finally making the switch!

[buttercup]

Hi this is my very first post here, ive been doing a lot of research online and this site seems to have the most complete information ive found so far. Ive read the articles and they seem sound.

Ive had freshwater tanks since i was like 8 so i think im finally ready to take the plunge into saltwater aquaria. well i WAS going to buy a whole new setup for saltwater but got to shopping and then i realized... i don't have room for another tank anyway so why not convert my 55 gallon for my beginner saltwater tank? No its not predrilled which i realize is not optimal but its a cheaper way to start.

Anyway i plan on doing Liver rock and fish only and am going to use a canister filter to start. I was told that i couldn't use pool filter sand (like i used for my freshwater tanks) that i had to buy LIVE sand for the ph??? So right now i just have cleaned out the tank and put the water and salt in it and i have the filter and heater running and thats it. NO SUBSTRATE. So is livesand the best substrate to keep the ph buffered? and does the ph have to be 8.3? Also how deep should the substrate be????

im going to start with just a little bit of live rock and maybe ONE fish once i get the tank cycled.

What other advice can you give for a newbie? good beginner fish and tips?
thanks a lot

 

[Hara]

Live sand will not buffer the ph at all. You can get livesand for the bacteria boost it will have, but inert sand will be fine and become live over time. As far as depth, that all depends what you want. If you want it to act as filtration, then you need about 4 inches. If you just want substrate on the bottom, an inch or two is fine. You should use ro/di water. Not tap. The salt mix should do your buffering for you. If not, cross that bridge when you get to it.
The more liverock you can get to start with, the better off you will be.

 

[buttercup]

wow thanks!!! thaat means i don't have to spend $90 on live sand!!!! man those fish store guys will talk me into almost anything. Would it be beneficial for me to put about 4" of my sand and then maybe a layer of the live sand on the top?

Also how many lbs of liverock should i start with? I was kind of planning on buying a couple pounds every week to slowly help build up my biological filter. (also its kind of expensive and would be more affordable that way... lol)

Now... if i want live rock i need better lighting than i had for freshwater (been reading a bit). What type of lights should i buy? i think im gonna need a new lighting fixture as well. And do i have to get that right away or can it come later?

Thanks again for all your help and such a fast answer!


oh one more thing i forgot... i need to get some powerheads but the ones i see are made to work with an undergravel filter and im using a canister filter. what kind should i buy?

sorry to ask so many questions but the more i get into it the more there seems to be... this is definitely going to be a slow process...

 

[melosu58]

Live rock and skimmer are a good combo for natural filtration for your tank. I just have 1 to 2 inches of sand in my tank. Not much of a deep sand bed fan even though it does have it`s advantages. By the way Welcome to AA

 

[Hara]

Liverock does not require any special lighting either...aren't we just full of good news! The "live" part of the rock refers to the bacteria that lives on it.

 

[buttercup]

ok that sounds awesome! that means i can do live rock and fish without having to spend "tons" of extra money on lighting. Of course i DO want corals eventually ... but i need to learn the basics first!

Ok well i just put the sand in my tank.. whooohooo i have a substrate now! I still need to buy a protein skimmer but everything else is flowing pretty good!


still a few questions though:
1. how many lbs of liverock is optimal for a 55 gallon tank?
2. do i need powerheads? and which ones would be good?
3. What are some good starter fish and cleaners to get me started once the water is stabilized
4. Optimal ph is 8.2? whats the lowest and highest safe range?
5. and optimal specific gravity 1.020 to 1.022?
6. Is a protein skimmer absolutely necessary? I won't be able to buy one for 2 weeks

Thanks again so much for the fast answers... and thanks for the warm welcome!

 

[melosu58]

You wont need the skimmer for the first month or two but I think the skimmer is absolutely needed. It will remove DOC out of the water that will cause high nitrates down the road. At the begining you will not have much to remove. You are on your way.

 

[buttercup]

ok well im ordering online when i get paid next week, im ordering the protein skimmer and some other little junk. I would still like to know if i need powerheads though? I don't have anything to hook them to which is why its a bit confusing. Or is my fluval producing enough current?

 

[melosu58]

You dont need anything to hook them to just let them hang down on the corners or back of the tank. A good tank needs some current. I dont need power heads in mine because my return pumps have plenty of kick in them. You`ll have to be the judge if you have enough.

 

[Mikebaker]

I would highly recomend picking up a couple of good books The Conciencious marine aquariust is an excellent read, it's written by Fenner, can't remember his first name, it's a good book, and it's realatively inexpensive. Also, get a good skimmer, spend a few extra dollars here and it will pay dividends.

 

[stevefromga2000]

i just got some powerheads in my tank, and i would really recommend it. they're not that expensive, and they make the tank more "real" compared to the ocean. and about the live rock, you want at least 1.5 lbs per gallon. some people recommend up to 2 lbs per gallon. i would think that about 80 lbs total would be ideal for your tank. just be careful, without the right amount of rock in the tank, it might not help your cycle any. i made that mistake and only had a little bit of live rock in my tank and thought it would help. it only wasted my time in the long run. good luck though.

 

[demodiki]

Isecond the idea of a good book. You have a lot of basic questions and would be well served by reading one of those excellent references.

Answers:
1. how many lbs of liverock is optimal for a 55 gallon tank?
Depends. anywhere from 50-100 lbs, depending on the rock.

2. do i need powerheads? and which ones would be good?
You do need water movement. Powerheads are a cheap way of doing that. I would get 4 Maxijet 900s.

3. What are some good starter fish and cleaners to get me started once the water is stabilized?
Difficult question. Aggressive? Community? clowns, blennies, dwarf angels...all are good...not necessarily good together, though!

4. Optimal ph is 8.2? whats the lowest and highest safe range?
I say 8.0-8.4. Stability is key here.

5. and optimal specific gravity 1.020 to 1.022? Higher. 1.023-1.025

6. Is a protein skimmer absolutely necessary? I won't be able to buy one for 2 weeks .
I say yes. Makes things easier. Depends on bioload really and how diligent you are with maintenance.

HTH.

 

[buttercup]

Thanks for all the answers, im going to order online so i will order my protein skimmer and powerheads online. I also have to order a saltewater master kit.
and definitely some books!

Would it benefit me more to buy all the live rock at once or start with a small amount and build it up?

I am definitely going to go for a more community tank to start with and i want a very low bioload with as little amount of aggression as possible. Ive read that damsels are good starter fish...

 

[roka64]

Ive read that damsels are good starter fish...

Most of them. They are hardy, but some can become agressive as they grow older. Plus, the also become a pain to try to catch once you have your LR and clean up crew in the tank. Here is a nice site to give you a few ideas for starter fish (other than just damsels):
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/categ.cfm?pCatId=15

I would recommend you not cycle your tank with livestock. You can go the more humane and cheaper route, with a raw un-flavored cocktail shrimp, from your local grocery.

As for the previous advice from the other folks, sounds good to me!

+++EDIT+++

WELCOME TO AA!!!!

sorry, forgot to add that...

 

[buttercup]

my tank is already cycled and thanks for the fish advice.

Is it better to add the liverock first or the fish first?

 

[roka64]

I added my LR first. I feel it gives the new folks a place to hide after I acclimate them....

 

[buttercup]

ok thanks. I think that pretty much answers all of my questions for right now... thanks again so much for all of you for answering my questions! I will put in my order next week for my protein skimmer and powerheads and stuff. And i think were gonna go to the fish store today and purchase some live rock... its $6/lb i saw it cheaper online but shipping prices were outrageous! So again thank you all so much for all the help and info.

 

[roka64]

ts $6/lb

That's a pretty fair price for a LFS. Mine charges $8 and I have seen up to $12.

 

[buttercup]

yeah petco had it for 9.99lb... very expensive



ok, sorry to add another question but i was looking on ordering some liverock online becuase at petsolutions it is 3.53/lb (including shipping) and i was going to order the 45lb box to get started. I was just wondering if the "Fiji premium live rock" was a good choice and then building on that with some peices from the fish store.

Also i don't see any articles on "deep sand bed" i heard someone mention it wasn't necessary... what exactly are the pros and cons of a "deep sand bed" I think i have about 3" of sand substrate (two 50lb bags).

 

[demodiki]

The net is flush with debate over the benefits of a dsb. Here is a good article by Anthony Calfo.

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/deepsandbeds.htm