Need advice BEFORE I set up!

[Grizz]

Your gonna want those bio balls pristine any of that brown crud will pump nitrates into the system.
Soak them in a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water,Toss a power head in the pail it will help remove the crud
You can use tap water to clean Then use RO/DI when you set every thing up.

[Callen]

Pristine is what I was afraid you were gonna say! I guess the same would go for the egg crate and all of the other parts of the sump? Those little nooks and crannies are hard to get to.

Once the tank is all set up, how clean do I need to keep the sump and its various parts?

[Live2Reef]

It is my understanding that if you have adequate amount of live rock(1.5-2lbs for total system water volume sump included), or base rock that has gone through the curing process bio balls are no longer needed. Also bio balls have the potential to build into nitrate factories if not maintained. Definitely add a filter sock to the intake piping. I would say ditch the bio balls and add a refugium in your sump with a little extra live rock and cheato.

[Callen]

After scrubbing about 50 of them with no end in sight, I'm ready to ditch the bio balls or else buy new ones. My fingers are raw!!!

Someone please tell me a little more about what my setup would look like without them.

My sump looks like the one in the pic that Tango posted a few comments back. Can I use that or do I need a different container?

[TheTodd]

On the bio ball topic...if you had a filter sock to catch solid wastes and it was before the bio balks, wouldn't that get rid of the nitrate factory problem? Taking out bio balls and replacing that with live rock seems like you would still end up with a surface that could catch waste.

[Grizz]

The live rock has areas that get little to no O2 the bacti that lives there converts nitrates to nitrogen gas you lose that benefit with bio balls

Callen You can use the sump with out the bio balls by putting rock rubble under the plate that holds the balls, remove that plate as well as the upper plate that has all those holes in it.
put a filter sock on the drain pipe it will help keep the sump clean.
You can put some macro algae in there as well it will help remove nitrates you will need a small light on it so it can grow. I use a small clamp on work lamp with a curly floro bulb
As far as clean goes it's gonna be better for your tank if you can get it as clean as you can

[Callen]

I'm liking your idea Grizz. Making another trek to the semi-LFS today just to get out of the house.

Double check me on wht I need to do:

1. remove bio balls, egg crate and the white plate with the little holes in it.
2. buy a filter sock and put it on the end of the drain pipe.
3. put live rock/rock fragments below the sock/at the bottom of the sump. Can this be the dry (dead) live rock that is in my garage, or does it need to be seeded? I have lots of it around here.
4. Add algae and a lightg source to the sump...just put it on the rock?
5. do I still need the sponge-filter on the bottom before the protein skimmer?

Thanks to you all!!!! Keep those ideas coming!

[Live2Reef]

Theres an article on here about curing your rock to make it luve again. I woukd do this before setting anything up can take a couple of weeks with multiple water changes. Should help you get in the swing of regular maintenance

[Grizz]

1 yes remove all that stuff
2 Get 2-3 filter socks they dirty fast like in 2-3 days so you'll want a few this allows you to have clean one on hand.
3 I'd use the dry dead rock as it will cure while the tank cycles.
4 yes you can let the cheato sit right on the rocks
5 I keep the sponge in my sump it acts as a back up to the socks and it can be used to seed a QT tank I rinse mine in my old salt water when i do a PWC.

[Callen]

Well, I made the trek to the semi-LFS today with a plan in place. When I told them what I was doing, they basically said none of it was necessary: No, you don't need to make a refuguim, and no, you don't need to clean the bio balls. Doesn't matter if the brown crud is on there, its all gonna end up that way anyway. No, you don't need RODI water to set it all up. Go ahead and use tap water, just put a conditioner in it. No don't put dead shrimp in the water to start the cycle, just buy some damsels so you can see fish swimming right away. Be prepared for them to die, then just leave them in the tank to get the cycle going. The damsels are really the only thing they tried to sell me! When I said I was prepared to wait several weeks before adding fish, she basically said to get some and sacrifice the little guys!

Nevertheless, I came home with salt, a few replacement parts, and some unique pieces of rock that I liked. No fish! I also got a RO unit that I'm gonna take back..had a broken part. (BTW, she said I didn't need one of those either. When I told her I was getting one, I was told that in Houston and where I live in College Station we don't need DI units (just RO) Guess I'll search online and look for a true RODI unit. Any recommendations?

Tomorrow we are mixing the water, and adding sand and rock in the tank. Boys are excited and so am I!!!!

[Grizz]

My advice Find another fish store. Bulk reef supply has one of the better RO/DI units around. If you use tap water you will get get algae phosphates and who knows what else. Cycling you can use a shrimp or pure ammonia to dose and start the cycle.
Here's a series of articles that will help you out a lot
Articles

[mr_X]

Originally Posted by Grizz

My advice Find another fish store. Bulk reef supply has one of the better RO/DI units around. If you use tap water you will get get algae phosphates and who knows what else. Cycling you can use a shrimp or pure ammonia to dose and start the cycle.
Here's a series of articles that will help you out a lot
Articles

I second that. A person that instructs you to kill fish in order to dive into a hobby that promotes learning to keep things alive and saving reefs is just whacky!
That store is about the bottom line.
I also concur with the R.O.D.I. unit. There is no way that person can tell you what exactly is in your water.

[TheTodd]

I think that a lot of fish stores still sell customers on the damsel cycling idea. I've always wondered if its about making a couple of bucks or just ignorance of alternate methods. I'm not sure I would not use them, but I sure would not ask them for advice (or listen when they offer it).

[Callen]

Thanks everyone!

We are mixing the salt water as we speak. I put 5 gallons down in the sump and it almost made it to the water line. Just mixing the rest in the tank before sand or rock goes in. A little nervous about turning on the pump. I fear everything is gonna runn out the bottom and flood my house! How full does the tank need to be before I start it up?

[Callen]

How do I get the bulkhead to stick to the side of the tank? I assumed it was gonna suction, but its not working.....

[mr_X]

You mean one of these?

If so, it screws together with the gasket on the inside of the tank.

[Callen]

@ Mr X: No, not the bulkhead...I said the wrong thing...realized it once I crawled in bed. I was talking about the powerhead.

[TangoTank]

Originally Posted by Callen

How do I get the bulkhead to stick to the side of the tank? I assumed it was gonna suction, but its not working.....

It's probably a combo of magnet & suction. It probably won't seem like it'll come apart but if you see 2 rubber tabs coming off the edge of the part that sticks to the tank, they probably come apart & the magnets are quite strong! I needed a butter knife to pry them apart.

[Callen]

You are right, Tango, it is a magnet. I have pried and prodded, and am pretty sure I am missing the other magnet that would go outside the tank.

[Callen]

Everyone: I'm all set up. water is flowing nicely...lots of rock and more on the way.

Did a water test today just to see what the numbers are. Don't know where they should be on a new tank. I guess I need to test the salinity too but don't know how. I have one of those refractometers (I think that is what it is called) Can someone tell me how to use it please?