My first 55g saltwater tank build.

[tone973]

Hi everyone

Im new to tanking. Never had a tank. My girlfriends brother got me into it. This is what I have accomplished so far. 60lbs of live rock. 20lbs live sand. Aqua clear 110 filter doing 500gph. A hydor circulation and wave pump doing 1050gph. And a light I got from my girlfriend brother. What you guys think. Let me know some other things I may need and even let me know what may be wrong. Im new so all input is good input to me.

Thank you

Tone

 

[Beengirl]

It looks great! Is it cycled?

 

[tone973]

Only bin running 4 days. And how do i know when it has cycled ?

 

[Beengirl]

You'll need to add an ammonia sour e of some kind: a piece of raw shrimp or fish inside a tied-off pantyhose and let it rot or use liquid ammonia. Then test everyday for ammo, Trates and Trites. When ammo and Trites spike and go back to zero, you are cycled.

 

[tone973]

My trates and trites are at 0 right now. Ammonia I dont know. The test I have dont test for ammonia.

 

[DIZZLE808]

My trates and trites are at 0 right now. Ammonia I dont know. The test I have dont test for ammonia.

Look into the API master saltwater test kit. It tests for pH, ammonia, trites and trates.

 

[Beengirl]

What kind of ammonia source are you using for the cycle?

 

[tone973]

Im using MicroBacter7 and I got love rock from someone and it had a bunch of dead stuff on it. Im also putting a little bit of marine flakes in there daily to help the cycle.

 

[tone973]

Look into the API master saltwater test kit. It tests for pH, ammonia, trites and trates.

Yea Im going to get that one next weak. I have the litle strip tests for right now.

 

[DIZZLE808]

Right on! What are you gonna be doing, fowlr or reef?

 

[tone973]

I want to do a reef. I am going to start off with a fowler setup. I can do that cant I ?

 

[DIZZLE808]

Absolutely. I'm actually doing the same. My tank has been running for about 2 1/2 months now so I'm pretty new myself do I wanted to do a fowlr first then work my way into reef

 

[tone973]

You you cant walk before you crawl. Ibwanted to get in the hang of things before I do a reef. I lucked up on a great deal on live rock so I got allotbfor close to nothing. If it wasnt for the deal I got mybtank would still just be sand and water. Lol.