New to Saltwater, help please

[IworkatPSP]

Hiya,

Well, after working in a pet store for about 2 years, and learning a bit about saltwater, I decided to take the step and start one.

I have a 30gallon AGA oak tank / stand, Whisper 40 filter, 100watt heater, and I'm picking up my protein skimmer this weekend.

So I got it all set up, salt level is perfect, but after I added the arganite substrate my water got very very cloudy.

What I'm wondering is, is this normal? Or did I screw something up?

 

[xxmoorishmanxx]

did u rinse the aragonite before u added it?

 

[electrikat]

It will settle out after a day or so. The dust will settle but you will probably have to clean your filter afterwards. When you do your next water change try to add the water more slowly and if possible pour it into the sidewall so you don't stir up the sand again. Once the bacteria and detritus starts up in your sand it won't be so touchy.

 

[lando]

Welcome to AA!!!
Yes that is normal. It will settle in a couple of days. How are you going to cycle the tank? Any plans on what you want to put in it?

 

[IworkatPSP]

Well, I didn't know I should have rinsed it, so I guess that's my problem.

As for what I want to put in it....oh, man.....

Well, I work in a pet store, so I pretty much have my choice of what to get. I'm a huge fan of the green mandarin, harlequin shrimp, and arrow crab. Most likely going to pick up an anemone, we got a really nice tentacle anemone the other day. And my mom wants clown fish and the koran angel.

Personally, I like the sebae and tomato clowns, but she likes the percula ones. I hate the percula ones.......too many kids coming into the store shouting to their parents to come look at nemo.

 

[xxmoorishmanxx]

Just some info on those species

green madarins - need large large amounts of natrual food and 9 times out of 10 slowly starve in a tank under 75 gallons, this is because it will eat all the copepds and amphipods on the live rock and then there will be no moer food, larger tanks ca support a population, that regenrates itself.

harlequin shrimp - fairly hardy but needs starfish to eat at least once every few weeks

arrow crabs - notorious for eating small fish, fairly hardy, fun to watch

almost all anenomes need ver strong light to have a chance of surving i dont know what light u have but most need MH lighting, and the tank needs to be well established, the common recomendation is 1 year.

clowns are a great choice some are more aggressive than others so whatever u choose know how it will deal with other fish.

Korans get big very big much to big for a 30

 

[30_gallon_guy]

how do you cycle a new tank

just a quick question:
im new to sw and am setting up a 30 gallon like this guy, but iv never cycled a tank before. How do you do it?, and whats the best way?, and how do you know when the cycle is complete?
thanks let me know
btw im planning on doing a fowlr tank

 

[dralarms]

1. set your tank up.

2. Place your sub in the tankl.

3. Mix your salt & water.

4. place a plate or heavy bowl (glass works best) in the tank.

5. get a powerhead & hose and pump water into tank directly onto plate or bowl.

6. once tank is full, place heater in, set at proper temp and plug in.

7. take bowl or plate out, no longer needed.

8. start filtering water.

9. Throw large shrimp (from grocer) into tank and wait . My shrimp disappeared in 4 weeks with nothing else in tank.

10. Wait until levels are all 0, well except for nitrates, once all levels are 0 with the exception of nitrates, then do a water change to bring down nitrates.

11. Add cleaner crew & 1 fish, wait for 2 weeks, watch levels for spike.

12. Add another fish if wanted, wait 2 weeks.

Most of this has been gone over before but I was trying to be as detailed as possible.


HTH