lava rock question

[porksnorkel]

i had been planning a 125g cichlid tank, but now i'm toying around w/ the idea of a reef tank. here's the kicker...i have all this lava rock in the tank, and i'm wondering if it is a good base for a reef? also have black tahitian moon sand for substrate. any problems there??

 

[cmor1701d]

Both should be great for a reef tank.

 

[porksnorkel]

awesome! ty cmor.

i guess the next question is...what else will i need to add for a reef tank, besides the obvious...lights and a mixing resevoir.

i'm guessing i'll need a sump, skimmer, power head w/ wave maker gizmo.

 

[CatatonicBug]

How about a RO/DI unit?

 

[porksnorkel]

hmmmm...won't the reef benefit from the minerals in the tap water?

if i have to use R/O then i'll prolly stick w/ freshwater.

 

[melosu58]

Read this. Also RO or RO/DI units are not that expensive. IMO Tap water should not be used in a reef tank.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f14/stock-list-tips-maintaining-your-sw-tank-73477.html

 

[porksnorkel]

really appreciate the input guys. after reading the article, i'm thinking i won't have the time to invest in a reef tank. perhaps in a few years. seems a bit overwhelming for one who hasn't done salt.

so a FO or FOWLR is still a valid option. but...i have a tank already full of lava rock, so FOWLR is prolly not gonna work for me. is there any real benefit to live rock? i never found it to be very attractive.

so if i were to go FO where might i find a good fish index?

 

[melosu58]

LR houses the beneficial nitrifying bacteria that get the nitrogen cycle going. Read this. All these articles explain why LR is beneficial.

Curing live rock? I didn't even know it was sick!

Ammonia conversion to nitrate

Cycle your salt tank

 

[roka64]

I agree with Mike, LR is very important. It also gives your critters a safe place to sleep and hide.

 

[cmor1701d]

FO, FOWLR, Reef all take about the same amount of time. FO does not give the fish a palce to rest or hide so IMO that induces some stress. Stress in fish is usually manifested in them getting sick. Therefore a FOWLR is a minimum IMO. Add a sump, a quality protein skimmer and regular partial water changes are all that's needed. Not that much work at all.

 

[porksnorkel]

so now for the next volley of questions...but first a pic of what i have to work with.

it is a 125g tempered glass w/ 1 emperor 400, and 2 280's.

as u can see i have plenty of rock. now i am assuming that the nitrifying bacteria for salt tanks is the same or similiar enough to freshwater tanks[correct me if i'm wrong].
this lava rock can then become live rock if seeded properly. so will i need actual ocean live rock [live sand not optional unless black], or can i seed it w/ the filter media from my other freshwater tanks?

next question is will the fluval FX5 work on a salt tank? how bout the emperors? would the emperors crap out in salt or are they just useless in a salt application?
i would rather not have a sump for reasons i won't go into[mostly because my tank isn't drilled], and i do have room in my canopy to hide a protein skimmer.

 

[JoshsReef]

I use both emperors and a fluval fx5 on my tank. Your not really far from a fowlr at all. The sand you have will become live once the tank is up and running. All you really need to do is get a a couple pieces of lr, maybe 10-15 pounds, scatter it with the rock you have and throw a couple pieces of raw shrimp in and you will be on your way. The rock and sand you have will eventually become live, however I would reccomend geting a hammer and chissel and breaking that stuff up somewhat. That size tank you will prob want a skimmer however a sump isnt a necessity although prefereed. You could use the fx5 for chemical media and you could use the emperors as a mini refugium (my emperor is full of lr rubble and chaeto - macro algae). Hope this helps

 

[cmor1701d]

Josh has some good points. I also would break up those boulders to get more variety in the size of the rocks and create more surface area for the bacterai to grow on.
Is that rock very porous? It doesn't look like it from the photo.

Unless your tank is right up against the wall you can easily add an overflow box to teh back to feed a sump. That will give a lot more options. You can hide heaters in there, grow some macro algae, increase the water volume and put teh PS under the cabinet. A HOB PS large enough for that tank (Aquamedic Turbfloter multi?) would need that much room in the back anyway.

 

[porksnorkel]

ty for all the help guys! i'm gonna keep researching this, and i'll get back w/ u in a month or so for an update and more questions.

 

[cmor1701d]

BTW, the bacteria in SW are different than the bacteria in FW. They accomplish the same task but are different though closely related species.

Good luck and stop back often.