opinions on my first SW tank???

[arminkropp]

My first SW tank! I've waited a long time for this.
Here's what I'll be setting up with

50 Gal tank
2x 150W Visitherm Heaters
Instant Ocean Salt
2xMaxi-Jet 900 powerheads (230Gph/each)
Remora Aqua C skimmer
Fluval 305 Canister filter( got it free with my tank so why not)
2-3" sand bed
stock Lighting for now(1x 10000K@30W 1x 12000K@30W)

I've heard that I can put LR in after a day of initial setup? Is this true?
I want to get 40Lbs to start
CF will be my first upgrade

any suggestion or comments?

 

[RocketSeason]

yeah you could add the LR the next day... although I would wait at least a week to prevent die off. Make sure you use argonite sand for optimial performance.

You may not have enough flow with the powerheads you got there. you might want to upgrade to a larger size.

40 lbs of LR is a good start but you will need closer to 90 lbs before its all said and done. I would order mine frome Liverocks.com if I were you. great stuff there. (check out my gallery to see what it looks like.)

What about a fish wish list?

 

[arminkropp]

as far as sand goes, I was told I could go to Homedepot and get Tropical sand?

As far as fish
Damsels
clowns
wrasses
angels

other suggestion?

 

[Salttanker]

If you haven't already, upgrade to the Maxijet 1200's. They are worth every penny, and you will get the filtration you are needing vry quickly. Once you get the LR going, you won't need the canister. However, you can use it to run carbon every now and then. Sounds like you are on the right track. Good luck!

Mike

 

[arminkropp]

I'm guessing that i should get a clean up crew and maybe a gobi.
sound right?

 

[Salttanker]

I would wait on the Goby (3-6 months) and get some critters. However, wait until the tank is completely cycled before adding any livestock. Use the LR to cycle your tank and you will be fine.

Mike

 

[nodoubt471]

amen on using the LR to cycle the tank. after the tank is cycled you can add the clean up crew, and start adding fish a few months down the road.

i think its a good idea to run some sort of power filter, its an ideal place to house carbon (as salttanker mentioned), as well as other media such as phosban, etc should the need ever arise.

as far as the sand goes, make sure it is argonite (calcium) based. you can find this out by putting a sample of the sand in a cup of vinegar- if it reacts, it is theright kind, if it doesnt, its not. southdown is a popular brand of playsand that is appropriate.

 

[arminkropp]

i figured that I would use 2 frozen shrimp to cucle. Should I use LR instead?

thx

 

[RocketSeason]

You probibly don't want the damsels, they are nippers. I have seen them kill Clowns before.

You will want 2 Clowns. (if your getting percs or Ocellarius clowns) Clowns do better in pairs. (plus they look so cute!)

Angels are nice But you will need to watch it. Most Get way to Large for a 50 gallon. There are some very pretty smaller angels that would work great though. Which one did you have in mind?

As far as clean-up Crew goes, You will need more than one fish. Shrimps, Hermit Crabs, and Snails are all a must to keep your tank clean.

 

[nodoubt471]

you can also use the shrimp to cycle, its just a matter of creating an ammonia source to fuel the nitrogen cycle before adding fish. dieoff on LR will provide that, as will decaying shrimp.

 

[Nate C]

Not sure I'd pick the MJ1200s over the 900s.... (fwiw I have 1200s now).

The 900s run 85% flow, with about 40% of the electrical draw. If I were starting new I'd go with 9s.

I think 2x230gph plus the return from his cannister (take that media out! btw ) will give him close to 10x turnover.

Adding a sump with return pump would be nice...

Also be careful with the sand at HD - make sure its calcium based, not sillicate based. Most of them will say "contains no sillicates" on the bag somewhere.

 

[arminkropp]

Well called today and got the maxi-jet 900's swapped for the 1200's(no charge!)

Another question I had was that me LFS told me I can use a product named ammovec(sera brand) to kick start my cycle. read on the bottle that it contains the bacteria that come after ammonia breakdown, does this sound right? skip my first stage in my cycle?

thanx
AK

 

[Nate C]

I'd skip any "cycling enhancement" products. Bottled bacteria doesn't really save you much time - I know you're ready to get started, but if you can find a tank in your area and get a cupful of their sand you will have 10x the bacteria and diversity as the over-the-counter additives.

just my 2c.