Help me set up my saltwater aquarium

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
R

RiNkLfOrSkN

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 3, 2006
41
0
0
40
long island, new york
Things I have:

Eheim 2215 canister filter
emperor 280(I have spunge and carbon. what else do I need in there? ammonia rocks?)
heater
3 buckets of crushed coral....already been used in brakish water(rinsing now)
half a bucket of reef crystals synthetic seasalt (more than enough. how much for 72 gallon tank?)
seatest equitment

what do I do from here? can I fill up tank and put salt in? will the filtration be ok for now? im picking up a new impelar tommorow for a canister filter. will I be ok till then. there are no fish or plants in this tank. going to buy the live rock soon as I can. I have a big power head. what about a protien skimmer do I need that? isnt a power head a substitute for one? please help trying to do this tonight thanks.
 
I would get a protein skimmer. You shouldn't need that much filtration, but it wouldn't hurt unless you plan of having some sensitive softies. I wouldn't use Ammo chips, I'd just go for some LRR. Get LR in there soon, it will help the tank cycle much faster.
 
Oh yeah, and for the salt, it depends on what you plan on keeping. If you are going reef I would keep the salinity at around 1.025, if you're doing fish only go for 1.022.
 
If you are adding Live Rock - You may have to cure it as well. If so, a skimmer is a blessing during that period. Once the ammonia spikes drop, then it'll be all good.

I currently run a Berlin Method of filtration, which consist of just live rock and skimmer. Works for me. :)
 
WyldFya;497417; said:
Oh yeah, and for the salt, it depends on what you plan on keeping. If you are going reef I would keep the salinity at around 1.025, if you're doing fish only go for 1.022.
Click to expand...

ok so how much salt do I use for 72 gallons if I want a reef? I have reef crystals synthetic sea salt. is that the right kind?

as for the emperor what kind of stuff do I use carbon and ammonia just like freshwater?

how do i stress the water? do i use stress coat or stress zime?
 
It is somewhere around 1/2 cup per gallon, so for 72 gallons approximately 36 cups. Ditch the ammonia chips, and carbon IMO and go with LRR. Get a hydrometer to check specific gravity. The salt you have will be fine for a reef. You don't want to "stress" the water, but stress coat is a good additive that will condition the water, and dechlorinate it as well. Stress zyme is just a bottled bacteria, which will just help jump start the system. Also, if you run cured LRR in the filter, and approx. 1 lb LR per gallon, approx. 72 lbs., you will not need ammo chips, your LRR will handle the bio load as long as you don't over stock. Carbon is more benificial to salt than it is to fresh IMO, but still not essential. The protein skimmer, LR/LRR combo is best IMO. Also, you may want to look into building a sump, or at least making a small refugium for the tank to keep nitrates under control.
 
ok well I already stressed the water lol. got advice at another forum and they said you can do it cause its tapp water, I have no live rock yet, and the water needs to be rid of chlorine and chloramines. is that bad did I **** up by putting in the stress coat? do I have to drain the tank and redo it? I already put the salt in. I dont even have sand.....just crushed coral. I am getting a new impelar tommrow so my canister filter will be working. I still need to buy protien skimmer. can I do it withought sump? can I use the emperor with the ammonia and carbon in the mean time????? thanks for the help
 
Stress coat is needed to dechlor the water. You don't need a sump. As I said before don't use the ammo chips at all. You need to use Bio media, all ammo chips do is bind the ammonia in the tank. Bio media will convert the ammonia to nitrite and then to nitrate through a host of bacterias.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom