79]

I am going to say yes as well ... although some will tell you that temp. is not as important so long as the water is not freezing or boiling! I don't run a heater in either of my tanks and my temps are always steady at 79-80deg. When I do water changes if the new water is that far off I throw in a little 50w heater for a few and BAM change it out!

Salinity on the other hand is VERY important ... if you want to maintain your SG level then make sure the water you are putting in has the same level as that you are taking out.

 

[tecwzrd]

When I do water changes if the new water is that far off I throw in a little 50w heater for a few and BAM change it out!

I was curious about using a heater which I have done in the past. Currently for the last couple of months I take about 4 to 8 cups of the mixed water and boil it then add to the mix and stir till I get the right temp to match my tank. Does boiling and adding hurt the mix for any reason?

 

[localhost]

Make sure the pot doesn't contain copper. That can hurt your inverts.

 

[Jermz79]

Does boiling and adding hurt the mix for any reason?

I am not 100% sure, but I have the smallest urge to say yes the hot boiling water may change the chemical makeup of the salt mixture ... like I said I'm not a 100%. Let's see what one of the advisors has to say about this! :?

 

[dorian965]

i have a 55 dallon and i mix in 5 gallon buckets. after mixing for a day the temp is usually around 80 due to the heat my maxi-jet puts off. not that much work for me.

 

[seaham358]

Why do you boil the SW??????? The salt mix dissolves pretty fast if your using a PH to mix it...

 

[rocket81]

thanks alot guys, im starting to understand it more and more. I'm gonna try and go to like petsmart or somethin on monday to look around some, and see what info I can get from them. Then the task of savin up more money since its gonna cost a little more than i thought to get started, but I do have that month of the cycling period to save also.
Any other advice you can give would be great, expect to here from me often.

 

[Macmommy]

Hi Rocket and welcome to AA! You have found one of the best sites on the web for aquarium advice! I have been reading for about a year now, and I am getting ready to set up my first SW tank. My advice to you is this: read, read and read some more. You may also want to get a notebook to jot down things you want to remember later on. Also, some good books to have are: The New Marine Aquarium by Michael S. Paletta and The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert M. Fenner. Both are excellent resources. Good luck!

 

[Salttanker]

I'm gonna try and go to like petsmart or somethin on monday to look around some, and see what info I can get from them.

Just come back here to make sure the information is valid. Sometime lfs don't offer good suggestions.

Mike

 

[tecwzrd]

Why do you boil the SW??????? The salt mix dissolves pretty fast if your using a PH to mix it...

I mix the salt with 15 gal ro/di water SA 1.024 (Crystal Sea Marinemix) for 48 hours prior using a hp/aerator. We keep the house at 68 and the water is typically at 70 degrees after mixing and I keep the tank at 78. Boiling ½ a gal in a stainless steel pot and adding to the mix raises the temp to around 77.

I have used a submersible heater before but it’s kind of slow in getting the temp right if I’m off by more than 5 degrees.

I had hoped that using a stainless steel pot I’d have little effect on the total water quality and it has made getting the temp I need much easier.

I hadn’t read anywhere that it might be bad but I also haven’t read anywhere of anyone doing it that way which is why I ask.

I know a copper pot or other risky type of pot could “leak” metals into the water which could be detrimental but is there any risk using stainless steel?

Is mixing for 2 days overkill?

TIA