New Tank - Questions

jtmoney528 · Aug 14, 2023

First of all - thank you in advance!

I have had freshwater tanks but never a saltwater and I have always wanted to try one. I found a great deal on a 72 gallon bowfront that was drilled with a EShopps RS300 sump that had everything I need to get up and going.

I have cleaned everything out and now its time to move on to the fun part!

Questions:

1. I have a smaller RODI unit that I got on Amazon and I ordered salt. Is it best to fill the tank and add the salt or mix in a separate container then add it to the tank? I know to fill the sump first!

2. I plan on doing a refugium in the sump as there is a compartment for it. I already have the rock for it as they had in their setup. When do I set this up? When do I add copepods? Do I need to add anything else at the same time as when I set it up? Do I need a special light or will any light that provides UVB work (I have old reptile lights) for the refugium?

3. I ordered MicroBacter7 and Ammonium Chloride for a fishless cycle - do I put both of these in right away at the same time? I also ordered live sand to help in the process.

4. With the tank I was given two pretty large pieces of pukani which I will attach - I am trying to figure out how to use them besides just throwing these two huge rocks in the aquarium. These are taken next to a pair of glasses just for reference on size. Any advice would be great!

I am sure there will be more questions but this is a good start!

Mr. Mojo Rising · Aug 14, 2023

I like to mix salt and water in a different bucket then add to the tank, but if its your first fill up, then do whatever is the easiest. If that means filling up with water first then adding salt, it doesn't really matter.

I would hold off on the refugium until you see nutrients increasing and algae starting to grow. Same with copepods, but that can be added right after the cycle if you want.

Yes, both the bacteria and ammonia are needed to start the cycle.

Your aquarium needs rock, thats how biofiltration works on a salt tank, general rule is about a pound per gallon. Some keep rocks in the sump and tank, some keep in the tank only. The rocks also provide a safe breeding place for the pods and other micro life. Rocks are very important.

Sounds like you did your home work and got everything in order. I'm sure you will find salt a lot more fun and rewarding than freshwater, I did and many others. But its also very different, more difficult, and more expensive. Anyway good luck

jtmoney528 · Aug 14, 2023

Mr. Mojo Rising said:
I like to mix salt and water in a different bucket then add to the tank, but if its your first fill up, then do whatever is the easiest. If that means filling up with water first then adding salt, it doesn't really matter.

I would hold off on the refugium until you see nutrients increasing and algae starting to grow. Same with copepods, but that can be added right after the cycle if you want.

Yes, both the bacteria and ammonia are needed to start the cycle.

Your aquarium needs rock, thats how biofiltration works on a salt tank, general rule is about a pound per gallon. Some keep rocks in the sump and tank, some keep in the tank only. The rocks also provide a safe breeding place for the pods and other micro life. Rocks are very important.

Sounds like you did your home work and got everything in order. I'm sure you will find salt a lot more fun and rewarding than freshwater, I did and many others. But its also very different, more difficult, and more expensive. Anyway good luck

Thank you very much for your reply - I was leaning towards filling up the tank then adding salt - just easier in the long run then doing bucket by bucket and dumping them into the tank.

Sorry if I did not state the correctly - I know I need rock I was more of asking for ideas on what to do with these two pieces for aquascaping. I was thinking of cutting them so they are flat then putting them up on their ends as pillars but just wanted ideas.

BanZI29 · Aug 14, 2023

1. I have a smaller RODI unit that I got on Amazon and I ordered salt. Is it best to fill the tank and add the salt or mix in a separate container then add it to the tank? I know to fill the sump first! mix the water and salt in a separate container. What RODI system did you get? does it come with a DI filter as well?

2. I plan on doing a refugium in the sump as there is a compartment for it. I already have the rock for it as they had in their setup. When do I set this up? When do I add copepods? Do I need to add anything else at the same time as when I set it up? Do I need a special light or will any light that provides UVB work (I have old reptile lights) for the refugium?
Wait until your tank is cycled and you have fish and corals. Watch your levels (Nitrate and Phosphate) when those levels start to get high, then that will be a good time to start a fuge. You will need a light for it. You don't need an expensive one either. there is a grow light on amazon that is $35.

As for cope pods, wait till you are cycled and the ugly phase starts. ( lots of algae growth ) the pods will help control that.

3. I ordered MicroBacter7 and Ammonium Chloride for a fishless cycle - do I put both of these in right away at the same time? I also ordered live sand to help in the process. This will work. I would also recommend adding Nite-out or Sea quest seed. having a good variety of bacteria to start is always a good thing.

4. With the tank I was given two pretty large pieces of pukani which I will attach - I am trying to figure out how to use them besides just throwing these two huge rocks in the aquarium. These are taken next to a pair of glasses just for reference on size. Any advice would be great! Those rocks look good. definatly need to add those in. use the layout you have and start to play with them make the scape something you like. you can cut them or break them and arrange them as you see fit. it's an artform

Mr. Mojo Rising · Aug 14, 2023

jtmoney528 said:
Thank you very much for your reply - I was leaning towards filling up the tank then adding salt - just easier in the long run then doing bucket by bucket and dumping them into the tank.

Sorry if I did not state the correctly - I know I need rock I was more of asking for ideas on what to do with these two pieces for aquascaping. I was thinking of cutting them so they are flat then putting them up on their ends as pillars but just wanted ideas.

its just me and my opinion, but when I have extra rocks like that, I like to smash them into different rubble size pieces and put them in my sump. They act as a safe breeding ground for copepods, and they are handy to have to glue coral frags into.

But you can do anything you want, pillars sounds cool too.

jda · Aug 14, 2023

You can mix in our out of the tank on a new setup. Just make sure that you don't dump the salt in so fast that it clumps and sticks in the bottom.

Fuge needs to wait. So do the pods. You have time for this. A few months when you have things for them to eat like film algae.

Scape is personal. Just do what you like. You will likely need more rock than that anyway, so don't sweat it too much. Piled up rock is better for fish to escape, hide and have less stress. Caves, arches and things for humans can stress fish out a bit.

Now is the time to decide of if you are going to be a live rock from the ocean person, or dry/dead rock and sterile tank person. I recommend the live rock path since it promotes a better ecosystem. Most of the "pests" garage that started the dry/dead rock phase of the hobby has turned out to be bunk and the pests that you get with dry/dead rock like dinos and hair algae are even more terrible to deal with. If you decide that you are a live rock person, you can order that any time - it will seed your tank with all of the pods and bacteria that you need.

Time to decide on if you are a fish quarantine person, or not, too. I don't preach on this too much, but once you add a fish to your tank, you can be locked in on a method that you don't want, so just think about it. If you want to start with a dry/dead rock sterile tank, then I highly recommend that you have a QT tank - fish diseases thrive in sterile environments whereas in a true ecosystem, there are things that will consumer fish disease tomonts when they are in the substrate and rocks for part of their lifecycle.

jtmoney528 · Aug 14, 2023

Thank you all for the answers and help!

RandyL · Aug 14, 2023

If you don’t yet have a good test kit, I’d recommend getting one so you can monitor the cycling process and have it ready-to-go for ongoing maintenance.

Whether or not you mix your initial sea water in the tank or not, you’ll need something mix your change water in, so go ahead and get that setup while the tank cycles.

Might also be a good time to plan your livestock (if you haven’t already) as it will be a good guide for how you want your aqua scape to look. Some fish have preferences, so now is the time to take them into account.