Newbie (I want to make sure I do it right)

[blondinkaya]

Hi. I know I'm incredibly long-winded, so please be patient with me!

I have a 75 gal aquarium that my hubby and I started setting up last weekend. We went to our LFS and bought the substrate, presalted water (the store gave it to us for free, so why not?), and 23lbs of LR. The LR is uncured, and the guy told hubby that it can cure in our tank, so that's where it is. I have a couple of questions (and, while I did read the suggested articles mentioned at the top of this forum, I do tend to be a little on the slow side sometimes):

We definitely need more live rock in the tank, that I know (isn't it supposed to be a pound of rock per gallon?). Am I supposed to put it in all at once or a little at a time? If I do it a little at a time, will it really cure (or will the goodies on the new rock just move over to the older rock--would this be a bad thing)? And is the aquarium light supposed to be on or off?

I've read the article about how to cycle a tank w/out a fish. Is this something I do after my LR is cured? Or am I cycling while I'm curing?

As far as equipment goes, I have two power heads and a Via Aqua multi-skimmer (protein skimmer, mechanical and chemical filter, and biological filter in one). Does this replace the sump? I have the option of putting a UV sterilizer in the system, too; is this something I should do?

Also, right now I have one flourescent light strip (40W). If I want to get some anemones, coral, and such, I'm going to need a better light source, I'm sure. I've seen a 240W system for sale; it comes with lunar lights. Would this be a good option for an upgrade?

I know I probably sound really dumb right now, but I want to make sure I have a happy and healthy tank when it comes time to actually start putting stuff in it. Believe it or not, we had our tank set up before, but it's been sitting in our living room empty for the past four years. Hubby is military, and we've been so afraid of getting orders to move that we never set it back up after our last move. I finally got tired of looking across the room at an empty tank, so we've decided to get back into the hobby. But a lot of our equipment magically disappeared during the move that we're having to start from scratch (our skimmer, sump, and power heads were never to be seen again). Oh, and the last time it was set up, we had used cured rock, and we let it sit empty for a few months, then slowly added crabs and snails, and then the fish (we had 3: damsel, Hawaiian hawkfish, and sailfin tang). So, the process of doing everything is different from last time, in addition to me forgetting a lot of important stuff.

Any advice/tips/suggestions? I really appreciate it! Oh, and thanks for getting through my novella!

 

[austinsdad]

Or am I cycling while I'm curing?

Yep. The die-off from the rock should elavate the ammonia to begin it. Make sure you watch the levels go up. Got your test kit?

And adding more uncured rock later might give you mini cycles again. If possible, add what you can now during the cycle. You can also get cheaper base rock (no life - dead or alive on it) so that the live rock will seed it to get where you ned to be, but I prefer a 50/50 mix (live and base rock).

Are you doing fish only or reef? 1.5 pds of rock per gallon if reef IMO.

I'd also hold out for more light. Check out 4x96w PC units.

 

[blondinkaya]

Thanks so much for your response. We'll get some more rock this week; I just wasn't sure whether I should do it all at once, or if a little at a time was best. I'd like to go reef, so I'll up the poundage.

Thanks for the tip on the lighting; I'll definitely look for what your recommending. Do I leave it off or on, or does it matter?

 

[austinsdad]

I'd leave the lights off during cycling. There will be a lot of die-off and nutrient producing things going on and lighting mya add to nuisance algae issues.

I had a 72g once with 4x65pc lighting and did very well with plenty of soft corals and even a deresa clam that did well. I'm thinking the 4x96s will do even better w/out having to go with more expensive metal halide lighting.

If it were me, I'd do another 30 lbs or so of the uncured stuff now while the cycle is occuring. After completed, if you ere to add 5-10 lbs at a time (with not too much dead gooey stuff on it), the established bacteria from a completed cycle w/the 50 or so lbs should be able to handle the ammonia consumption from the additional, incremental rock. You will also be able to add coral on cured rock later to up the poundage too without any ammonia issues at all. You can add the base rock at any time, but if you can, add that now too during the cycle.

Check this out if not too late. Someone selling 60 lbs of base rock.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=83621&highlight=

 

[blondinkaya]

I went ahead and turned off the light. Our family room faces west and has a sunroom off of it, so the tank's not getting much light at all now.

One more question (and I hope this doesn't sound silly): I know that with the rock curing, I'm cycling my tank. Does this mean that I don't have to do the "fishless cycling" (using the shrimp), or is that something completely separate from what I'm doing now, curing rock in my tank?

Thanks so much!

 

[austinsdad]

With uncured rock, you are doing fishless cycling.

 

[blondinkaya]

Thanks for clarifying that for me. Yep, there's a reason for my screen name

 

[roka64]

WELCOME TO AA!!

Austinsdad, gave some sound advice. You can buy more LR at your LFS. I just buy mine right out of her tanks. That is the cured stuff. I would go in and see a piece I just had to have! LOL!

I know I probably sound really dumb right now

Nope, all great questions, keep it up!!!

Do you have a test kit? Something like this:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=4452&N=2004+113074
and a refractometer, like this:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=9957&N=2004+113761
and you can buy salt online, you'll probably find this and many other things MUCH cheaper than your LFS:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=4856&N=2004+113009+2146961974

 

[austinsdad]

If you plan on getting cured rock, I'd wait to add that until after the cycle. Don't want that ammonia and nitrite spike to kill off the good bacteria and living organisms on it.

 

[blondinkaya]

I'm just going to get the uncured stuff since that's what I have in my tank and I'm still in the early stages of cycling. As it is now, I have only 23lbs and a long way to go. If I add the recommended 30lbs more this week, that should get me to the point where it'll be good to start adding the cured stuff after it cycles. Riiiight?

One more question: What is base rock good for? Is that something I could add to my tank after it's cycled, or before, or not at all? Or would cured rock be better? I saw that it's a lot cheaper than what we're getting now ($5/lb, which is still cheaper than the $8/lb we paid when we lived in Omaha, but still ...).

Thanks for your patience! I have several books on marine aquariums here at home, but I always close them scratching my head ...