New Tank set up

[woody390]

Hi

I have just purchased a 3 foot by 2 foot by 2 foot aquarium for my new house and although I will not be able to set it straight up I am itching to get started on it and start stocking etc. What I am wondering today though is can I find a cheap way to fill the tank as I understand it will be somewhere around 80 gallons of water. Can I use rainwater and add the salt if it will be just a fish only with live rock set up to start?

 

[dmolavi]

You can use rainwater if you want to kill your fish.

Use RO water, either make it yourself with an RO/DI system, or purchased from an LFS. Rainwater has too many contaminants.

You will then need to cure your rock for a few weeks: Curing Live Rock For Saltwater Aquariums - YouTube

Once your rock and sand are cured, and your tank cycled, you can add fish. I let me tank cure and cycle for about 2 months. It was probably longer than needed, but I like to err on the side of caution.

Read this article: Cycle your salt tank - Aquarium Advice

I also highly recommend purchasing these two books and reading them from cover to cover:
Marine Aquarium Handbook: Beginner to Breeder by Martin A. Moe | 9780982026212 | Paperback | Barnes & Noble
The Nano-Reef Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Reef Systems Under 15 Gallons by Christopher Brightwell | 9780793805723 | Hardcover | Barnes & Noble

 

[woody390]

Sorry yes, i know about the cycling etc as I have a 30 gallon running at the moment with a valentini puffer two clowns and some shrimp. was more just trying to work out if I could save some money using rain water to set it up rather than buying a Ro DI unit or purchasing 80 gallons from my lfs as these are both expesinve thank you for letting me know lol.

in that case my next question would be i know a fox face or a kole tang should be fine in an 80 gallon but as mine will not be a 4 foot tank do you think one or both of these should still be ok? also anyone got any cool suggestions for an 80 gallon with a valentini puffer two clowns and some shrimp.

 

[dmolavi]

The purchase price of 80 gallons of RO water from your LFS will probably come close to the price of an RO unit from BRS, which will continue to supply water for you and thus be less expensive over time.

 

[woody390]

Yeah that was what I was thinking, do they just connect up to a tap and you leave the tap running on them to produce good water from the tap water, may be simple question but ive never seen one running before just pictures on the internet?

 

[dmolavi]

This is how I have mine set up (sorry for the vertical video, I'm going to reshoot with a better camera):

My RO/DI Installation - YouTube

 

[woody390]

Thanks, i will check it out later unfortunatley I am at work at the moment and they block youtube in our office. but thank you for the post

 

[dmolavi]

You're welcome

 

[woody390]

Just watched the video very useful thank you I will have to look into getting one set up soon! Anyone got any input of if the 3foot by 2 foot by 2 foot be ok for a kole tang or fox face or any other stock suggestions?

 

[woody390]

also, I know you shouldn't use soap or bleach or anything when cleaning a tank but as mine will be second hand and I dont want to kill my fish should I just use hot water to clean it out or should i use something in the water?

 

[dmolavi]

Water and baking soda..make a slurry.

 

[Cichlid-dude]

The purchase price of 80 gallons of RO water from your LFS will probably come close to the price of an RO unit from BRS, which will continue to supply water for you and thus be less expensive over time.

Wow my lfs sells ro/di water for 35 cents a gallon. Would only be 28 bucks for 80 gallons. How much does your lfs charge? Like a $1.50?

 

[woody390]

im from england but it probably works out to $1.40 per gallon over here so bout $112

 

[dmolavi]

Wow my lfs sells ro/di water for 35 cents a gallon. Would only be 28 bucks for 80 gallons. How much does your lfs charge? Like a $1.50?

Yeah, upwards of around $2/gallon.

 

[woody390]

luckily managed to cancel my 3 foot tank as found a brilliant deal on a brand new 4 foot by 20 by 20 inches tank, I am now looking into live rock and I was wondering if I used ocean rock which seems to be a fraction of the price over here I assume as long as seeded with some live rock this will become live over time?

 

[dmolavi]

You will want to cure the rock before adding it to the tank. Curing will kill off any unwanted nasties on the rock (as well as ensuring that any dead or dying bits of sponge, etc are gotten rid of) before they throw the cycle off.

 

[mr_X]

I would just use treated tap water. If it's just a fish only with live rock, it's not going to matter. Get a bottle of prime or amquel and fill it up with the garden hose.

 

[woody390]

That would definitely make it cheaper lol! Is it just the corrals then that get affected by the contaminants in the water? The rck I was looking at was this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20KG-OCEAN-ROCK-MARINE-REEF-MALAWI-HARD-WATER-FISH-/200617260778 just seems loads cheaper than live rock from a lfs but not ure if its more for freshwater tanks

 

[mr_X]

It looks like it would work fine. Put that dry rock in the tank, fill it up with treated tap water (salted) and then add a raw cocktail shrimp and let the cycle begin.
I'd rinse that rock off pretty good prior.

 

[woody390]

Brilliant! stock wise too,the tank is going to be 48 by 20 by 20 and hold about 83 gallons i understand I currently have a valentini puffer 2 clowns and 4 shrimp. I was thinking of going with some sort of tang (thinking kole or a tomini due to the size of the tank being too small for others) or a one spot foxface and some banggai cardinals with maybe a 6 line. I was thinking of an eel or a dwarf lion but with the clowns I don't think this would work? anyone see any problems or any other suggestions with this stock?