New tank questions.

[TBrewerton]

Some people put more Live Rock in place of the balls - personally I have never had a sump though so someone else could help you more in that area.

Another Item I didn't see in the pictures is a Powerhead - this is to cause water movement which is needed in a salt water tank. You may need more than one in a tank of that size.

Really the only ongoing expenses once your tank is going are the following

Aquarium Salt
Water (if you dont invest in a RO/DI filter)
and food

(also over time test kits - but these will last quite some time)

PS I think there is a heater in picture 3

 

[sprky86]

im pretty sure it is a heater. It has a thermostat on it, but you are able to plug it in if i remember right. There are some tests kits that came with everything, i don't know what they are for though, so i will have to look sometime. What is the difference between reef salt, and aquarium salt? I will post pictures of everything that I have tomorrow sometime. I am hoping that I have a lot of the expensive stuff already. That would be good, and would mean i could get the tank started soon.

 

[TBrewerton]

Aquarium Salt doesnt have all the added minerals needed for good coral growth - so if the tank is only for fish then I would just go for a basic aquarium salt. The main thing is that you dont just go to bulk store and get table salt ;-)

 

[sprky86]

Yea, i do to much research before getting stuff, i would hope that i wouldn't make that mistake. So if I have coral in the take, it will depend on if that is what I have, then I should use reef salt instead? cause I have half a bag of that, so if so, then thats good.

 

[TBrewerton]

you can use the reef salt even if the tank is fish only, its just that its more finely balanced to care for corals needs. So if you were to use a cheaper salt that doesn't cater for that and you had corals - they might not be able to get all the nutrients they need from the water.

 

[sprky86]

What is the live sand for, and will I need that at some point? In the long run I want to have some fish, some coral, and some live plants. I figure that the sand is for the plants, but I am not sure.

 

[TBrewerton]

You dont have to have sand most people add it as a look thing really. Sand will become live from your live rock and this will then also become part of your biological filter. I would never buy "live sand".

There are many views on sand the types of sand - depths of sand etc and is a subject alone you could read for hours about with many differing views. Personally I just got some sand from the local fish shop (LFS) and put it in the tank - i have maybe 2" of sand in mine.

The biggest thing to remember though with sand is that it "moves" therefore you always place your rocks in the tank first then the sand around them. Putting the rocks on the sand can be disastrous in the future.

 

[sprky86]

Thanks for the advice.

 

[poksal]

Don't worry about sand just yet. .. too much .. Did you say there was some sand? If so it needs washed really good. And we need a close up picture of the sand with something to help determine size,and what it is, maybe put a dime in the picture with the sand.

Find out what wattage that heater is.

One of the next things the members will help you with is the tank overflow and water return methods from what the pictures will show.

Getting the equipment clean, the rock cured and stacked, and the water in and flowing to the sump and back with proper salt water in it is your biggest need currently.

Are there any lights? AND do you know what kind they are?

 

[sprky86]

No there is no sand right now. I was just wondering about what the "live" sand was for. I will check and see if i can find out about the wattage when i clean everything tomorrow. I am not going to worry about what i am going to put in it until i start setting it all up.

 

[poksal]

No there is no sand right now. I was just wondering about what the "live" sand was for. I will check and see if i can find out about the wattage when i clean everything tomorrow. I am not going to worry about what i am going to put in it until i start setting it all up.

perfect!

good night..

 

[sprky86]

It came with 1 light. It goes all the way across, but is only about 2-3 in wide. As far as I can tell it is LED lights. I will post a picture of it when I put the rest up sometime later today.

 

[alharrison]

If you have a local fish store (LFS) that specializes in salt water fish and equipment, they will normally test your water for free. They want your business! Also a refractometer to check salinity is great, but you can buy a hygrometer for now, it cost alot less. It is not quite as acurate, but if you keep your salinity in the mid range it should suffice for a while. I just bought a refractometer on line for about $50.00, when your ready. You should replace the blue bio-balls with live rock rubble and a type of algae called chaeto. Chaeto is a tubular hair type algae that looks like a plant and helps filter out nitrates and phosphates from your water. Other algaes thrive on nitrates, phosphates and light. with the live rock inplace of the bio balls you need to add a light on the outside of the of the filter tank. I just got a two bulb T5 light (about $50 at your LFS, but cheaper if you shop online) with brackets that attach to the side of the tank with double stick tape. I run that light about 12 hrs a night,with a cheap Home Depot light timer.

 

[sprky86]

In the process of curing the rocks, and cleaning up all of the equipment. I figured out what most of the stuff is that I have, but I will still post some pictures. In all I have the 75 gallon tank, the stand, the filtration system with pumps, thermometer and 150w heater, 1 LED light, around 95lbs of rock, 2 hydrometers, and 2 sets of the chemical test solutions, one set not open, the other half full.

I would appreciate any advice on what I need to get now, and anything else that you think could help me. I am also posting a picture of something that was with all of the rock. I think it may be a live plant, or at least was, but someone else might know what it is.

 

[poksal]

That is an LED light kit.. that is GOOD.. real good. We will need to see if it works.. is there a driver or is it just a plug in light kit? Is there a brand name on the LED lights? Can you turn them over and take a picture of the whole light set? If those LEDs work you just saved about $500.

That is absolutely dried out live rock... another GOOD. Get it soaking it that tub. .AND.. 95 pounds is plenty.. but you will be wise to buy a couple pounds or so of living live rock from a dealer when we are ready.

Good on the test kits..

The activated carbon is to put in a "sock" and goes in your first section of the sump where your return water from the tank will be entering the sump. another GOOD.

I am sorry but the Mr. Coffee box does not go with the aquarium ... LOL...

I (we) still need to see pictures of everything so we can better help,......... heater, wires, the whole LED set, you get the drift.


You "done" good.. and are going to save over $2000 at least in your set up. (tank $1000+, sump $30, live rock $700, LEDs $500,... etc)

After seeing the pictures we may be able to explain the way it flows to and from the tank.. the filter set is still a questionable item.. .. filters are not such a good idea for a salt water aquarium and absolutely not recommended with coral. ..but it depends on what that "filter" is.

 

[sprky86]

I will plug the stuff in tomorrow and see what all works, I hope all of it. The light is just a plug in light, but I also have a timer that i can hook it up to. Yea i figured that I would need to get some living live rock so that the dead ones can get seeded and start coming back to life.

I have been soaking the rock all day. Didn't get around to cleaning up the tank and other stuff today, i spend a lot of the day out at the pet store looking around. I will get pictures of everything and post them sometime tomorrow. If in deed I did save around $2000, then that makes me very happy. I still can't believe that the guy just handed over all of this.

As I trade out the balls in the sump, what should i be replacing it with. Someone mentioned pieces of live rock. If that is something good to use, I have plenty of it, so is just breaking up some of the extra pieces an option?

 

[poksal]

I will plug the stuff in tomorrow and see what all works, I hope all of it. The light is just a plug in light, but I also have a timer that i can hook it up to. Yea i figured that I would need to get some living live rock so that the dead ones can get seeded and start coming back to life.

I have been soaking the rock all day. Didn't get around to cleaning up the tank and other stuff today, i spend a lot of the day out at the pet store looking around. I will get pictures of everything and post them sometime tomorrow. If in deed I did save around $2000, then that makes me very happy. I still can't believe that the guy just handed over all of this.

As I trade out the balls in the sump, what should i be replacing it with. Someone mentioned pieces of live rock. If that is something good to use, I have plenty of it, so is just breaking up some of the extra pieces an option?

When you test your heater be sure it is in water or you will bust the tube.

Yes, LR rubble is great where the bio balls were. You could make your "seed" purchase of LR as rubble... I was lucky and purchased a large quantity of dead coral skeletons as LR rubble.. it weighs much less so you get more and it is absolutely live and came out of the same tank as the live rock at the fish store.. we call the fish store "LFS" (live fish store).