Im About To Start My New Nano Tank, Few Pointers Needed Before I Begin

[xhale2007]

Hi guys.

having finally decided which tank i wish to buy, which will be an orca tl-450.

my lfs told me that the tank out of the box is not that good with the flow (i had read about that problem already) he said if i was to purchase one he would throw in a power head and another pump for the filter system.

ive been doing alot of research into marine aqauriams and that. i fully understand the nitrate cycle etc. But theres a few things im a little confused about, as the book i borrowed doesnt really tell me about.

When i start my tank, do i fill it with conditioned tap water only? Then add my salt for a few days to let it circulate? Then add my substrate and live rock. Or is it best to Add the subsrate, ready mixed salt water and live rock all at the same time?

any help with this would b really apricated, im probably making myself look stupid, but i dont wanna mess things up straight away lol.

Cheers

 

[afmo]

Well, when i did it, I mixed my salt with RO water, then put my LR on the glass bottom, filled the sand in around it, then put a glass on the sand and poured my water over the glass so as not to disturb the substrate any more than it already was.

Thats how i did it and everything was fine.

However, to complicate things for you

when my LFS replaced their display tank, they added just substrate and salt water, and then added the LR after several days, but i think this was because their shipment of LR hadnt come in yet LOL.

 

[xhale2007]

im still confused lol, is it best to use tap water or ro water, i take it tap water needs to be conditioned?

cheers

 

[afmo]

im still confused lol, is it best to use tap water or ro water, i take it tap water needs to be conditioned?

cheers

RO Water is best, definately. In a pinch, i've used filtered tap, like through a brita or a pur filter, and then condition it with something like Aquasafe, though it isnt ideal.

 

[xhale2007]

im sure i read somewhere that ro water wasnt ideal for the setup? correct me if im wrong

 

[chrissaysyes]

I've never heard of ro water being anything but ideal...but fyi, I've always used filtered-conditioned tap and I've been fine, but then the water parameters vary pretty much from block to block so...who knows if you'd have the same luck. Also, In the past two setups I've done I've mixed the water first, wait a day, then add LR, then substrate....I like to think that adding the LR and a live substrate to water before mixing would damage bacteria or any beneficial hitchhikers...maybe that's not the case. Also, I think when it comes to the order of adding LR and substrate, the biggest importance is that adding substrate before LR could cause instability in the structure of your LR--i.e. inverts could burrow beneath the rock, causing them to topple over or shift. I think it's also important to note that you dont want to purchase LR from your LFS from a rock tank and have it sitting around somewhere for very long as you'll have a pretty large amount of die-off and it'll spike your ammonia once you add it to the tank.

 

[xhale2007]

so the best method would be to get ready mixed ro water with salt. add my live rock then substrate, then water?

 

[afmo]

so the best method would be to get ready mixed ro water with salt. add my live rock then substrate, then water?

I dont like the pre-mixed salt water for 2 reasons. 1 its more expensive than buying the salt and mixing your own, and 2, its a set SG, and if i need to mix some water with an SG different than what it is, then i need to do mixing anyways. I'd rather just mix my own.

But yes, i'd go with LR-->Substrate-->Water.

 

[chrissaysyes]

Same with pre-mixed...if you ever have an emergency it'd be good to be pretty efficient and prepared to mix your own water...if you're comfortable/experienced enough to mix your own water but you're just feeling lazy/financially sturdy enough to buy premixed water then go for it, otherwise just grab a bucket of marine salt, a good name-brand yet inexpensive hydrometer (deep-six seems to be the most common and best out there even though everyone here (including me) will tell you hydrometers are rubbish...but good for beginners), a salt-safe spoon and a 2gallon bucket and start mixin...

But yes, i'd go with LR-->Substrate-->Water.

Why would you do water last?

 

[xhale2007]

ah, i ment id pre make it

 

[afmo]

[/quote]
Why would you do water last?
[/quote]

i dunno, thats just how i did it

 

[xhale2007]

right my plan is to...

fill my tank with ro water, get it all running and check its all ok etc, add salt till i reach correct level. i will then leave it overnight.

ill pop into lfs and buy 5-6kg live rock and my sand. add the liverock, then about 1 1/2" of sand.

does this all sound ok? any better recommendations?

what would b the best type of sand to get for this?

what filter media should i use in each of the chambers?

thanks again

Dan

 

[atmmachine816]

I would leave some room open at the top for water displacement from substrate and LR and fill one or two 5 gallon buckets with SW to add once the LR and substrate is in.

Get Live aragonite sand or if you don't want to fork out the money just aragonite. Can't tell you how deep, still working on that myself.

Don't know about the media, don't have that type of tank but rowaphos would be good, there phospate removers, it's a brand name.

 

[chrissaysyes]

yeah, all sounds great! And btw heh...the thing about leaving a gap at the top of the tank because of water displacement...heh...dont be an idiot like me and not think about that before you go plunking in huge chunks of rock Almost ruined my TV and spilled water on the power strip...Im retarded, I know.

 

[xhale2007]

Lol. oops.

so what would be the best type of media?

from what i have read the seems to be a mixed opinion on what to add first, corals or fish, whats your opinions on this?

For fish im consdering either 1 or 2 small clowns or 2 yellow tail damsels. opinions on this?

What would be a good CUC to add how many of each etc works best.

Thanks alot - been great help 2 me so far

Dan