First timer

[Sniperhank]

But, like I said previously, its all about what you want to do. I have my first soft coral, a kenya tree, and some look at it as bad because its brown and grows easily. I enjoy it and it isn't hurting what im trying to do in my tank. So, if you haven't already, figure out exactly what you want and do the research. Im 2 months in on salt water and still haven't finished researching. There is always something new and cool.

 

[jolopy409]

Yash - I pick up an api kit and a refractometer as joy suggested.

I wasnt planning on going to petsmart or petco for my stuff. I'll mainly have softies? With two clown fish for some activity and movement in the tank. "Softies" Is that the correct slang around here haha. My light is the marineland reef light i believe the par is 130 at 12 inch. My tank is only 16 in deep. I like the look of 4 in of substrate so i should get that that par or better. Does everyone think I should be fine for softies with this light? I know if i ever wanted to expand to other corals i would need to upgrade and either have 2 of those lights or pick up a 2 bulb t5. If I get around to it i'll take come pictures of my tank. It will look pretty lonely with nothing in it though.

 

[jolopy409]

Quick question- So someone is having a moving sale and has a ton of stone. I asked them if it was live rock and they said it was just coral not alive. Does this just mean it had been taken out of there tank for a while and most or all of the stuff died on it? Also, If i used this instead of life rock to start my tank would it eventually turn to live rock as bacteria and other things settle into the rock? Just wondering because they were offering it for a good price. Like $1 - $20 a piece depending on the size. They also have 160 pounds of crushed coral substrate. Would i be better off buying new?

 

[Sniperhank]

No. The bacteria in there is dead, if it came out of a tank or the sea and hasn't been in saltwater everything has died off. Even when shipped, LR is wrapped in wet newspaper, styrophome...many other ways of keeping things moist. If you like what you see, by all means buy it. If you want it to be live again, get a piece of live rock and toss it in.

I personally dislike the crushed coral. It limits what you can have in your tank. That and any "live sand" will have some beat up coral and shells in it giving it a cool look imo. Anyway...160 pounds of it?! What were they doing, using it as their own bed rather than a sand bed? That is a rediculous amount unless their tank was huge...like over 100 gallons.

 

[joy13]

The rock will eventually become live rock once it has been in your tank awhile. I really don't care for crushed coral substrate because it traps uneaten food and can cause nitrate spikes and if bad enough can cause ammonia to spike. I get all my rock off craigslist, swaps or forums rather get it from the store.

 

[Yash]

Yeah like everyone said it will eventually become "alive. The substrate is really your decision.
If you want your live rock to have colors like orange or purple or w/e, make sure u get some rock with Coraline on it and it will spread

 

[jolopy409]

Snipe- Thanks for the quick reply. I had to laugh about the sand haha. They had 155 gallon salt tank. My plan was to look at it and see if any of it looks cool and has a porous surface. If it did I was gonna buy say 20 pounds of it or 2/3 of my tank. Someone local is selling live rock for $3 a pound and I would fill in the rest with that. Roughly a total of 40 pounds of rock. For the substrate at the lfs they were selling "live sand" would that be a good idea along with the live rock to help with the first cycle to speed it up? Also, over time the dead rock should become live again as new bacteria and stuff from the new rock and sand settle correct?

 

[jolopy409]

Dang you guys reply fast. I finished one message and had 3 more. I think i'll go with the dead once alive rock and throw in some live rock and live sand. Getting excited!! not much left to buy.

 

[Yash]

"live sand" at your local
Lfs will get pretty expensive, members on here use pool sand sometimes

 

[Sniperhank]

3 bucks a pound? Forget the dead stuff, get all live! The more LR you have the faster your cycle will be. It sounds to me that, and I may ahve already forgotten the size and I'm guessing wrong, but you have a similar sized tank taht I started with, which is 36. I threw 50 lbs of LR into mine and once I got the cycle started it flew. It was just getting it there due to Fedex murdering my box and there being little die off.

As for live sand...every person ehre will tell you that there isn't anything live in it. I agree with this. That sand has been locked up in a bag, air tight, and sat on a shelf. The only thing I like about it, and why I bought it, is because I thought it was cool to have sand with beat up coral and shells in it.

As for the dead coral, yes it will become live again upon being in the tank witht he LR, sand, and/or just the cycle in general.

 

[Sniperhank]

not much left to buy.

Famous last words.

 

[Yash]

Famous last words.

There always that one thing hahaa

 

[Sniperhank]

Yeah...since getting started I've spent 2k. I have a kenya tree and 2 clown fish, one with ich... Having trouble keeping it balanced since I use bottled distilled and pre mixed saltwater atm. My household water isn't fit to drink, let alone have fish swim in...my well is below a field where farmers use...a special substance that brews behind their barn that is filled with something shovelled from behind cows...I'll let you use your imagination...

But, my next purchace will be a DI/RO system.

 

[Yash]

Yeah...since getting started I've spent 2k. I have a kenya tree and 2 clown fish, one with ich... Having trouble keeping it balanced since I use bottled distilled and pre mixed saltwater atm. My household water isn't fit to drink, let alone have fish swim in...my well is below a field where farmers use...a special substance that brews behind their barn that is filled with something shovelled from behind cows...I'll let you use your imagination...

But, my next purchace will be a DI/RO system.

eBay has one for 65 or so

 

[jolopy409]

HAHAHAHAHAH Thanks guys. I wont be starting the cycle until after christmas.
Heres the almost done list
-Heater
-koralia pump
-api test kit
-hydrometer
About 75 bucks on amazon for all of it. After christmas i'll do the 2/3 live rock and substrate and add the water and let er rip. Getting pumped.

 

[Sniperhank]

Just a heads up, I'd put your sand in then the water. Here's why. Once you have your sand laid down, take either the bag it came in or a trashbag and lay it down across the sandbed. Then pour in your water. Instant perfection, no need to wait for your sandbed to settle. Don't fill it up to the top though, putting your rocks in will of course displace the water you already have in there.

Where is your filter? I'm assuming your koralia pump is your powerhead. You need a temp gauge of some sort, i'm a fan of the ones you stick to the outside of the tank to keep stuff out of my tank. I'll take a picture of mine and post it when I get home so you can see how easily your tank can get crowded with equipment. Just waiting for all of my sump setup to arrive so I can put it together and clean my tank up.

 

[jolopy409]

Great idea about the bag. Should i put the rock in before the sand so it is more stable in case the sand moves? The koralia was one of those that stick on with a magnet and circulates the water. My first was a marineland emperor 400. It has 2 bays each with a bio wheel. I was thinking about only using one bay with a filter and filling the other with some type of beneficial media that i was gonna ask later down the road.

 

[Sniperhank]

Ya, the koralia is your powerhead. I am running a 750 and ordered a 450 for behind my LR to get rid of dead spots. I wish you luck with your biowheel. I had 2 marineland ones and both pumps blew out of them...one in under 24 hours. Others have much better experiences with them, so I chalk it up to petco. I had both pays opened up until i got my T5 light and now I'm running an open top. both bays on mine were taken up by my biowheel/filter, powerhead, UV sterilizer, protein skimmer, and heater.

 

[jolopy409]

Here is a picture of the bays i was talking about. I hope i have good luck with it.I could always take out the bio-wheels if necessary and use a media in one of the bays. My tank all lonely in the corner. Its a 40 gallon but technically 36. What size koralia should i get?

 

[Sniperhank]

Ill look at it when I get home, can't do social networking at work.