Please Help..so overwhelmed..so many questions

[sharlotte_g]

Hi. I'm a newby, I'm talking right out of the womb, new. I've never had a fish tank before and now I'm in the process of setting up a sw tank. Thank goodness for the thread that shows all the acronyms because..whew.. I was lost, and to be honest, still am.

Okay. So far:
Day 1: May 5- I have a 29g Coralife Biocube. I've set it up and put a 20lb bag of live sand in it and then on top of that a 20lb bag of live crushed shells. Then I used 5 gallon buckets to fill with tap water and poured in the salt and mixed it in each bucket before pouring it in to the tank. I was able to fit 20 gallons of water and it is still a little bit above the "max" fill line. I thought that only 20g was due to the fact that I have 40lbs of sand/shells. Right?

Next, I added a full 3.38 oz bottle (says for 30g tanks) of Instant Ocean BIO-Spira Water Treatment.

I have a submersible heater that maintains temp at 78F (not changeable) in the tank and a shock absorber stick. Both are on the inside of my tank, not the back part that you can't see. Not sure if I can put those in there or not?? I will be adding the protein skimmer in the empty back compartment. The other two compartments contain the water pump and the filter and carbon cartridges.

Day 2: I poured 3 caps full (30ml) of API Stress Coat Marine Fish & Tap Water conditioner.
Next, cleaned the inside of the glass with a sponge since could see the different level water marks from pouring in the buckets. It easily wiped off.

Then, I ordered an Aquatic Life 115 mini Internal Protein Skimmer/Filter, 30 gallon. It will arrive today (5/8/14)

Day 4: Here I am.. just sand and water in the tank.

Supplies: The only other thing I have is the Instant Ocean Hydrometer salt tester.

Questions: (so many)
1.) what other testing kits do I need? I know there are like ph levels and nitrite/nitrate levels to test? Calcium? Magnesium? Oh boy.. so many..not sure which one's I need?

2.) I want to purchase live rock now. I have read so many different things that say what is what but still unsure of what I want/need for my little tank? I have read that Tonga Kaelini is good so how many pounds for a 29g?
3.) If you have live rock, is that considered a reef?
4.) I want to have fish and coral to make it pretty. . . and some anemones?
5.) I believe my next step is to buy rock. Do I buy two different kinds at same time and put them in tank same time or only introduce one kind of rock to the tank at once?
6.) Opinions about best online sites to buy live rock? Kaelini and the shelf kind..I believe the fish like caves and holes to hide in so if I mix those two it should be good for fish and to put coral on?

Oh boy.. I have a thousand more questions but I'll stop here. I just need to get to my next step which is the rock and test kits....

Please help me.. I'm clueless but I want to learn as much CORRECT information as I can in hopes of being an expert some day down the road...far far down the road. LOL

Suggestions are needed please to help guide me.
Thanks!

 

[Shanetweedz]

For test kits you can you RED SEA reef foundation kit and api saltwater kit it should cover everything

 

[Shanetweedz]

stock lighting will be only sufficient for softies and some hard corals

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Tap water is generally a no no for reef systems, and crushed coral can trap detritus

 

[Shanetweedz]

Tap water is generally a no no for reef systems, and crushed coral can trap detritus

+1 and you could buy dry rock on bulk reef supply

 

[KantGetRite]

Well first off, welcome to the SW hobby. I'm going to try and give you the answers I know and then if others have more details on those answers they can build off of the basics that I can give now. I'll answer all you numbered questions then give a few details you might need to know.

1.) I would buy API Saltwater Test kit for testing Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite, and PH. Since you are wanting corals eventually, I would also buy Red Sea Calcium, Magnesium, and Alkalinity test kit. (You dont need to buy this until you start keeping corals.) You might want to consider getting a Refractometer instead of a hydrometer...it is more accurate.

2.) You will need about 30-40lbs of LR

3.)Your tank is not considered a reef until the addition of corals. At this point (once you add fish) it is consider Fish Only w/ Live Rock (FOWLR)

4.)What kind of lighting do you have in the cube? To sustain corals you need good light so I would ask some people on here that have upgraded their lighting in cubes. Also, make sure the salt you purchase is reef salt so that it has the additional nutrients that corals need to grow. Just so you know anemones are hard to keep and you have to have your aquarium established a while before introducing them. (I don't have any so someone else can chime in here)

5.)I'd buy all your LR at once and introduce it at once.

6.)Bulk Reef Supply is where I buy my rock. I buy it dry and it becomes live through the cycle.


Couple of things to address outside of your questions. Most will tell you not to use tap water because it adds nutrients to the water that help algae growth. You should try and use Reverse Osmosis/De Ionized Water (Ro/Di)
You can put your heater in the back part where the water flows and you should be able to put your shock absorber back there as well but I don't know that for sure.

Finally after adding your LR, you need to add an ammonia source so that the cycle can start. DO NOT add any fish until the cycle is done. The cycle refers to building up of beneficial bacteria that breaks down fish and food waste in your water. Now the cycle, add your ammonia source (froze shrimp in some pantyhose) and test every few days. You should see a spike in Ammonia then it'll disappear, then you'll see a spike in Nitrites (NO2-) then it'll disappear, and you'll see a spike in Nitrates (NO4-). When your tests read 0ppm Ammonia, 0ppm Nitrites, and some Nitrates you should be able to do a partial water change and add fish! Add fish slowly so the bacteria that you've been growing in the cycle are able to adjust to the bioload.

 

[Sniperhank]

Questions: (so many)
1.) what other testing kits do I need? I know there are like ph levels and nitrite/nitrate levels to test? Calcium? Magnesium? Oh boy.. so many..not sure which one's I need?

2.) I want to purchase live rock now. I have read so many different things that say what is what but still unsure of what I want/need for my little tank? I have read that Tonga Kaelini is good so how many pounds for a 29g?
3.) If you have live rock, is that considered a reef?
4.) I want to have fish and coral to make it pretty. . . and some anemones?
5.) I believe my next step is to buy rock. Do I buy two different kinds at same time and put them in tank same time or only introduce one kind of rock to the tank at once?
6.) Opinions about best online sites to buy live rock? Kaelini and the shelf kind..I believe the fish like caves and holes to hide in so if I mix those two it should be good for fish and to put coral on?!

1. An API master test kit is good enough to get your tank cycled and to go from there.
2. You want to aim for 1-1.5lbs of rock per gallon. Now, in terms of live rock...you don't have to buy it live. To save money you can buy macro or base rock. Rock and sand being called 'live' is in reference to the bacteria that you are going to grow in the rock and sand when you cycle your tank...so why spend the extra money? It will help you avoid hitchhikers that can end up frustrating you as well.
3. A reef tank is a 'reef' when it is simulating an actual reef...so rock isn't all you are looking at. This is about corals and whatever else you'd end up putting in from shrimp, crabs...whatever. This is contrasted to a FOWLR (Fish only with live rock) system which...only has sand, rock, and...fish!
4. If you want to keep corals and anemone, you will need intense lighting...mostly for the anemone. Stock lighting won't cover it. In general, anemone can grow quite large and shouldn't be housed in tanks >20 gallons. We can talk lighting more later on.
5. Buy whatever rock you want, though I still suggest Macro/base rock. Toss it all in your tank at once and cycle away! I'd try to mess around and put the rock in a formation that pleases you before any livestock goes in. I personally hate having to move stuff around, especially if a coral has encrusted over it.
6. Bulkreefsupply.com sells base rock. When I started I ordered all of my rock live, though it didn't arrive that way, from saltwaterfish.com. I was happy with my order from there.

 

[sharlotte_g]

Do you recommend I take out as much of the crushed coral that I have in there then? I just thought it looked nice on the shelf at the LPS and not sure if I needed it or not but thought it looks more realistic. I have no clue what is good and not.

 

[Sniperhank]

I would. Eventually all the sand will settle at the bottom, leaving the other junk at the top and able to be a trap for uneaten food and poop.

 

[sharlotte_g]

4.)What kind of lighting do you have in the cube? To sustain corals you need good light so I would ask some people on here that have upgraded their lighting in cubes. Also, make sure the salt you purchase is reef salt so that it has the additional nutrients that corals need to grow. Just so you know anemones are hard to keep and you have to have your aquarium established a while before introducing them. (I don't have any so someone else can chime in here)

5.)I'd buy all your LR at once and introduce it at once.

6.)Bulk Reef Supply is where I buy my rock. I buy it dry and it becomes live through the cycle.


Couple of things to address outside of your questions. Most will tell you not to use tap water because it adds nutrients to the water that help algae growth. You should try and use Reverse Osmosis/De Ionized Water (Ro/Di)
You can put your heater in the back part where the water flows and you should be able to put your shock absorber back there as well but I don't know that for sure.

Finally after adding your LR, you need to add an ammonia source so that the cycle can start. DO NOT add any fish until the cycle is done. The cycle refers to building up of beneficial bacteria that breaks down fish and food waste in your water. Now the cycle, add your ammonia source (froze shrimp in some pantyhose) and test every few days. You should see a spike in Ammonia then it'll disappear, then you'll see a spike in Nitrites (NO2-) then it'll disappear, and you'll see a spike in Nitrates (NO4-). When your tests read 0ppm Ammonia, 0ppm Nitrites, and some Nitrates you should be able to do a partial water change and add fish! Add fish slowly so the bacteria that you've been growing in the cycle are able to adjust to the bioload.

The lighting for my Biocube is as follows:
(1) 36 watt True Actinic 03
(1) 36 watt 10,000K Daylight
(2) 0.75 watt Lunar Blue LED Bar and I have 4 additional slots to add more LED lights

I am forgetting having anemones. No problem. I just need to order my live rock online now and still questioning what kind to buy. I've read there are Figi rock, Tonga branch, and Tonga Kaelini rock. Which is best for small fish for a small 29g tank?

People have already replied to get dry rock. Is dry rock just the plain rocks without any living thing on it? The plain white stuff the pet stores have? How does this get all the live starfish and snails on it that the live rock get? Or it won't have it unless I buy them individually?

 

[Sniperhank]

Yes, the 'white stuff'. Don't worry, it colors up with the rest of the tank with time. And in terms of starfish and snails, having dry rock negates having any hitchhikers. If you want starfish or snails, you'd have to buy and put them in yourself. This is pretty normal for any of us anyway.
In terms of the lighting, that sounds like you could keep some soft coral under them. That'd be about it.

 

[sharlotte_g]

Okay.. I just purchased the Salinity Refractometer, Aquarium & Seawater - Dual Scale (1.0 to 1.070 S.G.) by Agriculture Solutions and an API Saltwater Master Test Kit that tests high range pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, includes 4 test tubes, tray, and rack. I hope this is the correct one I need once I put my live rock in my tank.

I also ordered 20 lbs of Reef Saver Dry Aquarium live rock from Bulk Reef Supply. I talked to a man at the company over the phone and he said to put in the comments it is for a 29g and request soft ball size pieces. He said that will be great for my tank.

My protein skimmer arrived today so I put it in my empty #1 compartment in back of tank. I just put the cup on top, submerged it fully in the water, then plugged it in. I am not sure what I was supposed to do with it as there were no instructions included. I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to do with it now that it is in my tank? Do I have maintenance on it? Not sure what it is doing other than making my tank louder. LOL


Thanks again in advance!! Any comments or suggestions on anything else.. please tell me! I want to learn as much as I can.

 

[Ingy]

Welcome aboard.

First recommendation is take things slow. Any instant treatments can cause issues. Make you think you have an adequate bacterial colony when the bacteria have not gotten established on the rocks where they need to be. Considering your rocks haven't arrived yet is a good clue. But, putting bacteria into a virginal system is a good idea.
Once the rocks arrive, make sure you work the bottom ones down they the sand. There are burrowing fish and critters that can undermine rocks not well based, causing topple overs.
Once you get the rocks in you'll need a ammonia source. The 2 best options are a cocktail shrimp or my preference, pure ammonia. Dose the tank to 4 ppm ammonia and then WAIT. Good things come to those who wait. You don't have to keep it there (4ppm) the whole time, but redose when it gets below 1 ppm. Your cycle is done when the bacteria can convert 4 ppm ammonia to nitrate in 24 hrs with no nitrite or ammonia being left over. Then a big water change or 2 and move on to stocking.
During the cycle, leave the lights and protien skimmer off as well as no carbon or other clarifiers. With all the nutrients being added, light will allow algae to grow. Bad. The skimmer will try to pull out the ammonia etc your adding.

Your light should grow corals, perhaps even SPS. but an anemone needs a mature tank even if those lights are enough, which I doubt but am not sure.

 

[Macscale]

Once you get the rocks in you'll need a ammonia source. The 2 best options are a cocktail shrimp or my preference, pure ammonia. Dose the tank to 4 ppm ammonia and then WAIT. Good things come to those who wait. You don't have to keep it there (4ppm) the whole time, but redose when it gets below 1 ppm. Your cycle is done when the bacteria can convert 4 ppm ammonia to nitrate in 24 hrs with no nitrite or ammonia being left over. Then a big water change or 2 and move on to stocking.
During the cycle, leave the lights and protien skimmer off as well as no carbon or other clarifiers. With all the nutrients being added, light will allow algae to grow. Bad. The skimmer will try to pull out the ammonia etc your adding.

Your light should grow corals, perhaps even SPS. but an anemone needs a mature tank even if those lights are enough, which I doubt but am not sure.

However, this is not the only way to cycle a tank. You can also soft cycle, which is the older method and I actually like more. You can read up on it more in an article on her called "Do it fish in- Soft cycling the home aquarium" or something like it. Mostly this method would be used if you start off with all live rock, so that you don't harm the bacteria. Also so you don't sit with your tank fishless for a month.

No, these lights will not be able to keep SPS. Once again, they can keep softies.

 

[sharlotte_g]

1. An API master test kit is good enough to get your tank cycled and to go from there.
2. You want to aim for 1-1.5lbs of rock per gallon. Now, in terms of live rock...you don't have to buy it live. To save money you can buy macro or base rock. Rock and sand being called 'live' is in reference to the bacteria that you are going to grow in the rock and sand when you cycle your tank...so why spend the extra money? It will help you avoid hitchhikers that can end up frustrating you as well.
3. A reef tank is a 'reef' when it is simulating an actual reef...so rock isn't all you are looking at. This is about corals and whatever else you'd end up putting in from shrimp, crabs...whatever. This is contrasted to a FOWLR (Fish only with live rock) system which...only has sand, rock, and...fish!
4. If you want to keep corals and anemone, you will need intense lighting...mostly for the anemone. Stock lighting won't cover it. In general, anemone can grow quite large and shouldn't be housed in tanks >20 gallons. We can talk lighting more later on.
5. Buy whatever rock you want, though I still suggest Macro/base rock. Toss it all in your tank at once and cycle away! I'd try to mess around and put the rock in a formation that pleases you before any livestock goes in. I personally hate having to move stuff around, especially if a coral has encrusted over it.
6. Bulkreefsupply.com sells base rock. When I started I ordered all of my rock live, though it didn't arrive that way, from saltwaterfish.com. I was happy with my order from there.

Hi there. Ok. My dry live rock is coming today. I plan on putting it in my tank. I bought 20 pounds of BRS Reef Saver Dry Aquarium Live Rock. I also bought an API Saltwater Master test kit. It should arrive tomorrow. I have a couple questions for ya now.

1.) add rock, burrow into sand really well and TRY to make a nice formation with it. What is the next step?
2.) Do I need to know levels of chemicals prior to adding rock? If so, I will wait until my test kit arrives to place rock in.
3.) Do I have to do anything once add the rock as far as starting the cycle? I already added Instant Ocean BIO-Spira Water Treatment to the water last week. I also added API Stress Coat Marine & Fish Tap Water Conditioner last week. I'm assuming that the BIO Spira will start the cycle of my tank?
4.) I have a protein skimmer in back compartment of my BioCube but not set in really tight. I am waiting for my sure grip magnet to arrive to mod it to fit better. I was told to shut my protein skimmer off while tank cycles, is this correct?
5.) I have the carbon balls and a filter on top of them in the tank. Do I keep all those in the tank while it cycles also? Ugh. I'm so clueless.

I'm sure once I experience my very first tank cycle, I won't be so confused. I guess I have no idea what to expect to see in my tank while it is happening. Also, does the cycle of the tank what makes the rock grow it's algae and make it look natural?

Sorry for the million questions. I've never done any of this before and you seem pretty knowledgeable. Please help me.

Thanks,
Sharlotte

 

[Sniperhank]

1.) add rock, burrow into sand really well and TRY to make a nice formation with it. What is the next step?
2.) Do I need to know levels of chemicals prior to adding rock? If so, I will wait until my test kit arrives to place rock in.
3.) Do I have to do anything once add the rock as far as starting the cycle? I already added Instant Ocean BIO-Spira Water Treatment to the water last week. I also added API Stress Coat Marine & Fish Tap Water Conditioner last week. I'm assuming that the BIO Spira will start the cycle of my tank?
4.) I have a protein skimmer in back compartment of my BioCube but not set in really tight. I am waiting for my sure grip magnet to arrive to mod it to fit better. I was told to shut my protein skimmer off while tank cycles, is this correct?
5.) I have the carbon balls and a filter on top of them in the tank. Do I keep all those in the tank while it cycles also? Ugh. I'm so clueless.

1. Just make it look how you want it to, that's all that matters.
2. Using ro/di water gives you total control of your levels. Just do it up like that and toss in a cocktail shrimp to cycle your tank.
3. You don't need to add anything to your water as long as you are using ro/di...even if you are just using di water it is fine.
4. You don't have to run your skimmer during the cycle, but you can. It will help it break in and give you more skimming time once you are up and running if you do.
5. I'm not sure what you mean by carbon balls...do you mean bioballs? Why don't you post a picture for us instead of guessing?

 

[sharlotte_g]

Set up rock-look okay?

Okay. The rock is set in the tank now. I placed it so there were little caves and crevices for the fish to swim in when I get them.

I did not do anything else-just added the rock. I did NOT use RO/DI water. I used tap water to fill my tank up then added the BIO-Spira Instant Ocean Water Treatment.

So now I just wait and watch? Or still add a piece of shrimp in the tank? I have live sand and crushed coral for base of tank.

Please let me know what next step is after adding the rock. Thanks!

 

[sharlotte_g]

1. Just make it look how you want it to, that's all that matters.
2. Using ro/di water gives you total control of your levels. Just do it up like that and toss in a cocktail shrimp to cycle your tank.
3. You don't need to add anything to your water as long as you are using ro/di...even if you are just using di water it is fine.
4. You don't have to run your skimmer during the cycle, but you can. It will help it break in and give you more skimming time once you are up and running if you do.
5. I'm not sure what you mean by carbon balls...do you mean bioballs? Why don't you post a picture for us instead of guessing?

Yes.. they are called bioballs...with the filtration system.

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

If your planning on a reef then I would drain the tank and restart with ro/di water. If you just want fish you should probably be ok with the tap water.