Tank filling strategies?

[cactusreef]

I have a new tank on the way. 70 gallon display with 25ish sump. I’m curious if anyone has strategies to fill that much water. I have an rodi setup and enough salt but I think it will take quite a while to fill it. Can I fill the entire system with rodi and then mix the salt in the tank? And then add sand and rock after that? Or does anyone have a good idea for filling large tanks? I have 5, 5 gallon water jugs. But that would still take a while……

 

[BuffaloLake]

Brute trash can for mixing saltwater.

 

[X-37B]

New tank just add water salt and heat. No need for a container until you do WC's.

 

[cactusreef]

New tank just add water salt and heat. No need for a container until you do WC's.

Any problems with adding sand and rock after the water or can I put the sand and rock in and then fill it with rodi and then salt? I figured the bacteria in rock/sand may not like rodi.

 

[edsbeaker]

This will depend on if you are using live rock and sand, or dry rock and sand. If it is live you would need to fill the tank with saltwater that is already mixed up and at temperature.


If you are starting with dry rock and dry sand then you are fine with filling the tank with RODI first and then mixing in the salt to the proper salinity. Then turn on heater.

 

[edsbeaker]

If using Dry rock and sand, I prefer putting in the pre washed sand first, then rock next, then water

 

[X-37B]

Any problems with adding sand and rock after the water or can I put the sand and rock in and then fill it with rodi and then salt? I figured the bacteria in rock/sand may not like rodi.

If its dead rock and sand then you can put them in anytime.
Best though is to put in sand, add salt to temp and sg. Let it clear. Then add dead rock. Make sure it goes through the sand and touches the bottom.

 

[edsbeaker]

I, personally, would not add the salt until all the rock is already in the tank. The rock is going to displace the water, so if you fill the tank and sump with water first, you will end up with too much saltwater which is wasteful, or too little, and you’ll have to mix more salt in.

Another advantage is that it is much easier to build your rock work in a tank that doesn’t have water already in it.

There is some debate over putting rock directly onto the glass bottom or on sand. As long as the rock is stable and isn’t likely to topple it’s fine to do it on the sand.

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

As long as the rock is stable and isn’t likely to topple it’s fine to do it on the sand.

Make sure rock stability is dependent soley on gravity and not lateral reaction forces from sand to keep it from sliding. If the sand against the rock is holding the rock in position, then any number of reef critters can burrow into the sand and allow the rock to slip. If your base rock slips sideways or rocks, guess what happens to rock stacked on top? Nothing good.

 

[cactusreef]

Thanks everyone. I will probably get a trash can to mix before adding since I am using some live rock and sand. Also probably not a bad idea to have one for any future maintenance/water storage needs.

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

Thanks everyone. I will probably get a trash can to mix before adding since I am using some live rock and sand. Also probably not a bad idea to have one for any future maintenance/water storage needs.

Rubbermaid Brutes.
Don't trust anything flimsey.

 

[BryanM]

All I know is I will never not rinse sand ever again.

 

[cactusreef]

All I know is I will never not rinse sand ever again.

Why?

 

[Biokabe]

Why?

Try adding sand without rinsing it and you'll find out why.

Or, less cryptically: Basically all sand is covered with a very fine layer of dust, impossible to see with the naked eye. If you put it into your tank without rinsing it, all of that dust will become liberated into your water, and it usually takes days and days before your water clears up. I don't remember if that dust is actually harmful to anything long-term (either livestock or equipment) but it is very difficult to get out once it's in.

It's a pain, but it's much easier to rinse the sand ahead of time and prevent that entirely.

That's a separate issue from re-using old sand that has already been part of a sandbed in a tank. That, you should never reuse in a new tank without thoroughly rinsing. Sandbeds can trap stuff underneath it, especially if it's deeper than a couple of inches. That stuff can get literally toxic, but typically the sand keeps it contained and it's eventually processed and released back into the tank as more benign chemicals. If you disturb the sandbed all at once, though, the toxic chemicals get released back into your water and can kill your livestock.

 

[BryanM]

Why?

Silt, cloudiness, a lot of this can be avoided with rinsing.

 

[cactusreef]

Why?

Silt, cloudiness, a lot of this can be avoided with rinsing.

Makes sense. Thanks!

 

[Radron73]

If you are starting with dry rock and dry sand then you are fine with filling the tank with RODI first and then mixing in the salt to the proper salinity. Then turn on heater.

Silly newbie question, sorry. I thought you had to bring the water up to temp before adding and mixing the salt?

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

Silly newbie question, sorry. I thought you had to bring the water up to temp before adding and mixing the salt?

If you are measuring in ppt (or temperature compensating for a specific gravity measurement), room temp water or even cooler is fine. Just make sure you are evaluating salinity ppt and not SpG directly.

 

[LeftyReefer]

I mix my saltwater in a large brute garbage can. it's on a brute can dolly so I can wheel it around when needed.

for filling my tank, I actually use a (cordless) milwaukee M12 transfer pump. works great for filling or doing water changes.
It has a threaded outlet for a garden hose on the upper end. I just use a short 6 foot hose on mine since my SW barrel is only a few feet away. drop the business (suction) end into my brute can and flip the switch and it starts pumping out the hose into the tank. It pumps at like 9 gallon per minute, which isn't crazy fast, so it doesn't blow stuff (sand and corals) all over your tank. I do wish it was variable speed, but the 9gpm rate isn't terrible for aquarium use. if you have a huge tank, then you might want something that pumps faster.

I've been using mine for like 2 years now without any issues. the battery lasts forever too.

 

[exnisstech]

I always place rocks on the bottom then sand for the reasons @Euphylliaphyle mentioned above. I've never mixed water in the tank because I never felt there was any advantage to it for me. I mix in a brute in the basement and use a pond pump on a remote controlled outlet to pump up to the tanks. I'm not a fan of lifting 5g buckets and if I have to I only half fill them.