More Newbie questions

[Susan Edwards]

I have an all in one tank (RMS c250).
1) When the time comes to clean the powerheads, that means taking them off the back wall of the tank. I'm assuming the water will just mix from tank to back sump and not flood? Or will I have to change enough water that the fixtures are above the water line? and if I just leave this hole from the tank into the sump, what will keep a fish from moseying on into the sump?

2) I have approx half of my water made. Shut down the RODI for the night as I don't have the float set up yet. The can I bought for mixing my saltwater is full--20 gal--all I can handle, and it's on a wheeled base. I mixed up the batch of salt. I'm assuming I can put it into the tank when all is ready, mix up the second batch and add a bit later when ready. This means no pumps running until I get all the water in which might be a couple hours. It's a 66 gal. Not sure how much water I'll need after I add sand. Prob. have at least 45 lbs dry rock

3) To start the cycle, do I add my carbon bags? Or wait a while? The tank has a media rack. Bio balls or ceramics go on the bottom, floor of the sump. Carbon, 2, on the two shelves above. Is there something else I should put on the very top shelp? It will hold 4 bags of media.

4) I have a bottle of stuff to start the bacteria. Should I also toss in a shrimp to add the cycle?

I know there were more questions but can't think of them at the moment. Thanks in advance! Looking forward to the day that I'm able to help others!

 

[Diesel]

Not sure about the holes in your tank and what kind of system it is but you should have valves on your plumbing to close in order to take your pump off.
You don't clean or don't have to clean your return pump for six months or up to a year for that matter.

You mix new saltwater a head of time like a few days as I do.
Keep a pump in the 20 gallon reservoir you have till the day of your water change.

No carbon is required for your cycle.
Just finalize your rocks and sand and add saltwater.
You can use a shrimp or a piece of clean matured live rock from another hobbyist.
Shrimps do work though and add bacteria.
After a few days you test ammonia and nitrite only, when high remove the shrimp and add more bacteria.
Keep on testing your water till ammonia and nitrite is 0.0.
Than add a few drops of ammonia in your tank and test again, your ammonia must be up again.
The next day test again and if ammonia is down to 0.0 or very close to that your tank is cycled.
Add only one or two fish at the time, of course I do stress you to set up a QT before the fish go in the tank.
You can also look into this http://www.drtimsaquatics.com/treat-aquarium-nitrite-ammonia-levels

 

[Susan Edwards]

the holes go directly into the back sump which is built in. There are no valves as there is no plumbing--Just a hose from pump which hangs in sump chamber to the outlet. In order to clean the pumps, I have to remove from tank wall (which is part of the sump). I'm just looking ahead for what I will need to do. and how. The image is looking from tank into sump (wall is actually black glass not clear) Number 5 is the pump and six the outlet nozzle. I'm thinking that because tank and sump are basically same water level, that removing the nozzle won't affect water level. I could just do a larger water change as well to drop the water below the nozzles

 

[twilliard]

Oh I see now yes you will have to lower the water level to pull the HOB sump

 

[Susan Edwards]

Okay. Thanks Twilliard!

 

[Susan Edwards]

So, not thinking last night, I soaked and rinsed my carbon, but if they aren't needed to cycle, will it hurt it to just let it dry back out and add when the cycle is complete?

Looking foward to getting tank set today and also very nervous....

 

[Diesel]

Your carbon is fine to let it dry out but rinse again when you use it.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Looking foward to getting tank set today and also very nervous....

I get nervous EVERY time. Get in there and POUND IT!
Youll do fine. You'll make mistakes too. If you get frustrated step back. Maybe read up on other folks mistakes for a laugh. then hit it again.

Tag any of us or the squad if you need help or a bad joke.

Have fun, dont rush.

 

[adamk]

on the top rack of the media basket i use filter floss, it catches all the big stuff, under that is a bag of chemipure blue, under that is marine pure balls...you can get the filter floss on amazon for cheap. its like 10$ for like 6sq feet.

i would save the carbon and all that until tank cycles, maybe just some filter floss to help clear the clouds when you add your water, they might clog pretty quick so keep an eye on them, wash em off then toss em back in..

the shrimp works, I've never personally done it but alot of people have great success with it, only thing is it starts to smell like a bait shop as it deteriates, if you do go this route put the shrimp in some pantiehoes so its easy to get out after a few days.

i ghost fed pellet food to start my cycle but if i were to ever do it again i would use straight ammonia, there is a website you can google. It will tell you how much ammonia to add to X gallons of water to get X ppm of ammonia. 2-3ppm is all you need to kick the cycle off.

with the bacteria in a bottle you will never get that BIG ammonia and nitrite spike but as long as ammonia is introduced mother nature will take care of the rest. After ammonia and nitrites read zero dose the tank again with 1ppm of ammonia, if its gone in 24 hours your good to go as long as nitrates arnt sky high, to reduce nitrates you could do a couple big water changes in a 2-3 day period. My nitrate never got above 20 and was at 15 during most of my cycle. I did a 30% water change and it dropped a little but no much. I tossed in 2 clown fish and they were fine.

Make sure you get PURE ammonia, I've heard ace hardware has straight ammonia and so does dr tims...shake the bottle of ammonia if bubbles form its not pure, it has some cleaning agents in it which in no good.

Last but definitely not least a QT tank is a great investment. Nothin is worse than going through all the cycling blah blah then a month or 2 or 3 down the line then get ich or velvet and have to clear all fish out of tank for 3+ months.

At a minimum you could buy a couple 5g buckets from home depot, 2 cheapo heaters on amazon for $5-6 each, a cheapo air pump from amazon for 6-7$, a 10 pack of air stones on amazon for a few bucks and a bunch of airline tubing again on amazon for like 10$. Get a bottle of prazipro and a bottle of formalin. So for under 75 bucks you can run TTM in the buckets, treat for flukes, tapewor, flatworm ect with prazi and brook with formalin during ttm. Sure that dont take care of every disease/parasite but thats most of the big killers. It takes 12 days.
If you want to take it a step further a 10g tank from petco is like $15 and a 20g Long is like $25, a cheapo HOB filter for $15-20 then you can do an observation period after the TTM

 

[Susan Edwards]

More thanks Diesel, Saltyfilmfolks and adamk. I have a 10 gal that I'm debating a refugium or QT tank. My first batch I wasn't going to QT--clowns or a Kole Tang, and cleaner crews. Very impressed with how friendly everyone is, even to questions you must hear all the time....

 

[adamk]

i dont qt inverts or corals which is still kinda rolling the dice but Im willing to make that gamble..i do dip every coral though, and scrub the frag plug with a tooth brush.
i would DEFINITELY ttm the tang, those buggers are ich magnets, if the clowns are wild caught i would DEFINITELY do a couple formalin baths before they go into the tank as well....TTM, formalin and prazipro is easy and only takes 12 days