how do i clean my tank of dirt flying around

[pairenoid]

i got black sand and just put in my live rock that took 5 days to ship

still very colorful, i rinsed it in salt water to get some debris off but ofc there is random stuff floating around

i cant imagine them just disappearing from no where i only use the rocks as a filter and have a 750 koralia

the water isnt crystal clear yet but thats ok, im just worried about how to clean up random debris later on

[fort384]

Water changes are probably the best way. For now, just let the rock cure though and do its thing.

[pairenoid]

alright, when should i buy cleaners? before i buy fish and after my tank is cycled right? also, i bought cured rock but obviously i have to let it live again, so do i leave my light on or off, it has purple and green on it

[fort384]

On or off, your choice. On will mean algae growth, off will mean you could lose some photosynthetic life that might or might not be on the rock.

I am by no means an expert with SW tanks - I set my first salt tank up just about 8 months ago, but from what I was told by some experts: You do not have to buy any cleaners - only if you want them... but if you do add them, you do not need to add them before fish. In fact, there will not be much for them to clean up until the tank has ran for awhile.

[pairenoid]

one last question for now, what about water changes, i doooo want to keep any critters that come in here alive, as well as having shrimp and snails later

here is a picture, any input on how "live" it looks, and aquascaping ideas, i am not good at it lol

also how important is salinity for the rocks, what should it be at and if its too low is it ok

i think im at like 1.024 or 5 and the temp is at 79, so is the temp ok

[fort384]

No need to change water during the curing process.

Pic didn't come through.

Salinity ought to be maintained at 1.023-1.025, even during curing.

[pairenoid]

seems my tank is at 82 degrees when i set it for 78, how do i calibrate a AquaTop Aquarium Heater - 100W

i cant find out through google or youtube,

people say to lift the red peg but i cant seem to do it, i have it at 74 right now but the temp hasnt changed yet cuz the heater is off

[fort384]

I doubt if you can adjust the calibration on the thermostat, you would just need to turn it down. Are you sure that the heater is causing it, or is the ambient temp in the room high? What kind of lighting are you using? SW Tanks with return pumps, internal powerheads and high lighting can often have heat problems.

[pairenoid]

well the heater is off right now and its been at 81, when i had a freshwater tank, regardless of room temp, it never flucuated from 76-80 that bad, plus it should be lower than 81 in my room but if not, i guess ill just leave my heater off for a day to see how my water is

im just worried about my live rock curing right now

im fustrated that the manual for my heater sucks and i read about people calibrating it but i dont understand how :/

[Sniperhank]

Besides turning the knob ontop of a heater...to my knowledge you can't change that. I know I wouldn't fiddle with it and risk electrecuting my tank. With my heater off my tanks reach 82 in the summer. I run the AC in my house to keep the temp in check. From all the pumps and powerheads used in SW, the heat builds up. Try a small clip on fan and see if that brings the heat down.

[fort384]

You have more equipment though I would think than you did in your FW tank. All that equipment puts off heat. I keep my room temp usually around 75, and my heaters rarely kick on. My tank stays 79-80.

[fort384]

Originally Posted by Sniperhank

Try a small clip on fan and see if that brings the heat down.

Good call, if you don't see a temp drop after having the heaters off for a few hours, you might need to do this.

[Sniperhank]

Either way, you are still cycling. Just sit back and watch as the bordom overcomes you. This is the hardest part of owning an aquarium. Monitor the temp, along with your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, but it won't be that big of a deal until you are ready to add livestock.

[pairenoid]

thanks guys, i feel like i realy dont need a heater than, i thought it was a staple item for all tanks

i dont think ill need it until it gets really cold in winter, my temps drop to about 76 than, but for now ill just leave my heater off, temp is still 81

[fort384]

You probably do need a heater. The key here is steady temps, and avoiding swings. Once the lights go out and if the room temp goes down a bit at night (as most places do) then the heaters kick on and keep the tank stable. I would check it by leaving it off and see what the temp drops to, but you want and need to have a heater on the tank.

[pairenoid]

so my heaters out and today i touched my water and to my surprise it felt way warmer than 78 which it says it was

well it felt warm, but once my whole arm was in there it felt a bit cooler, but whatever ill leave it

i did my first api test since its been about 4 days
ammonia is 0-.25
nirtrite 0-.25
ph 8.2 not i think
nitrate this one is really hard, i honestly cant tell if its 0 or 5 or 10 but it looks closer to 5 than anything, unless 0 really looks EXACTLY like it does in the picture, which is kind of like a fake yellow if you ask me

ill monitor again at the end of the week, and if all is good might buy my first fish