Hey everyone! I've been trolling these forums for a few days now looking for advice and decided it was time to join! I'm brand new to this and want to avoid as many rookie mistakes as possible. I've seen a lot of good advice on here and hopefully some of you more experienced aquarists can give me some pointers.
So, this is what I have so far:
60 gallon tank (48lx12dx24h)
Eheim 2217 canister filter
40lb Aragonite and 40lb crushed coral (may be exchanging that for more Aragonite)
Hood & fluorescent lights
Will be getting this weekend:
200w heater
2 AquaClear power heads ~200gph each?
Eheim pre-filter and surface skimmer
Odds and ends (hydrometer, test kit, etc)
The guy at my LFS said that the 2217 is about middle of the road, which is what I want. Nothing crazy but not the cheapest stuff either.
Before I start setting anything up, I've got a couple questions that I'm hoping some of you can help with. I'm probably over analyzing this but I'm having a hard time with the live rock concept. I get that it acts as a bio-filter and all, but does all rock become 'live' after a period of time?
My plan is for a FO tank but I really like the way live rock looks. I found a website that sells 'reef saver' eco rock, that I guess is essentially fossilized live rock. Is that something I could use in my tank just as decor? Or would I be turning it into a FOWLR tank at that point? If this 'reef saver' rock is ok to use as decor, do I need to do anything with it before putting it in the tank? Is a quick rinse sufficient?
Next, after I get it setup with rock, substrate, and what not, do I have to cycle my tank or is that only something that applies to FOWLR?
Sorry for the length...I'm really excited to get started on this and can't wait to read responses. Thanks in advance everyone!!! And sorry if these are totally dumb questions.
So, this is what I have so far:
60 gallon tank (48lx12dx24h)
Eheim 2217 canister filter
40lb Aragonite and 40lb crushed coral (may be exchanging that for more Aragonite)
Hood & fluorescent lights
Will be getting this weekend:
200w heater
2 AquaClear power heads ~200gph each?
Eheim pre-filter and surface skimmer
Odds and ends (hydrometer, test kit, etc)
The guy at my LFS said that the 2217 is about middle of the road, which is what I want. Nothing crazy but not the cheapest stuff either.
Before I start setting anything up, I've got a couple questions that I'm hoping some of you can help with. I'm probably over analyzing this but I'm having a hard time with the live rock concept. I get that it acts as a bio-filter and all, but does all rock become 'live' after a period of time?
My plan is for a FO tank but I really like the way live rock looks. I found a website that sells 'reef saver' eco rock, that I guess is essentially fossilized live rock. Is that something I could use in my tank just as decor? Or would I be turning it into a FOWLR tank at that point? If this 'reef saver' rock is ok to use as decor, do I need to do anything with it before putting it in the tank? Is a quick rinse sufficient?
Next, after I get it setup with rock, substrate, and what not, do I have to cycle my tank or is that only something that applies to FOWLR?
Sorry for the length...I'm really excited to get started on this and can't wait to read responses. Thanks in advance everyone!!! And sorry if these are totally dumb questions.