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Yay! Glad you didn't give up and the reef crystals are fine. IMO black is the most versatile, finished look that makes everything else really pop. Blue is also nice, but just my personal preference is more plain (like I wouldn't get a backround of rocks and corals, instead I'd get the real thing!) Post pics so we can see how it turns out :D
 
Take pics at every stage, from placement to filling, adding rocks, pumps, etc. You'll be glad you did later.
 
Yeah ya are! Looking good. I like the black stand, good looking tank.
 
Yay! Congrats! Love the black stand and background, it will definitely make everything pop. Now...for the long waiting while it cycles...
 
A couple more questions. Should I bother to dechlorinate this water since it will be weeks before any livestock is added or will the chlorine naturally evaporate? Yes I'm using tap water. How much room should I leave empty in the tank to accommodate sand, rock and salt? Should I add all the salt at once and then just turn on the filters and power heads or should I add it little by little?
 
NicoleIsStoked said:
A couple more questions. Should I bother to dechlorinate this water since it will be weeks before any livestock is added or will the chlorine naturally evaporate? Yes I'm using tap water. How much room should I leave empty in the tank to accommodate sand, rock and salt? Should I add all the salt at once and then just turn on the filters and power heads or should I add it little by little?
Click to expand...

In order of importance: add all salt at once but try and get within your target salinity (1.023.-1.025) as bacteria for freshwater is different than saltwater and adding salt later would only prolong the cycle. I would declorinate just to speed up cycling by 3-4 days (length of time it takes chlorine to dissipate). I would add rock now....they help seed the tank with bacteria but need to be present during cycle to do it. Add rock then sand. Make sure sand is 1mm or smaller sand if you want gobies. Your doing great, it is tough in saltwater aquariums.
 
Thanks for the info. For the salt question I meant should I dump 25 cups of salt all right now or spread it out over a few hours to help with the dissolving?
 
Someone that I work with gave me half a bucket of instant ocean salt mix from back when he had a reef tank. Most of it is in a big chunk and I don't know how old it is. Does salt ever go bad or is it safe to use?
 
I think it should be fine as long as it's mixed properly...I wouldn't just dump that clump into the aquarium (even though there are no fish) and wait for it to dissolve. Try putting it in a bucket w/ a powerhead and let it dissolve that way.
 
Got my lights and filters running. Currently adding salt. Anyone ever had a fish swim into the propellor of a circulation pump? I'm a little worried. Considering putting a stocking over the end.
 

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Never had a fish swim into a powerhead, and I even have a few small mollies in my tank that hang out by my powerhead. If any fish would swim/get sucked into a powerhead, it's a molly. Don't put a stocking over it. It will become FULL of junk an algae quickly.
 
The same guy who gave me the salt gave me 2/3 of a 40lbs bag of Caribbean aragonite live sand and some grey calcite sand. What Should I do with the calcite?
 
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