Need advise on new setup

[gar1948]

Hi--
I have been reading forums for a week or two and see much conflicting info.
So far it looks like this is the best way to start a aquapod 12 with pc lights.
Fill tank with ro/di water and salt
Add 15 to 20 lbs of LR
Add 12lbs of aragonite sand
Run mj900(replaced stock pump) and koralia nano ( for extra movement)
keep lights OFF
Set 50w visi-therm stealth for 79 degrees
Do NO water changes until cycling is complete
Just top off with ro/di water when needed and test every few days.
Let it go till cycling is complete.
How does this sound and I would appreciate any advise on changes or additional steps. Also should I use carbon during cylcling? Can I fit heater in filter area if it is 8.25" long and is that better than placing it in main tank?
Thanks for your help---Gar1948

 

[lando]

Welcome to AquariumAdvice.com!!!
It sounds like you have the process down. Are you using fully cured or uncured LR? Either way, it may not be a bad idea to add an NH3 source to kick off a good hard cycle. I suggest just tossing in a raw shrimp from the grocery store. If the LR is cured, try adding a couple of cups of substrate from an established reef tank to your sand. This will help seed it. Small amounts of flake food added every couple of days should give you a good indication of where your tank is at. No need to run carbon during the cycle. Once the cycle is complete and you have done a large water change then try some Chemi-Pure in the filtration compartment.

 

[gar1948]

Thanks very much for the info and the fast response. This is a great site.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Agree with Lando... sounds like you've done your homework!

No carbon for your cycle.

Depending on where you live and how cold your house can get, 50W may not be enough. I kept a 10g quarantine tank in my basement where it would get 60 degrees and a single 50W just couldn't cut it. Ended up going with a single 100W. Two smaller heaters are better than one larger one for redundancy, but with a small tank you're kind of forced to just go with one. I'm not familiar with the Aquapod, so I'm not sure where the best place to put it would be.

Only other comment is that 12 lbs of sand is going to give you about a 1" deep sand bed. Just so ya know. Some people like a lot, some people like a little.

 

[cmor1701d]

I agree with Lando and Kurt (get a 100w heater).

Only point I want to make is to 3/4 fill the tank before adding rock and sand, then complete the fill (pre-mix the water for the final fill).

Just run the MJ900 till the sand settles (perhaps a week).

Great job on reading and getting your plan together. Wish I had done that.

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