Seeking advice

[Kasey]

I had been running a 55 gallon brackish setup for a couple years, but a spine surgery forced me to have to rehome my fish and take a break. I’m healed up enough to get back to it, and I’m finally ready to go full marine. I’ve got some questions on making this a successful tank, and I’ve added bullet points to make reading as easy as possible. Any replies will be so appreciated!


• I emptied my tank, cleaned with vinegar and water, and partial filled and emptied a few more times. Currently filled with tap water- Can/should I use my Sungrow Water Conditioner and Dechlorinator before I start cycling my tank?


• I will be doing a fishless cycle and do have test strips , I haven’t even looked at fish yet and am in zero rush. What’s your tried and true method for an ideal fishless cycle?


•I want to skip tapwater and test water to mix my own salinity with Instant Ocean Marine Mix (I’ve got 40 pounds!) going forward, can I use distilled or Culligan drinking water with a TSD meter?


• I have clean and rinsed non dyed aquarium substrate that is labeled for freshwater and saltwater, am I able to leave some of that on the bottom with the addition of around 30 pounds of sand? How much live vs dry sand should I grab?


• I have Dr. Tim’s Ammonium Chloride and 4 oz Nitrifying Bacteria, is that ideal to begin the fishless cycle?


• I plan on starting with less sensitive fish recommended for beginners, and at this time have decided to not add a sump. I’ve got a heater and a double filter with powerhead that is made for both fresh and saltwater, and I’ve ordered a hang on protein skimmer. Is a sump really a necessity from the start? I’m looking into making my own, but may just cave down the road and buy a midrange one.


• Any recommendations on the best places to get healthy live fish? I do have access to a Petco, but would rather support smaller local operations if that’s available to me.


• I’m using the LED lights that came with my Aquaculture tank kit, I’m researching now to find their specs but I imagine I will upgrade that down the line. What do you recommend? I’m going to start fish only and will probably upgrade the lights once I’m a bit more experienced and try my hand at coral.


• I’d love to hear about your tank maintenance schedule and how you do water changes!


Other notes: I have a refractometer and a master saltwater test kit, I’ve also downloaded a bunch of saltwater aquarium podcasts that I’m working my way through. I’m thinking of starting with clown fish and one or two other small compatible species. As I get better at this and a little more skilled, I’d love to branch out with coral/anemone/more sensitive fish. Seriously ANY info or input would be so fantastic, there’s such a wealth of knowledge online and on forums that I just don’t even know where to start.

 

[Brad Miller]

Welcome to the best site there is for starting a reef tank !!
It's a bit scary to begin, but doing a lot of reading here definitely will help.
Start with knowing what aquascape you will want for your long term tank goal (fish, coral, rock etc..)
Rock ratio to tank is usually 1/2 to 1lb of rock per gallon of water.
Using dry live rock and live sand bed is the quickest way to cycle.
Be patient and let the cycle happen, don't be in any hurry to buy fish or coral.
Read, read, and read more...

 

[PatW]

I would not use a dechoronator. Chlorine will vent out of the water on its own.

I am not a fan of test strips. API tests can be ok but they are quick and dirty. Salifert and Red Sea are more exact.

For water, it is best to use RODI water. You can buy it from a local fish store or make your own. An RODI system tends to cost over $100.

I would remove any old substrate you have. You want sand that that is aragonite sand.... ie ground up coral.

I like Dr. Tim’s and I used it. Bacteria will eventually get in and cycle the tank. Bacteria cultures speed it up. The bottled ammonia works great.

For fish, go to the Live Aquaria site. I would suggest fish that are classified as easy, peaceful, and reef safe.

I would suggest a sump. One does not need to be expensive. You can get a glass aquarium and place your own partitions made from panes of glass, get someone else to cut it. Just fix them in place with silicon caulk. You can get the LFS to drill you tank and suggest plumbing. A sump is really convenient.

Avoid Petco. For livestock, find the local shop that has the best fish. Good fish eat readily, they are brightly colored. They are plump. And their fins are displayed not pinched. In the long run, the best fish you can find will end up costing far less.

The top of the line seems to be Kessel, Aquaillumination and Radion. There are some black box lines that are decent also for less. But you want a strong blue spectrum and programmability.

For water changes, I mix up 40 gallons in a Brute trash can on casters. I siphon out 40 gallons into another Brute trash can on casters. I roll the Brute trash can to the tank and using a pump, pump in the new salt water. I roll the water change water to the sink and pump it down the drain. I roll the trash can back to the RODI station and pump RODI water into it. I add salt mix and mix with a power head. Having hard floors helps.

Even better is having a fish room behind the wall next to your tank. You can plumb the mixing tank to your display tank and do it even easier.

 

[Kasey]

Welcome to the best site there is for starting a reef tank !!
It's a bit scary to begin, but doing a lot of reading here definitely will help.
Start with knowing what aquascape you will want for your long term tank goal (fish, coral, rock etc..)
Rock ratio to tank is usually 1/2 to 1lb of rock per gallon of water.
Using dry live rock and live sand bed is the quickest way to cycle.
Be patient and let the cycle happen, don't be in any hurry to buy fish or coral.
Read, read, and read more...

Welcome to the best site there is for starting a reef tank !!
It's a bit scary to begin, but doing a lot of reading here definitely will help.
Start with knowing what aquascape you will want for your long term tank goal (fish, coral, rock etc..)
Rock ratio to tank is usually 1/2 to 1lb of rock per gallon of water.
Using dry live rock and live sand bed is the quickest way to cycle.
Be patient and let the cycle happen, don't be in any hurry to buy fish or coral.
Read, read, and read more...

I did end up buying 40 pounds of live argonite sand, I forgot to mention it isn’t exactly gravel but “aquarium substrate” that is labeled for fresh and salt. I’m going to pull most of it though. I did upgrade to an Aqua Clear Power 70 filter and will move my old filter to a 10 gal quarantine tank. I also bout about 15 pounds live rock and another 15 dry, I’m slowly scoping online and nabbing up unique pieces to add (I’m not going to be adding fish for 3 months probably, I’m terrified hahaha) but I’m still reading and researching like crazy. I appreciate all of the info!

 

[Kasey]

I would not use a dechoronator. Chlorine will vent out of the water on its own.

I am not a fan of test strips. API tests can be ok but they are quick and dirty. Salifert and Red Sea are more exact.

For water, it is best to use RODI water. You can buy it from a local fish store or make your own. An RODI system tends to cost over $100.

I would remove any old substrate you have. You want sand that that is aragonite sand.... ie ground up coral.

I like Dr. Tim’s and I used it. Bacteria will eventually get in and cycle the tank. Bacteria cultures speed it up. The bottled ammonia works great.

For fish, go to the Live Aquaria site. I would suggest fish that are classified as easy, peaceful, and reef safe.

I would suggest a sump. One does not need to be expensive. You can get a glass aquarium and place your own partitions made from panes of glass, get someone else to cut it. Just fix them in place with silicon caulk. You can get the LFS to drill you tank and suggest plumbing. A sump is really convenient.

Avoid Petco. For livestock, find the local shop that has the best fish. Good fish eat readily, they are brightly colored. They are plump. And their fins are displayed not pinched. In the long run, the best fish you can find will end up costing far less.

The top of the line seems to be Kessel, Aquaillumination and Radion. There are some black box lines that are decent also for less. But you want a strong blue spectrum and programmability.

For water changes, I mix up 40 gallons in a Brute trash can on casters. I siphon out 40 gallons into another Brute trash can on casters. I roll the Brute trash can to the tank and using a pump, pump in the new salt water. I roll the water change water to the sink and pump it down the drain. I roll the trash can back to the RODI station and pump RODI water into it. I add salt mix and mix with a power head. Having hard floors helps.

Even better is having a fish room behind the wall next to your tank. You can plumb the mixing tank to your display tank and do it even easier.

I bought an actual kit with tubes and droppers, is it still alright if it’s API brand? I own an animal grooming salon and get a monthly delivery of RODI water in big jugs for my water cooler, I’m going to test that when my TSD arrives later this week to see if it’s good enough, if not I’ll be buying a RODI filter! Today is all about researching LED lights

 

[Evan28395950]

I bought an actual kit with tubes and droppers, is it still alright if it’s API brand? I own an animal grooming salon and get a monthly delivery of RODI water in big jugs for my water cooler, I’m going to test that when my TSD arrives later this week to see if it’s good enough, if not I’ll be buying a RODI filter! Today is all about researching LED lights

API is ok to begin with, once you move into sps and such you should consider a test kit such as Red Sea or something more advanced