24 hours into setting up Saltwater, advice please??

[tough cookie]

well thanks so much you guys!! paul I have took out the air hose, so the water is calm and only getting movement from what the pump is putting back in. I HAVE took pics and I am posting them in just a few minutes. We are heading to the beach next week for a few days, if we get live rocks or any ocean things it would be ok to put it in my salt tank right? and I finally got the hydrometer perfect!!!!! So water is good to go and clear. so now I am working on getting a powerhead for wave in a few days. What is next thing u would recommend?? lol

 

[huma-huma]

started mixing the salt last night with water as it was going into the tank around 10 pm. then as I couldn't see anymore salt in bottom of tank and well mixed I added the live sand .

get your hob filter running, it'll clear up the water for you. As with the salt, after a little bit of time, you'll learn exactly how to tailor your salt requirements to your water.if anything its always better to undersalt the water at first, get a good reading, then add salt if needed. It eliminates the need to physically remove and replace water due to oversalting

 

[Paulm87]

If your sure and confident that the live rock is from a clear and clean ocean with no pollutants then go for it. Just don't get any fish, crustaceans, starfish or anything else you might. Wait til the tank is cycled, but if the temp and salinity is right then pop some live rock in and start the cycling process.

 

[tough cookie]

Well u will see now what I have SINCE I am finally adding pictures. but it says I have to have a url for it. their just pics on my computer how do I put them on here for you to see?

 

[Paulm87]

When your sending a message you should be able to attach a file to it

 

[tough cookie]

Ok so here I tried to add a pic we will see if it worked.

 

[tough cookie]

Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community - tough cookie's Album: 1st Saltwater from beginning - Picture

 

[huma-huma]

If you upload the photo to the internet via facebook, photobucket,etc you can then right click the photo and copy the url and simply use that to paste it into the window here

 

[Paulm87]

How's the tank?

 

[tough cookie]

The tank is doing AWESOME!!! Temp setting at 78 degrees. tested for ammonia and have no traces of it at all. Got a powerhead making a good strong current across my rocks, light is on, and hydrometer is holding good, still a little bit higher then I would like but it keeps moving up and down some... I'm shocked its actually going so well for me.. when every store I go in talks like its going to take me weeks and weeks to get it stable enough for fish. When honestly everything is good right now.. (knock on wood)

 

[Paulm87]

Did you put a waste source in it to start the cycle? Don't be fooled into thinking that it's fine because I cam guarantee your ammonia will go up. Glad it's going ok 

 

[tough cookie]

waste source?? ugghhh ok now what r u talking about?

 

[Paulm87]

The dead prawn I said about to put in

 

[Lane1223]

waste source?? ugghhh ok now what r u talking about?

In order to "cycle" your tank you must either wait forever or jump start it with a waste source. The ammonia will spike then the nitrite will spike and once you can put ammonia in there and 24 hours later it be nitrate, you have a cycled tank. I've been cycling for a week now.

 

[tough cookie]

Oh my gosh lol I almost forgot about that.. Ok I will get to that right away. But I will have to wait till middle of week to get prawn and put in.. I live out in the country,, so close store sells seafood lol I know terrible right??

 

[Lane1223]

Oh my gosh lol I almost forgot about that.. Ok I will get to that right away. But I will have to wait till middle of week to get prawn and put in.. I live out in the country,, so close store sells seafood lol I know terrible right??

Haha yeah. I'm doing the prawns right now and its doing ok. Im going to go to a local hardware store and get some ammonia. I suggest you should too. I haven't done it but with the prawns you have to wait till they start to decay to get ammonia where as the liquid, you get instant ammonia.

 

[Sarcothelia]

For a 55 you'll want a reverse osmosis filter for long term success. Dechlorinating water just doesn't cut it when algae explodes due to excess nutrients and silicates in tap water. Trust me, an aquarium is no fun when the source of your algae problems is your water.

 

[Lane1223]

Would distilled water work?

 

[carey]

Do you have superjarket nearby with those water machines? It's usually like 30 cents a gallon and it ro/di water. Thats what I was using until I got my unit to do it at home. Best $60 I ever spent next to my refractometer.

 

[Leighton79]

I just buy mine from the lfs, ive only got a 30g, they do it for £5 for a 6 gallon bucketful, pre salted too, so its good for a 20% weekly change.

Plain rodi, he charges £1 for 6 gallons that i use for top off.

Its handy if your other half wont let you have a unit connected up to the sink at home, like mine!