Almost There

[Guest]

I pretty much have my set up. I need to purchase a few more items, but i have the tank filled most of the way with salt water(which has been sitting for over a month)with a powerhead and a heater. I have live argonite sand(not in tank, in package) but i dont know when to add this due to the amout salt that will swing up and down as i add stuff to my tank.
Would it be to hard to set up a overflow and sump? The whole sump-overflow idea confuses me. Are overflows powered by a pump, if so how does it stop them from getting water everywhere?
The water i have know won't go back to being clear. i have no form of filtration but i figured it would settle. I have added 60 lbs sand and am going to add about 50 more. How to i get crystal clear water?
These are all teh questions i have for now but i will have alot more

 

[Ziggy953]

The salt shouldn't go up and down as you add stuff to the tank. SG will change as your water evaporates which is corrected with top-off water (Fresh water) An over flow is a pretty simple thing, water is pumped from a sump (below) and spills over or through a U shaped tube in the overflow and then goes down into the sump creating a circle. As the water is pumped up into the main tank it is then "overflowed" back into the sump. The syphon stops when the pump stops putting water into the main tank.

 

[Guest]

thanks ziggy
do i want to add live rock after i have everything set up or does it matter? Can live rock and sand stand sg changes as i add more water. do they need protien skimmers, ect. to survive?
The water in my tank is VERY foggy, there was white dots on the side but not most of them are floating around in the tank. will this go away with filtration? The glass appears to have a dusty film on it...what do u think?

 

[roka64]

do i want to add live rock after i have everything set up or does it matter?

I would add it now. It can help your cycle and will give you more nitrifying bacteria, in/on the rock.
Remember, live is really talking about the nitrifying bacteria. As long as you don't have huge swings the LR/sand will be ok. At this point (since you are cycling) I wouldn't worry too much about a skimmer.
The white dots are probably "pods" which shows a sign of a cycling tank. They will move to the LR and borrow around in the sand and grow....good stuff there.
The dusty film could be diatoms, is it on the sand too? This is also another good sign.

 

[Ziggy953]

Can you give us an update on the equipment you do have on the tank? Lighting, PHs ect...

 

[Guest]

the dusty film is covering everything but i didnt even think i started my cycle yet. i havent added anything to get it started.... iso far i have one powerhead, 150 watt heater, hydrometer, 55gal tank, and lights i dont plan to keep for long.(15 watts) pieces. the live sand is full of algae. if i add that now how long could it go without the skimmer? whats the most sg change the sand and rock can stand without losing its values.

 

[melosu58]

If you have the SW in your tank go ahead and add the LR so the the nitrifying bacteria can start. LR and a skimmer will give good biological filtration.

 

[Guest]

i dont have the live rock YET, but im going to add the live sand. how soon before i should start testing the water for pH, ammonium, ect?

 

[melosu58]

Here is a link for your cycle.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/article_view.php?faq=2&fldAuto=15

 

[Guest]

i added live sand to the tank live rock wont b in for a week or 2...

what exactaly do protien skimmers do?

 

[chase33]

Just curious to know if in fact the white dots are pods since Marty did not add anything to his water except salt. There was no LR or LS in the tank when he saw the dots or the film on the glass.

 

[roka64]

i added live sand to the tank

They could have come from there.

 

[Guest]

-i just added the sand about two hour ago.... could something have contaminated the water, like an airborn thing. Have not changed any of the water in over a month btw.
-are aquarium covers recomended?
-any general advice i need before i start buying the rest of my equipment?

 

[roka64]

Sometimes, if you buy the actual LS, I imagine you can get some pods or other critters, assuming the bag hasn't been sitting on a shelf/shipping truck or anything like that, for a while. In this case, it might just be small shells or other things, but could be "pods".
I don't like covers. It can cause low pH or heat issues.
As for further equipment, what do you already have?

 

[Guest]

nothing much, just a hydrometer, one powerhead, 150 watt heater, no lights, no overflow, gonna start working on the sump tomorrow, need a different thermometer. about 110 lbs of sand 20 lbs base rock ( no live yet) i am very patient so i want to get mostly baserock and add a couple lbs live and wait for it to seed throughout the tank. the bag of live sand sat around for 2 months after i bought it so there was pretty much nothing but algae. planning on getting compact fleurescent lighting(no cover, will i have to worry about fish or inverts jumping out, or other stuff getting in.)

how do red gorgonians do in captivity?

 

[lando]

what exactaly do protien skimmers do?

Skimmers remove DOC from the water. Molecules bind to the mirco bubbles produced by the skimmer and are removed to the collection cup for disposal. If you have ever been to the beach you may have noticed a line of foam where the waves crash into the sand or around turbulent rockwork. As the wave crash, they mix with air and and natural skimming takes place.

A good skimmer is one of the best things you can do for your tank. However, they are not really needed during set-up and cycle (no DOC to skim) so you can save some money in the begining. Add one at the 6-8 week mark.

 

[Guest]

how can you tell if a skimmer is right for your tank?

im planning on eventually having 2 percula clowns and a yellow tang, so not a huge bio-load.

 

[Ziggy953]

Do a little reading on skimmers there are some rated for your size tank. I like an in-sump or below the tank design, others like HOB style. There are a lot of very good skimmers out there but you are going to have to spend a little money on them. You will probably find a better deal on a skimmer online then you will at a pet store. If you are worried about your fish jumping out of the tank one option is to use eggcrate from Lowes or Home Depot to cover the tank. It doesn't block O2 exchange and keeps your fish in. One thing I would recommend is to buy an additional heater. Having too will keep the one from working too hard and you will have a backup in case the one craps out. I run 3 heaters in my tank just in case.

 

[Guest]

the heater idea sounds great. with one i feel that it doesnt keep teh temperature as steady as i would like it.

this is probably a dumb question but can live sand turn base rock into live rock?

how accurate are hydrometers? because i add salt until i get to 1.023 but then it always drops .001 or more.

what size pump (GPH) should i get for my return sump pump?

 

[Ziggy953]

I use a hydrometer for my tank.....1.023-1.026 will work for a reef tank. I keep mine around 1.024. When are you seeing a drop of .001?

The GPH of your return pump will depend on the GPH of your overflow. I have a 72g Bow which is 48" long just like your 55 it's a bit taller and wider then yours but the same length. My stand is custom built and is 38" high, the top of the tank is 61" off the floor. I use 2 660gph (1320gph) pumps as return pumps for my tank because of the 61" I get about 900gph of flow into my tank. I have a dual overflow that is rated at 1200-1400 gph. So my return pums are not even close to the water flow that my overflow can handle. I'm happy, for now, with the amount of flow I have going through my sump/fuge. You need to know the head height of the pump you are going to buy. If you have to pump 4' straight up and you want 600gph at that height you will have to buy a pump that will move that amount of water at that height. Make sense?