Starting a 20 gallon this saturday ADViCE AND TIPS WELCOMED

[BIGgourami]

yup it's should be good to go.. you might get a little cycle as the rock probably had some die off...

but yeah run the filter and heater for the whole cycle... if you up the heater to like 80 of so it should go a little faster...

and as for the filter and HOB fuge... make them one in the same

 

[daboyprince23]

got my tank, saltmix, 8lb's of live rock, and live sand, filter and heater is on the way.

 

[sweeTang21]

well your curing whatever die off happened with the rock and cycleing the filter. So yes a filter would be nice. It would also help to have the water at the temp your going to keep the tank at.

The rock being shipped to you will have some die off, but there pretty good about packaging and the rock should come pretty moist still.

 

[daboyprince23]

my bad guys i didnt even explain myself properly the 8lb's of live rock i bougth wasnt off the internet...i bought it in a LFS straight out the water its in a bag right now sealed tight...any suggestions if i do buy the live rock from online?

 

[daboyprince23]

I was going to make one of these for my water.
http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/makeupwater/ht/htdiytapfilter.htm

and also im going to use a copper tester on my tap water before mixing it with the salt before i waste my time.

My plans:
Step 1: Add live sand into empty clean tank.
Step 2: Mix good water with salt in separate buckets then pour into tank after testing the SG then let everything settle.
Step 3: Add heater and filteration and powerhead, i won't turn anything on yet except the heater.
Step 4: Preclean 8lb cured liverock then fill a spraybottle filled with saltwater from the tank and spray the liverock and let it sit for a while before adding it to tank.
Step 5: I will let tank sit for 2-3 days without filteration but will leave the powerhead running for oxygenation.
Step 6:Use test kits to check chemical levels
Step 7 : Begin cycling process
Step 8: to be continued or you finish it!

 

[daboyprince23]

any comments?

 

[Reefscape]

I was going to make one of these for my water.
http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/makeupwater/ht/htdiytapfilter.htm

and also im going to use a copper tester on my tap water before mixing it with the salt before i waste my time.

My plans:
Step 1: Add live sand into empty clean tank. <<Fine>>
Step 2: Mix good water with salt in separate buckets then pour into tank after testing the SG then let everything settle. <<Why not mix in the tank?>>
Step 3: Add heater and filteration and powerhead, i won't turn anything on yet except the heater. <<I would fire it all up, dont see why you would not>>
Step 4: Preclean 8lb cured liverock then fill a spraybottle filled with saltwater from the tank and spray the liverock and let it sit for a while before adding it to tank. <<Why spray? Just get it into the tank once you have scrubbed it>>
Step 5: I will let tank sit for 2-3 days without filteration but will leave the powerhead running for oxygenation. <<Dont really understand why you not have it all running from the start>>
Step 6:Use test kits to check chemical levels
Step 7 : Begin cycling process
Step 8: to be continued or you finish it!

Added a few comments to the above..

 

[BIGgourami]

some comments for above..
not mix in the tank cause you put the sand in first(well 2nd or third, should be the equipment then the rock then sand) he's kill his live sand

why spray? IDK...

but yes i too would run everything form the start...

 

[daboyprince23]

I appreciate the comments alot guys, i figured i mix the salt and then add it to the tank so everything can settle properly, i thought when letting the tank settle not to run the filter and powerhead right away, reason behind the spraying of the liverock is so it adapts to the water its going to be placed in

 

[sweeTang21]

no worries about weather the rock will adapt or not. Thats the cause of the curing process. Rock being added to a new tank, with some die off is totaly fine, this will cycle the entire tank. With the aging of the rock, then the tank ages as well, becoming the much more stable. Its a good thing lol. The filters do not need to run "right as your add the sand" but after the sand has settled and theres a bunch of random debris floating around then yes, turn it on. This will get some bacteria to start forming in the filter, causing the to cycle as well.