- Joined
- Dec 28, 2016
- Messages
- 607
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Hey Guys,
Very nice to meet you, and thanks in advance for the tips! I did a lot of reading & a lot of watching & a lot of question asking - and turns out there's a ton of contradicting information. I figure I would just lay out my specifics & seek guidance from the awesome community here!
So I'm beginning a 55g tank this week, and got pretty much the essentials on order. My main questions are regarding curing/cycling (and possibly cooking?)
I ordered 35lb Dry 'live' rock from BRS (reef saver), 60lb Hawaiian black caribsea 'arag-alive' sand, and 10lb marine blue gravel (thought black & blue might look nice, big difference in size I realized though)
I'm in no hurry for live-stock (and not planning coral/reef anytime soon), and just want to make sure to get it right from the get-go. So... here are the questions (in no specific order)
Don't feel you have to answer all of them! I have a lot to ask!!
---
1) Is it better to cure the rocks & cycle the tank @ the same time? Or should I have the rocks in their own container while curing?
2) If curing/cycling @ the same time in the tank, should I also add in my 'live' sand & fully set everything up? Then complete a full water change prior to prepping for live-stock. Do I need to fully empty the sand prior to refilling the tank?
3) How often should I do water changes if doing both cure/cycle @ once? How much water to change? If done in separate containers, how much water to change & how often? Does the water need to be salt-water if curing in separate buckets?
4) My plan is to seed the dry rock (since I love starting everything from scratch & watching it develop). When should I add in a small amount of wet live rock from the LFS to begin seeding? After the curing/ after the cycle / or after both?
5) How much wet live rock is required to seed? My thoughts were maybe a small rock or 2? Or should I not seed at all - in fear of introducing hitchhikers, and use another method instead?
6) Are there other methods I should introduce to aid in developing the rocks to become alive? Some people suggested snails, pods, or even a dead uncooked cocktail shrimp?
--
I think those are the main questions I have regarding initial set up. Crazy how much goes into this BEFORE even considering adding fish! I saw there are many products out there that can help you toss in fish ASAP - but I'd rather do it right, rather than introduce a chemical/product that will 'act' as live rock does. Thoughts?
Thanks again for everything guys, really looking forward to this hobby!!
Cheers
Matt
Very nice to meet you, and thanks in advance for the tips! I did a lot of reading & a lot of watching & a lot of question asking - and turns out there's a ton of contradicting information. I figure I would just lay out my specifics & seek guidance from the awesome community here!
So I'm beginning a 55g tank this week, and got pretty much the essentials on order. My main questions are regarding curing/cycling (and possibly cooking?)
I ordered 35lb Dry 'live' rock from BRS (reef saver), 60lb Hawaiian black caribsea 'arag-alive' sand, and 10lb marine blue gravel (thought black & blue might look nice, big difference in size I realized though)
I'm in no hurry for live-stock (and not planning coral/reef anytime soon), and just want to make sure to get it right from the get-go. So... here are the questions (in no specific order)
Don't feel you have to answer all of them! I have a lot to ask!!
---
1) Is it better to cure the rocks & cycle the tank @ the same time? Or should I have the rocks in their own container while curing?
2) If curing/cycling @ the same time in the tank, should I also add in my 'live' sand & fully set everything up? Then complete a full water change prior to prepping for live-stock. Do I need to fully empty the sand prior to refilling the tank?
3) How often should I do water changes if doing both cure/cycle @ once? How much water to change? If done in separate containers, how much water to change & how often? Does the water need to be salt-water if curing in separate buckets?
4) My plan is to seed the dry rock (since I love starting everything from scratch & watching it develop). When should I add in a small amount of wet live rock from the LFS to begin seeding? After the curing/ after the cycle / or after both?
5) How much wet live rock is required to seed? My thoughts were maybe a small rock or 2? Or should I not seed at all - in fear of introducing hitchhikers, and use another method instead?
6) Are there other methods I should introduce to aid in developing the rocks to become alive? Some people suggested snails, pods, or even a dead uncooked cocktail shrimp?
--
I think those are the main questions I have regarding initial set up. Crazy how much goes into this BEFORE even considering adding fish! I saw there are many products out there that can help you toss in fish ASAP - but I'd rather do it right, rather than introduce a chemical/product that will 'act' as live rock does. Thoughts?
Thanks again for everything guys, really looking forward to this hobby!!
Cheers
Matt