New 110 gallon tank :)

[Tlc]

Is 3" deep enough? I keep reading about dead pockets from the sand being to deep

 

[mr_X]

if you are trying to achieve a deep sand bed, then you will need at least 4" of sand...preferably more.. "dead pockets" or anaerobic zones are what you want in that case.
if not, then i would just go with a 1"-2" coating, just for looks.

 

[Tlc]

Ok I have 100lbs of sand lol im not sure how many inches that will give me hopefully 4 it's pool filter sand is that still good?

 

[mr_X]

i don't know the answer to that. there is opinion either way. i like to stick with aragonite based sand because it buffers the ph. i don't use silica based sand.

 

[PrettyFishies]

Us e this to calc sand depth - Sand Bed Calculator

My opinion is that you want to do the sump with a refugium built in. Do the DSB there and not in your display tank. The rationale is that within a DSB the bottom layers develop toxicity over time. It's not a problem if left undisturbed so you don't want to have anything that can borrow and stir up the deepest layers. If you do your DSB in the sump, you can close it off from getting into the DT if disturbed.

If you just do like 2" in your DT, you can avoid the problems within the display tank.

I would go for the aragonite based sand which you can get in really small diameters - < .5mm

 

[eatsomepopcorn]

That is a small tank so you could go either way. A sump is probably better, but a maineland or fluval 305 is easier to maintain. I would go with a canister personally.

 

[Tlc]

Well I might build my own sump after becoming more familiar with everything there is to learn for Now though I am going to use a good HOB filter and a good skimmer.
So far I have
•100 pounds pool filter sand
• 2 300 watt heater
• plastic background
•25 lbs or so of live rock in the bucket with an airstone.
•instant ocean sea salt


Am I missing anything?

 

[Tlc]

So today I'm going to set up the tank any methods of cycling that is good and efficient?

 

[Tlc]

Here it is

 

[mr_X]

lol..you dropped your net!

 

[eatsomepopcorn]

You probably could get away with one heater and I would drop the fake plants. Fake plants is a freshwater thing.

 

[Tlc]

Lol The net has a peice of raw fish to help cycle! The plants are from my old tank to help seed it a little. Thanks for your input

 

[PrettyFishies]

Well I might build my own sump after becoming more familiar with everything there is to learn

Look on Youtube. Lots of ideas. BEST piece of advice is to use LEXAN for strength. Using cheaper acrylic allows it to bend under the pressure. Also, make sure to get silicone on both sides for strength. I actually prefer to squeeze it from the tube without the nozzle and just smooth it with my finger in a plastic bag. Messier, but effective.

DIY is almost always cheaper than buying new. MAYBE you can find one on EBAY

 

[PrettyFishies]

Lol The net has a peice of raw fish to help cycle! The plants are from my old tank to help seed it a little. Thanks for your input

I feel like the FW bacteria will die in SW. Not sure, just my own logic.

 

[mr_X]

i used plain old cutting boards from walmart as partitions. i cut them with a circular saw. they worked fine and were very strong.

 

[Tlc]

I'm not sure what ya mean by FW it was in SW

 

[Tlc]

Mr x are you talking about holding the fish? Lol I know it's ghetto but no one knows lol. Has anyone had success with the raw fish method?

 

[mr_X]

oh..no. i was replying to prettyfishies' comment about lexan. just saying that cutting boards are an affordable option.

 

[Smitty]

Mr x are you talking about holding the fish? Lol I know it's ghetto but no one knows lol. Has anyone had success with the raw fish method?

Many people have good success with using shrimp to cycle. Did you peel it before putting it in the net? Good idea using a net, you can also use stocking or something similar that has smaller holes.

 

[Tlc]

Yes I also rinsed it. 2 days 0 ammonia and today ammonia is at 0.25-0.50! So will my tank smell after cycling?