90 Gal Dream, Please Help

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

scottdillon2000

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Mar 10, 2005
Messages
14
Location
Ohio
I am waiting on getting my custom cabinets done on my 90. In the mean time I am looking for suggestions for the rest. I have 384 W PC and MH retrofits for the canopy, the heaters, and plumbing w/powerhead. The plan is a reef set up. I am looking for suggestions on filtration, rock, and anything else I maybe forgetting. Whatever you have seen that works well please let me know!
Thanks All!
 
Make sure you get a skimmer. God blessed us when man created the skimmer in my opinion. I would build a sump/refuge as well.

I would get at least 90 lbs of LR, I think the more the better. To save some money you might get half as LR and half as Dead (Base) rock.

Once the live rock has cycled for about a year, then I would move on to getting fish. I might start once the first cycle has completed with some inverts, snails and hermits, to keep it clean.
 
a year? There's no reason a cycle should take that long.

i second the comment on setting up a refuge/sump and a skimmer. if you can plan on putting some minimal lighting on the refuge you can add some macro algaes to it and the fuge/LR/LS/Skimmer should be all the filtering you need.
 
I thought a year was the best amount of time to wait. I think I read it on this website even... I honestly only waited 3 weeks.

Then again... I used water from the ocean, so it didnt need to cycle too much.
 
hmm I think you might be refering to the "rule of thumb" about aging a tank before adding anenome's. Most recommend a tank be given at least a year to mature before attempting an anenome.

the Cycle, in terms of this hobby, refers specifically to establishing the de-nitrifying bacteria in the substrate and rocks of your aquarium necessary to process fish/food waste in your tank. Even if you use NSW to start your tank, unless you used pre-cured LR/LS you likely still went through a cycle (perhaps a short one). Check our Articles Section for some very helpful articles that explain what the cycle is and how to cycle your tank WITHOUT the use of fish.
 
I will check out the cycle information. This is not the first tank I have done. I have a 10 gal and a 20 gal reef. Both do suprising well (fightin Cyno right now). I was going to do the sump with a 20 gal long, but not sure if the skimmer would work well in it. I guess I am asking how well it does??? I think we would be hard pressed to find someone who truly cycles for a year, maybe I am wrong on that. Also any thoughts on reverse osmosis?? Anyone doing it????
 
Billy, you are right, I am thinking of amenome cycling!

I would use RO water for sure! If you dont have an RO system, you could use distilled.

I would give up my UV filter and all my fish if someone could take me back in time and tell me the first things I needed were a sump and skimmer. I swear to God that skimmers really are the best filtration for a tank. I fought Cyano for a long time (in fact I am winning the battle right now!!!) and have found the most helpful item I was able to purchase in this fight was a skimmer. I love that stupid, expensive thing!

Are you on the winning end of the battle with cyano right now? If not, read this link, its written by me. http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=46295
 
i am currently cycling my 90 right now. i started almost two weeks ago and everything is at zero. i will wait one more week (testing every night) before i put any fish in. then only one at a time every couple of weeks to a month. started with 65 lbs of live rock, 65 lbs of base, have a sump/fuge with chaetomrpha and calerpa and 15lbs live rock, protein skimmer in sump, 300w hydor heater in fuge.
 
Back
Top Bottom