30g build

[DIZZLE808]

a guy at my lfs told me that because my cannister filter is rated at 250gph that I don't need any powerheads... is he correct or do I actually need them?

also picked up a stand yesterday so either today or tomorrow I'm going to picking up the water and live and base rock so I can finally start cycling . Naturally I have a few questions before I do so ...

I have 45lbs of sand that I of course will rinse before putting it in the tank. When I begin rinsing/cleaning the sand can I use tap water or just go ahead and use saltwater?

When I actually start filling the tank up do I put the sand in first and then the water or put the water in first then add the sand? do I add the rock when the tank is about half full or does that not matter? with this one I just want to know which way would be easier I guess.

thanks for the help

 

[Freshnoob1]

The gph rating of the canister will drop a little since it's lower than the tank.
If you're not doing corals just get 1 Hydor Koralia Evolution 550GPH and if you do get corals get another one.
You can rinse the sand a couple times with tap water just to get most of the dust out.
You can put your base rock in first, just the bottom pieces, then put sand in around the rock to give your rock-work a better foundation.
Fill the tank up to 3 inches from the top, start adding rock, then take out/ add water if you need to.

 

[Beengirl]

If you plan on mixing the SW in the tank, then do that first, then after salt is dissolved, add rock then sand. Don't want undissolved salt getting stuck in the sand if you pour it on top if the sand. Also, for FOWLR it's recommended 10-30x turnover rate, for reef it's 30-50x turnover rate. So for a 30g you'll want 300-900 turnover per hour and reef 900-1500. Use the gph rate of all your equipment: PHs, filter, skimmer, etc. So if your filter right now is the only flow, I would tend to think you'll need at least 1 PH too. Good luck and welcome to the world if salt!!

 

[DIZZLE808]

If you plan on mixing the SW in the tank, then do that first, then after salt is dissolved, add rock then sand. Don't want undissolved salt getting stuck in the sand if you pour it on top if the sand. Also, for FOWLR it's recommended 10-30x turnover rate, for reef it's 30-50x turnover rate. So for a 30g you'll want 300-900 turnover per hour and reef 900-1500. Use the gph rate of all your equipment: PHs, filter, skimmer, etc. So if your filter right now is the only flow, I would tend to think you'll need at least 1 PH too. Good luck and welcome to the world if salt!!

I'm going to be getting water from the ocean. there is a saltwater well that I can get water from. Its clean and luckily for me free , a few people I know have told me that that is where they get their water from and they have had no problems with it.

 

[DIZZLE808]

Thanks for the info, its greatly appreciated. I'll be looking into PH's today when I get off work.

 

[Freshnoob1]

I'm going to be getting water from the ocean. there is a saltwater well that I can get water from. Its clean and luckily for me free , a few people I know have told me that that is where they get their water from and they have had no problems with it.

Lucky punk!

 

[obscurereef]

Wow living in Hawaii does have it's advantages! Now you don't have to walk or drive a little to get to the ocean..you have a little in your house! Following and good luck! Seems you are coming along .

 

[DIZZLE808]

Lucky punk!

LOL I know right!! I honestly didn't believe it the first few times I heard of it but come to find out there is actually 3 places I can go and get water. 1 is from the well that I went to today, another is the aquarium in Waikiki although you have to pay for this one... only $15 I think which is not bad at all. there's a 3rd place that I can't remember off the top of my head. But I am lucky in the fact that I can pick it up for free

 

[DIZZLE808]

Wow living in Hawaii does have it's advantages! Now you don't have to walk or drive a little to get to the ocean..you have a little in your house! Following and good luck! Seems you are coming along .

I am sooooo looking forward to having a little ocean in my place!! as a matter of fact that is exactly what I tell my friends when they tell me why don't I just go diving! lol Thanks for checking out my build!!! hopefully all goes well with it!

 

[DIZZLE808]

After I get off work today I'm going to my lfs and buying my live and base rock and begin filling my tank. I took some notes that I scribbled on a piece of paper about doing a fishless cycle with dead shrimp... I somehow missplaced/lost it so I need some help. What do I need...besides the shrimp of course

 

[Psychocircus91]

I am sooooo looking forward to having a little ocean in my place!! as a matter of fact that is exactly what I tell my friends when they tell me why don't I just go diving! lol Thanks for checking out my build!!! hopefully all goes well with it!

This is basically exactly what I said before. I just want a little piece of the Ocean in my room. Make sure to take pics once the rock is in

 

[DIZZLE808]

Before I fill my tank what can I clean it with..... clean sponge, vinegar and tap water?

 

[Pufferlove]

What I do is use a half cup of bleach and fill the tank up with water outside let the tank sit for an hour and then rinse it out until you can't smell the bleach anymore

 

[DIZZLE808]

Oh ok. That sounds simple enough.

 

[DIZZLE808]

Filled up my tank last night. Water was cloudy but by this morning it was cleared up. I'm not really digging my rock work so ill probably make some changes.

Pic is from last night. I'll take more pics today when I get home.

 

[DIZZLE808]

Looking good so far

So I filled up the tank yesterday and it was a bit cloudy of course, but now everything is settled and looking good so far. I don't have a test kit yet but I did check the specific gravity and that was dead on. I know its early on in the cycle and I got a long way to go but I do like what I'm seeing so far. I'm going to add a small dead shrimp tomorrow and hopefully buy a test kit.

 

[obscurereef]

Nice start ! Basically just put a table shrimp in a net and let it rot until the ammonia is 4-5 ppm. Then you can take it out. This is why you really need a test kit!

More info on fishless cycling:
Cycle your salt tank - Aquarium Advice

 

[DIZZLE808]

Nice start ! Basically just put a table shrimp in a net and let it rot until the ammonia is 4-5 ppm. Then you can take it out. This is why you really need a test kit!

More info on fishless cycling:
Cycle your salt tank - Aquarium Advice

yea I'm definitely picking up a test kit tomorrow, I filled the tank late last night so I couldn't go out and get one... I'm in the Army National Guard and we have drill this weekend, by the time we got off work today my lfs was closed. so tomorrow I'm going to pick it up. thanks for the link, I'm about to check it out now.

 

[obscurereef]

No problem. And hopefully it didn't seem like you needed to get it urgently. Your cycle is probably going to take over a month. It's good that you're getting it sooner than later though. Cycling is the hardest part .

 

[DIZZLE808]

no you didn't come off that way just like you said its good to have and I'd rather have it sooner rather than later!
question though... How often should I be testing?