OK, this may be a dumb question, but here goes

[Jenni8675309]

1st I Add the Saltwater
2nd Live Rock
3rd Live Sand

Do I have that correct?

 

[Spotted]

Rock first. You may want to put plexigalss or star board to protect the glass bottom. 2. Sand, finally water. pour the water onto plastic bags ( like the one the sand came in) to help minimize stirring the water. You will get a sand storm regardless, but it helps with how long you have to wait before it settles.

 

[Jenni8675309]

Thanks.

So I am OK taking the live rock I have & placing it before I put in the water?

How much working time will I have with the rock, before I risk die off or damage?

 

[Spotted]

Yes you should be fine. You will have some die off regardless. There will be enough BB to help shorten your cycling time. Still though, you want to keep it as short as possible. Try to keep the rock moist. Don't let it completely dry out.

 

[Tilo1121]

My preference is to drop sand in and immediately after start adding the salt water and let that run for days then add live rock and wait.. But I have a tank just to make salt water. If you don't just do water, sand, then rock. Rock last because if not you have to take an extra step and blow off the sand that landed on your rock

 

[Jenni8675309]

Thanks Tilo, Doing it today

 

[TWEDM1]

I don't own a saltwater tank so my following statements are purely opinions. But from my exp working in a big pet store chain in NYC I learned you almost never want to expose live rock to the air.

When a customer baught live rock we put 2 bags into the tank one to use as a glove and one to use as the transport bag so the rock never touches air in our store.

Live rocks do best in established tanks. If you don't see algae your tank won't support a live rock for long. Good luck tho

 

[austinsdad]

Respectfully, you sound like you need to do a lot more research before you do anything today. Check our articles section on cycling a sw tank. You also need to understand also the dif between base rock (nothing live on it), cured live rock (none to little die off), and uncured live rock (lot's of die off - which can serve a good purpose in a new tank needing cycling).

Pleeze, take some more time and do some research before you put anything in that tank - if I'm not too late already. I know its hard to check the enthusiasm in this hobby.

 

[Jenni8675309]

Thanks for the input.
I have been doing research for over a year.
I have he many freshwater tanks & finally am getting a saltwater.

The rock I have came from one guy (turned out to be a former co-worker of my husbands) who has done saltwater tanks for 20 yrs. the rock he gave us is a good mix or base & live. As he was tearing down a tank.

My question about which to do first was simply because I have read multiple information on different ways, on forums, Internet, books & from advice. The 1,2, 3 I listed, seamed to be what the majority has said.

Just from this post alone, I already have different awnsers, so I guess it is what I feel I need to do will work best for me.

Also, as much as I want to avoid die off, the rock will become live again from what I have researched & I have all the time I want to cycle without fish. I am no hurry & do not have fish or even fish ordered, honestly, if it takes till late summer to cycle, I wouldn't even mind.
Thanks again

 

[austinsdad]

Reason I thought you needed more was the reference to "Live" sand. Don't waste your money pls. Nothing can live in a sealed bag on a store shelf. Dry, aragonite sand will do just fine and is MUCH cheaper.

Also, consider this. Fill the tank 1/2 way with water. Add the recommended salt for the full tank, minus 20% maybe for rock displacing the water. What I'm saying here is that a 75g tank will not hold 70 gallons of water when rock and sand is used. Turn on a powerhead to mix the salt. It can a couple hrs to make the hard salt dissappear. While rinsing the heck out of the dry sand for a good while to get most of the dry dust out of it, add the rocks and landscape them to your liking. Feel free to stack against the back wall. Keep it 2" from the side walls to clean better there. It will get ugly later. Add the sand. I like 2-3". You don't want rocks sitting on top of the sand only.

Anyway, that worked for me.

Finish off with SW mixed to bring you to your target salinity level. By a refractometer.

Good luck!

 

[Mrc8858]

My preference is to drop sand in and immediately after start adding the salt water and let that run for days then add live rock and wait.. But I have a tank just to make salt water. If you don't just do water, sand, then rock. Rock last because if not you have to take an extra step and blow off the sand that landed on your rock

I disagree if you add the rock last you might not need to wipe off sand from it but youll have to dig up the sand where's its going..its best to do your rock scaping then add sand because you want your rock making contact with the glass/acrylic or else you risk it all topling over once you begin adding livestock and they begin to burrow under it which could result in crushed fish/coral/inverts or worse..a shattered tank

 

[carey]

I've added my rock and sand in different order for several of my tanks. My preference is to add the water first, almost all the way full to allow for water displacement, mix it with salt and then add the rock. I like that the rock can sit right on the glass or eggcrate and the sand can go in around it making it more stable. I deal with the sandstorm for a day or two and go from there.

In truth theres no right and wrong way to do it. As long as the rocks are super stable and the sand is rinsed you are good to go.

 

[mr_X]

I don't think it matters. I agree with Carey. As far as limiting die-off, you want the rock out of the water as little as possible.

 

[Tilo1121]

Mrc you have a good point. No need to argue about it. Guess everyone has their preference

 

[austinsdad]

Who's arguing? All I've seen are preferences by some and a statement about "I disagree". Good stuff IMO.

Anyody else reading this can take it as a good lesson on how to respectfully disagree on a point and discuss it. This isn't even close to arguing.

 

[Jenni8675309]

Thanks for all the input on what order.

This is want I have been torn over, so may different ways to do it
lol

Glad to have your opinions

 

[carey]

Good luck whichever way you go.

 

[circus clowns]

Water, sand , rock and, don't go crazy over it cause you have a while before it becomes cycled, so really it don't matter, which ever way you feel comfortable, just leave power heads and pumps off till it clears up some!!!

 

[Jenni8675309]

Yeah Ray, I did not choose my words well there, on the live sand..It was late .

I had intended to go the route Carey has done, with the pool filter sand, but locally (& I mean very close by) there was no where that had it in stock.

I was in the LFS getting some other things & looking around & they had a 40 lb bag of Caribbean "live" sand marked way down to like $12...
I figured since 40 is pretty much what I needed & with the close places being out of the pool filter sand, meaning I would have a 30 min. trip each way to get the pool filter sand for about $8 - $10. plus the rinsing it would need, gas & my time figured in, to me it was worth the couple of extra dollars to just get it while I was there.