Hi Guys

[CJ Guy]

Hey guys, fresh noobie right here. Over the past couple of days i've been doing so much research and reading stuff from this forum that sometimes I don't go to sleep at night because I'm always thinking of something else that I want to know or need answers to. But i'm glad to join this community because I know all of you will be able to help me through my endeavor with this saltwater aquarium project.

Anyway, I will be getting a 125 gallon aquarium with the dimensions 72x18x23 pretty average yet well size tank IMO.I figured that it's long enough and wide enough for enough space for the fish to swim in,so that should be alright size for em,and ya I know what you might think about asking me in terms of stocking, but that will come in time. Well here are some questions that I have in mind, and I know I have a million more but as for right now the only ones standing out are these:


1) (This may be a very very noob question, but it's been puzzling me) How would I fill the tank with saltwater? Obviously you don't put the water and then just keep adding the necessary amount of salt and stir while inside. But then do you put water in another container mix in there and then just keep adding into the tank, but wouldn't that create an inconsistency if there is to much mix in one application to the next? Another question I have about the water is where do you get the water from, I know the water has to be like dechlorinated or well not have any chlorine in it, and the only thing I could think up of was buying the distilled water or whatever type of water from the grocery store, but then again buying about 125 gallons of water seems impractical and costly. But I have also seen the thing about RO/DI systems, but I saw that they were quite expensive, and i'm sure not everyone has a system for their tank (or I could be wrong). So exactly how does this go about?

2) In terms of cycling, the method that really caught my attention was the placing of food as if feeding invisible fish. The question that came to my mind was, when doing this method should there be live rock already in to aid in the process or just plain saltwater and the addition of food to the "invisible fish" enough?

3) I wanted to have corals in my tank, and I know that is usually for novice aquarists but eventually the time will come, and I wanted to know if I also need Live rock as well? This question came to me because I realized that some fish are not well suited to be kept with corals because they may eat some of them, and that brought me down to just having fish that are reef safe, which is just a handful of peaceful fish. Now I wondered if I had live rock and coral would the fish be alright and not really fight with each other (well except for their compatibilities) in terms of food?

Well those are some of the questions that I have for now, and sorry that they are so long, I was just trying to be as descriptive as possible. These are some of the equipment that I have in mind of getting:

Lights: Coralife LUNAR Aqualite Deluxe Series 2X36"
Powerhead: Turbelle Stream with controller
Protein Skimmer: Don't know any good ones to get (Any input would be great)
Filter: Not sure if I need it since I would have the Live Rock and Skimmer
Water Pump: Not sure if this is the right name or if it's just the powerhead but I usually see water that is brought back into the aquarium.


Welp that's all that I have for now, and i'm sorry for it being so long, and I know it must be boring to read it all but, as you can see these things have been kept in my head for a long time just waiting to come out hehehe, which is why they are so long and descriptive. Well anyway hope to hear from all of you. Thanks


Chris

 

[quarryshark]

Hello and welcome. I will tackle a few of these Q's.

How would I fill the tank with saltwater

I just filled my 210 with R/O water (took about a week), started the pumps, added the approximate amount of salt and let it run for a few days. shot for the low side of the correct amount of salt, so adjustments were easy to make.
For a tank that size, I would recommend a R/O DI unit. With what your would spend on distilled or buying RO, it would quickly pay for itself. You can get them on ebay for a reasonable buck.

In terms of cycling

LR either cured or uncured in and of itself is the best way to cycle. It sounds like you plan on getting some anyway. Also adding a cocktail shrimp or 2 is a great way to kick off the cycle.

I wanted to have corals in my tank, and I know that is usually for novice aquarists but eventually the time will come, and I wanted to know if I also need Live rock as well?

Yes, one should wait for the tank to become established before attemting any corals or anemones. 1-1.5 lbs of LR per gallon is a good starting point. You can however buy cheaper base rock and a smaller amount of LR to save on some money. The LR will eventually "seed" the base rock. All the same result.

Now I wondered if I had live rock and coral would the fish be alright and not really fight with each other (well except for their compatibilities) in terms of food?

Keep researching, much more to learn. You may want to consider a good book to get your started like Paletta's "The New Marine Aquarium". A great book for basic info. Also read the forums here. If it happens in a tank, its been talked about on this forum.
Good luck and keep asking questions.

 

[lando]

Welcome to AquariumAdvice.com!!!

How would I fill the tank with saltwater?

You have a couple of options. Most LFS sell SW, however, that is a lot to buy and haul. I suggest mixing it at home in a large rubermaid tub. It will take a few days. RO/DI is the best way to go but tap will work for the initial fill.

In terms of cycling,

I suggest using a fishless method. You can cycle with live rock and a couple of cocktail shrimp from the grocery store to get things going. Avoid using fish to cycle the tank.

I wanted to have corals in my tank, and I know that is usually for novice aquarists but eventually the time will come, and I wanted to know if I also need Live rock as well?

You will LR for a reef tank. It provides great biological filtration to keep your tank water in top notch and it will provide a structure for your corals.
You will need more lighting then what you have listed for corals in the future. Look at that down the road. I strongly recommend a skimmer and LR as your primary filter source.

 

[CJ Guy]

Thank you for the warm welcome

Ya after looking into it, I believe that buying a RO/DI system will work out best for me in terms of doing the initial fill and also for the water changes thereafter. I've been hearing things about this Aqua-Safe RO/DI filter system, would this system be good for my size tank and is this a good system to purchase?

As for cycling, I was thinking of using the method of just having the saltwater in the tank and putting in like a pinch of fish food as if you were feeding invisible fish. This method would also help me to give me time to save up to purchase my LR, since cycling usually takes about 4-6 weeks or until the balance has been established correct?

I plan on getting Marshall Island Live Rock since I heard that it's a really good rock in terms of weight, being porous and the type of algae it has on it. Does anyone know a good web site that offers good prices for this type of live rock. Eeeesh it seems like it's going to be such a heavy price to acquire 125 lbs of live rock. Would I be able to build up the live rock gradually? Meaning would I be able to purchase the Marshall Island LR one day and then 3-4 weeks later lets say, would I be able to put in more?

As for lighting I have changed it to the 72" Coralife LUNAR Aqualight Deluxe Series. Is this light also insufficient for Corals as well? I thought this type of lighting would do an excellent job in terms of providing the adequate light needed for the corals. But if there is something better out there without making a huge dent in the pocket, i'm all ears to suggestions.

I am definately going to be getting a protein skimmer as I can see how essential it is just like the RO/DI system. Originally I was going to get the Aqua C Remora Pro but I have just recently found out that that Skimmer won't be able to cope up with my tank size plus the bio load, so I was wondering if there are any skimmers that you guys can recommend (something not to hefty on the wallet w/o sacrificing quality).


Thanks guys I totally appreciate your advice and suggestions. Hope I can hear more from all of you.


Chris

 

[lando]

Good call on the RO/DI system. Some of the sponsors of this site seel units and offer discounts to members. Worth a check. For LR, check out www.liverocks.com for some of the best aquacultured LR around. Great people there to. For a 90 gal look at a total amount of 150-200lbs. This can be pretty expensive so mixing LR and dead base rock is a bit more economical. Check out www.hirocks.com for nice cheap base rock. Eventually, the LR will seed the BR and will all become live. The lighting is a nice unit and you should be able to keep some mushrooms, polyps, leathers and some LPS corals with that light.

 

[CJ Guy]

Hey Lando, thank you for the great advice about combining the live rock and base rocks. I will most definately be looking into that as it will not be to heavy on my pocket while still providing a good amount of rock. But i'm sorry on the poor calculations, now if I were to purchase LR and Base Rocks how much lbs will I need of both to work for my 125 tank? I thought the guideline was 1-1.5 lbs/gallon. Another thing is, I heard that base rocks don't help with the bio filtration, is this true?

It looks like you've dealt with Liverocks.com and I was looking over there site, and the only thing that scared me a bit was the thing bout the shrimp, and the thing I fear the most is the infamous stow away Mantis Shrimp. Lando have you ever encountered any Mantis shrimp or carnivarous worm (forgot the name) coming from them?

Thanks for the great help, i'm really learning alot from you.


Chris

 

[lando]

I thought the guideline was 1-1.5 lbs/gallon. Another thing is, I heard that base rocks don't help with the bio filtration, is this true?

That is a good rule of thumb, however, if you are using the LR as your primary filtration (which I suggest), 1.5-2lbs/gal is a little better. Base rock, over time, will become just as good of a biological filter as the LR. BR is only adding more surface area for the benificial bacteria to grow.

Lando have you ever encountered any Mantis shrimp or carnivarous worm (forgot the name) coming from them?

I did not get any mantis in my LR.com shippment. It is a possibility. You can deal with them as you need to. I did get a bearded fireworm that grew huge and attacked my anemone. It ended up capturing it and all is well. The more LR to start the better, but a 50/50 mix of LR and BR should be just fine.

 

[CJ Guy]

Well in terms of filtration I was also going to use a skimmer which I know as essential as the use of LR, this way all of the bio load isn't placed on the LR's. Now since i'll be using a skimmer as well, does the 1.5-2lbs/gal still come into play or can I reduce that number?

Now help me out on this, since I don't know much about the base rock thing. Lets say I get 40base/60LR how long do you think it would take for the LR to seed over to the base rock? Just so I can get an approximation in terms of timing. Here's another scenario, that just came to mind. Can I first start off with like lets say a 40-80lb bushel of LR and then when I acquire more money down the line purchase more? So that way in the end I would just have all LR like from fiji or tonga or marshall. I mean I am probably going to go with the base rock idea, but I just wanted to know if that scenario can work as well, and see if there are any drawbacks with that approach.

Thanks again


Chris

 

[lando]

Now since i'll be using a skimmer as well, does the 1.5-2lbs/gal still come into play or can I reduce that number?

Yes. Keep in mind, a skmmer is not really a "filter". Its main job is to remove DOC from the water. This will help in terms of water quality but really does nothing in the way of providing a place for beneficial bacteria to grow.

Lets say I get 40base/60LR how long do you think it would take for the LR to seed over to the base rock?

It will a few a few months to become truely "live".

Can I first start off with like lets say a 40-80lb bushel of LR and then when I acquire more money down the line purchase more?

Yes. Just remember to keep stocking light and keep up on the PWCs during this period. Also, any LR you add to the tank after the first cycle will need to be cured LR. If you add LR that is uncured or needs to be recured you can cause another cycle to take place.

 

[StrongBad]

I am rather new also, but have done alot of asking around the forums so take this advice for what it is worth....advice from another Newb.
I was told the CPR BakPak 2 was a great skimmer, (65gal capacity. you would need two) so I got one and it works like a champ with very little tweaking involved. I also read a post where someone tried out a Super Skimmer which comes in up to a 220gal size. He checked in every couple days and ended up giving it rave reviews.
As for the live rock collecting, I am doing the same thing to spread out the cost a bit. I only buy LR though and I just get it from LFS who sell it for around 6bucks a pound. I find out when their shipments come in and then try to be one of the first to pick through the tank. That way I get the most diverse rock and I can check the rock thoroughly to reduce my probability of getting a nasty hitch hiker.
On the cycle topic. You might also look into adding 5-6 drops of pure ammonia per day to kick start your cycle. I had great success with this and my tank cycled in a little under three weeks. (BTW, the pure ammonia at Albertsons or Safeway will not foam up if you shake it) I also tried out Bio Spira on my quarantine tank and it cycled in about 48 hours like it claims. I dont have any fish in it so I add about 3 drops of ammonia per day to simulate fish and feed the bacteria.
If any of this info is wrong or misleading I hope one of the Advisors will correct me. Oh and Welcome to AA!!

 

[Phyl]

I would recommend the 120 over the 125. The 120's foot print is much easier to aquascape with its 2' depth. Also the increased height is a pain to work with and light. Go for the 120. You'll be happy you did!

I did a 60/40 base to live split (more base than live) and inside of 4 months you couldn't tell one from the other. I started with 100# of base in my tank. I added 60# of live to it (from www.liverocks.com) at the end of the cycle and it has done very well.

There are frequenly local reefers (I'm in NJ too) who are selling live rock (NortheastAquatics.com has some right now at 4$/pound, just call them ignore the message on the home page they just need to revamp the website) and you can usually get that for 2$/pound. If you buy your base rock at Tropaquarium in ocean you can get it for 2$/pound to get you started (you have to buy over 100# to get that rate, but if you buy 100# it is cheaper than buying 70# at the 3$/# rate.

I put together my fishlist using LiveAquaria and WindowtotheSea as between the two they had very good information on who can be kept with who and what.

If you want corals skip the PCs and go for a MH fixture or start with a retro kit that you can add the MH to later rather than a unit. Trust me!

NJRC is a great source of information and contacts. Good luck starting up your tank!