LR Situation

[Zer0]

Ok well from intmarinefish.com, they say to do this with your new LR:

When you receive your rock Live Rock it is best to still cure it for 3 days in a separate tank or tub before putting it your tank. All you need is a powerhead to keep the water moving then after like 3 days take it out and rinse it thoroughly with a hard spraying hose to get any extra lose debris off. Then the live rock should be good to go in your tank.

Is this a good idea? I will have nothing but sand and water in my tank. Also, wont spraying the LR with a hose that uses FW kill anything living on or in the rock? If not please correct me. I just want to get this right before i go and kill 110lbs of LR.

 

[thominil]

That article is mainly for those that have their tank setup with live stock like fish or coral in the tank. Since you are just starting you can just stick it in the main tank and let it cure in there.

 

[neilanh]

Agreed. Since your tank is bare, it can go right in. You might want to have some SW ready to rinse it and/or clean it off a bit first, however, depending on the state of the rock you get.

 

[Zer0]

Very good. Thanks alot guys. Im planning to go the route of cycling my tank with LR instead of the rotting shrimp method lol. However, my nitrite level should be 0 and my pH should be 8.2,(or around that) and my ammonia should be 0, before putting the LR in the tank correct?


Also, i was thinking.. could i use something like a PuR or Brita filter to act as a ro/di unit? Im sure it wont work as good as one, but it still would get out some of the crap that may be in the water. But as for as that goes.. I just tested my regular tap water, and everything is at 0!!!! How lucky am i!!!

 

[thominil]

I just tested my regular tap water, and everything is at 0!!!! How lucky am i!!!

It's not things like nitrates, nitrites, etc..... that are harmful it's metals like iron and other things. I have well water that is loaded with iron and other stuff like that.

 

[Zer0]

So then.. what should i be testing for in my tap water to see if i can live without an ro/di?

 

[mdaniel2882]

Also, i was thinking.. could i use something like a PuR or Brita filter to act as a ro/di unit? Im sure it wont work as good as one, but it still would get out some of the crap that may be in the water. But as for as that goes.. I just tested my regular tap water, and everything is at 0!!!! How lucky am i!!!

did you test for phosphates....that is one of the bigger problems with tap water. also desolved heavy metals that you can't test for. I set my tank up with tap but went to RO/DI quickly. with the investment you are going to have in live stock it is worth it. my LFS charges 50 cents for fresh and 1.00 for salt.

Go on-line and look up your city. they have to publish quarterly reports on water quality. it will tell you what you need to know

 

[neilanh]

If you're going to cycle, I wouldn't stress too much about your water parameters before putting in the rock. The cycle is going to cause them all to go nuts, so don't worry too much.

Those filters you're referring to aren't going to be a big help. They're basically just charcoal filters. While they do remove some stuff and make the water taste good, it's not going to pull out the stuff that will cause you issues in a reef aquarium. Like Thom said, there's a lot more stuff in there.

The RO/DI system really is your best bet. It's a little pricey upfront to get the gear, but it will be well worth it to save you the algae issues you'll likely have (YMMV) without it. A decent unit can be bought on ebay for around $100, and it really is a sound investment.

Not to say you can't be successful without one, because you can, there's just a lot more risk of things getting nasty in the tank.

 

[neilanh]

So then.. what should i be testing for in my tap water to see if i can live without an ro/di?

Test your TDS (Total Dissolved Solids). This is a generic test that looks at how much "stuff" is in your water. Most reef aquarists insist on having 0 TDS for their source water.

My commercial supply averages around 190-200 TDS, fyi.

 

[Zer0]

Alright, well regardless, my next paycheck was going to be going to an ro/di unti anyways, i wa sjsut seeing if i could have managed without it for the time being to cycle my tank.

Also, in my HOB filter, do i take all the bio-bags out and just fill it up with LR rubble? or should i keep the stupid little bags in there and still add the LR rubble in there?

Oh yah, thanks for the info guys.

 

[neilanh]

The bags aren't necessary if you're just using rubble in there.

 

[mdaniel2882]

take out the bags

 

[Zer0]

Alrighty cool. Thanks. Also, im going to be using gloves because im not a big fan of bristle worms or any other worms for that matter.. so what kind of gloves could be used that wont contaminate the water? Just like.. regular yellow rubber gloves? Just wash them thoroughly or what?

 

[neilanh]

I use powderless nitrile gloves. You can get them at the hardware store, usually near the paint section. They're disposable, and seal tight on your hands so they don't fill up with water, like the yellow ones you mention can if you go too deep in the tank.

 

[Zer0]

Cool, thanks for that insight. Im gonna go with those gloves.