Up and going

[Cox82]

Not sure if I'll go reef, but I'm leaning that way. I've been buying the necessary equipment in case. Here's some questions for those who wouldn't mind answering them:

DEETS:

35 gallon marine tank on day 3 of a fishless cycle
20 lbs of live rock (I'll be adding more in a week as I'm going away for a few days)
3" of carib sea substrate with 1/2" of crushed coral
AC50 HOB filter with carbon for now, I'll be doing a HOB skimmer or a sump once established, not sure which yet
Added a raw shrimp yesterday

My questions:

1. Coral first or live stock?

I was thinking I'll let it cycle until December 26 and then get a bad-*** CUC from Big Al's, wondering if all levels are great if I can maybe add a few strong coral before this.

2. Do I quarantine my CUC or corals?

3. What are the extra tests that I need to do for a reef tank?

4. What's the best test kit to use?

5. I have a 10 gallon tank that I'll be setting up as a QT, please give suggestions.


My husband doesn't get it. He thinks I'm crazy for staring into an 'empty' tank with a flashlight and for getting excited that my levels are going up lol. At least he tries to understand when I explain Nitrites, Nitrates, pH, ammonia, etc. to him Anyone else have a spouse that doesn't get it?

 

[Cox82]

Forgot to add that I have 2 240gph powerheads in there too

I'll use the filter in the QT after I have all the extra rock for the DT.

 

[jjamontan]

I know how you feel! My wife thought I was spending to much money and that I wouldn't follow thru and I was wasting time and money. Low and behold she now spends a good portion of the day staring at the tank and all of the sudden she is going to pick all of the fish. I guess I built her a tank. Wait I get to pick the corals, do all of the water changes, testing and pay for everything. Well I hope she pears me in the right direction and does her research for what we can have in the tank. Good luck to you and know he will come around.

 

[Cox82]

I know how you feel! My wife thought I was spending to much money and that I wouldn't follow thru and I was wasting time and money. Low and behold she now spends a good portion of the day staring at the tank and all of the sudden she is going to pick all of the fish. I guess I built her a tank. Wait I get to pick the corals, do all of the water changes, testing and pay for everything. Well I hope she pears me in the right direction and does her research for what we can have in the tank. Good luck to you and know he will come around.

Ha ha ha that's how us wives are! Like our recent house reno's I got to pick everything and be the fore(wo)man and he got to do all the back breaking labour and pay the bills I love being a woman sometimes lol....well, being a woman with a great husband anyways!

Any ideas on the questions?

 

[CleverBs]

1. Coral first or live stock?
- I hear that you can do both at the same time as long as you do the fish slowly to not add to much bio load. Corals dont have much bio load so its fine to add a good amount.

I was thinking I'll let it cycle until December 26 and then get a bad-*** CUC from Big Al's, wondering if all levels are great if I can maybe add a few strong coral before this.

2. Do I quarantine my CUC or corals?
-IMO when interducing fish to a new tank that doesnt have any fish in it already you have no need to QT beings theres nothing healthy in there yet.

3. What are the extra tests that I need to do for a reef tank?
Not sure

4. What's the best test kit to use?
API is what i use but I dont think its the best.

5. I have a 10 gallon tank that I'll be setting up as a QT, please give suggestions.
Just toss a sponge filter in the tank while it cycles (the 35gallon) and you should develop a nice BB load on the sponge and you can just run a 10 gallon like that for a QT tank. Iv been trying to figure out how to do this myself because I am starting my tank and it will be a reef tank but cant say I really want to spend the money on a light so i can QT corals.

Hope I was at least some help.

and my girlfriend just stars at me when she asks me a question about my tank because I go into details that I forget she doesnt understand beings she hasnt learned them so me saying them is hard for her to understand and after I go on to long she starts to tune me out i think haha, but its ok she enjoys looking at my Planted tank. I started the SW tank in an attempt to get her interested in my hobby beings she loves clown fish and I have included her in picking out all the fish. I bust her sitting there staring at the tank with the cat in her hands so I know shes interested.