My R/O system is scheduled to arrive tomorrow

[J-Money]

So I hope by wednesday I can order my live rock

Quick question:
Do I put the sand down first, or put the base rock down and put the sand around it? I saw on some website where they said that was the way to do it. But noone else says anything like that...


Also, what's a good salt to mix?

 

[jimdogg187]

thats awsome! i still don't use ro but the water here in sacramento is just fine. i do intend on getting one soon however. okay, put your base rock down first, then fill your tank with water, but not all the way. put your live rock on top of your base. place the bag of sand in the water and slice it open with a knife. if the tank is still not full, carefully pour more water in until you reach your desired level. good luck!, jim.

 

[J-Money]

Thanks jim, but I'm not using live sand. Just plain ol sand and I have to wash it before i put it in don't I?

 

[jimdogg187]

oohhh, well i'm not sure then. sorry bout that. i don't know if you need to wash it or not. one of my friends set up a tank a few years back and he did not wash the sand first. he put it in, then cycled the tank. it might however, be a good idea to wash it. also, can you tell us what type of sand you're going to use, i'm sure that will help someone answer as well. nevertheless, i'm sure navarre will have the answer to your question. jim

 

[J-Money]

Thanks Jim B)


This is the sand I got:

http/www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/produc...id1=1695;pcid2=

 

[Navarre]

Carib Sea is a decent sand. I have 1 bag of this and 1 bag of live in my tank. I didnt wash it first but it wont do any harm if you want to wash it.

Its better to add the sand last as was suggested because if you add the sand first then fill the tank with fresh water and then add the salt to mix, the sand will not allow the salt/water to mix properly and you will find your SG will take longer to stabilise. Best to add the sand last...(well at least before the rocks anyway )

You may find that you will get coudly water at the start but this is normal. To get rid of this i used some simple internal sponge filters and within 24 hours the watrer was crystal clear.

 

[J-Money]

Thanks, I hadn't thought about the sand messing up the dissolving of the salt...speaking of which anyone have a favorite? Which and Why? Thanks )

 

[SWMWTHDAFISHES]

From what I have gathered, most of the aquarium salts are pretty much the same.

 

[J-Money]

I got the R/O ish today!!! So I ordered my LR. I ordered 90 lbs of Figi and 30lbs of Tonga I'm going to the LFS tomorrow for the salt. Thanks for all the help guys

 

[J-Money]

oh yeah, and has anyone ordered LR from LiveAquaria? What kind of unwanted pests should I be looking for when it arrives?

 

[SWMWTHDAFISHES]

the main 3 hitters that you don't want are mantis shrimp, aptasia (a glass anemone) and fire worms, although some say that fire worms aren't any problem in their tanks. It probably depends on what you are planning to have in the tank that they might like to munch on! Hey, anyone else responding to this, are fireworms and bristle worms the same thing?

 

[Navarre]

Same family but not quite the same thing.. well actualy yes they are.. Oooo its hard to explain. )

Bristleworms are found in great numbers on liverock and its something tht is very hard to get rid of. I personally fee l that they are a great addition to the cleanup crew! Your talking to the converted here because when i started my 40 gallon tank i was like most people and killed em on sight if possible! However i then learnt just what great jobs they do and felt that its easier to control their numbers naturally than try wo wage a war on them. I got myself a silty wrasse that will kill any bristleworm on sight This means the larger ones are in for some trouble should they venture forth.. yet the smaller ones are usually left alone because they can hide easier.

Now Bristleworms are usually a white/red/blue colour and these are considered safe... hoever there is another variety that goes by the name of fireworm although it is still a bristleworm.. This species is considered far more dangerous to your corals and fish etc. I think ths worm is a deeper red in colour though i might be mistake on this.

 

[ostrow]

Don't get your rock from there! Check out the system Tampa Bay Saltwater has. Rave reviews about their stuff. I would recommend that route.

Salts vary widely and wide opinions about what is best. Are you doing a reef or FO?

 

[J-Money]

I got my salt (Oceanic) and now i'm working on filling my tank with the R/O water. But 110gpd ends up being something like 4.5gph so this is gonna take a while


The fish I'm pretty sure i'm putting in there are:
Fuzzy Dwarf Lion
Dwarf Zebra Lion
Niger Trigger


I'm not sure if I can fit anything else in there, But i want to think about some small angler or a tang...or a chesnut eel if I can ever find one


Oh-and Ostrow I am going FOWLR

 

[J-Money]

10 hours later and I'm only 1/4 of the way full ... Looks like it's pumping closer to 3 gph