shipping would kill ya on live rock just buy it local or if ya wnat cheap try this
http://www.garf.org/ showa how to make your own live rock
http://www.garf.org/ showa how to make your own live rock
First SW setup: Update.
- Thread starter ewurm
- Start date
Hello ewurm
Man I'd take the fish and the bio spira back unless you've used the bio-spira that is. Your live rock will have all the bacteria you need to cycle the tank. You might also consider returning the damsels you don't need them at all.
Just buy uncurred live rock and base rock to equal about 1 to 1.5 lbs per gallon. You can use as much or as little base rock vs live rock as your budget can afford. Throw a cocktail shrimp into the tank and get your ammonia up to about 3 ppm . Raise your temp to about 85 f and allow to simmer
. In a few weeks your nitrates will hit about 40 ppm do a major water change and you can start stocking slowly.
I'd really encourage you to skip the anem until you have time to play around with keeping your params stable you'll also need some good lighting etc ask later and I'll be happy to help you with info on them. I'd also keep it within the standard 1.22 to 1.26 for inverts. I don't like damsels either.
A lot of the fish that have been recommended to you are pretty aggresive and a 20 just doesn't have a lot of room. S.W. fish are VERY territorial make sure what ever you decide to stock is compatable with everything else. Nothing sucks worse than trying to rip a tank apart to catch a problem fish.
hope this helps
hmmm
Man I'd take the fish and the bio spira back unless you've used the bio-spira that is. Your live rock will have all the bacteria you need to cycle the tank. You might also consider returning the damsels you don't need them at all.
Just buy uncurred live rock and base rock to equal about 1 to 1.5 lbs per gallon. You can use as much or as little base rock vs live rock as your budget can afford. Throw a cocktail shrimp into the tank and get your ammonia up to about 3 ppm . Raise your temp to about 85 f and allow to simmer
. In a few weeks your nitrates will hit about 40 ppm do a major water change and you can start stocking slowly.I'd really encourage you to skip the anem until you have time to play around with keeping your params stable you'll also need some good lighting etc ask later and I'll be happy to help you with info on them. I'd also keep it within the standard 1.22 to 1.26 for inverts. I don't like damsels either.
A lot of the fish that have been recommended to you are pretty aggresive and a 20 just doesn't have a lot of room. S.W. fish are VERY territorial make sure what ever you decide to stock is compatable with everything else. Nothing sucks worse than trying to rip a tank apart to catch a problem fish.
hope this helps
hmmm
Max;577621; said:Hello ewurm
Man I'd take the fish and the bio spira back unless you've used the bio-spira that is. Your live rock will have all the bacteria you need to cycle the tank. You might also consider returning the damsels you don't need them at all.
Just buy uncurred live rock and base rock to equal about 1 to 1.5 lbs per gallon. You can use as much or as little base rock vs live rock as your budget can afford. Throw a cocktail shrimp into the tank and get your ammonia up to about 3 ppm . Raise your temp to about 85 f and allow to simmer
I'd really encourage you to skip the anem until you have time to play around with keeping your params stable you'll also need some good lighting etc ask later and I'll be happy to help you with info on them. I'd also keep it within the standard 1.22 to 1.26 for inverts. I don't like damsels either.
A lot of the fish that have been recommended to you are pretty aggresive and a 20 just doesn't have a lot of room. S.W. fish are VERY territorial make sure what ever you decide to stock is compatable with everything else. Nothing sucks worse than trying to rip a tank apart to catch a problem fish.
hope this helps
hmmm
I used the biospira, I have lots of biomedia, live sand and live rock. I would be willing to bet the tank is cycled now, and I amusing the damsels like the monkey NASA launched into space, if you get the metaphor. I will ditch the Damsels and get some clowns, when I know params are good. Sounds like I need much more light for the anenomes, my tube is only 15W. That is a distant future project.
Max;577621; said:Hello ewurm
Man I'd take the fish and the bio spira back unless you've used the bio-spira that is. Your live rock will have all the bacteria you need to cycle the tank. You might also consider returning the damsels you don't need them at all.
Just buy uncurred live rock and base rock to equal about 1 to 1.5 lbs per gallon. You can use as much or as little base rock vs live rock as your budget can afford. Throw a cocktail shrimp into the tank and get your ammonia up to about 3 ppm . Raise your temp to about 85 f and allow to simmer
I'd really encourage you to skip the anem until you have time to play around with keeping your params stable you'll also need some good lighting etc ask later and I'll be happy to help you with info on them. I'd also keep it within the standard 1.22 to 1.26 for inverts. I don't like damsels either.
A lot of the fish that have been recommended to you are pretty aggresive and a 20 just doesn't have a lot of room. S.W. fish are VERY territorial make sure what ever you decide to stock is compatable with everything else. Nothing sucks worse than trying to rip a tank apart to catch a problem fish.
hope this helps
hmmm
MAx the Man of answers... Would it be more efficient to get all live rock and no base rock? or is that just a bad question? i kind of want to set up a cavey pyramid in the middle of my tank (55) and have like 2 small caves on the sides of the big pyramid one... any idea what i mean? and would u use base rock on the bottom of a pyramid style live rock setup??
ewurm;577630; said:
The thing is that the biomedia will cause you major nitrate issues down the road. If you want to set up a reef start it as a fowlr and cycle your live rock seperatly. You don't want the bio media fighting for free ammonia. I'd really just get base rock and allow to cycle. You could keep fish happy with the set up you are attempting with enough hiding places but, your inverts won't like the nitrates. You'll just be giving your self a lot more work and a lot less wiggle room. Base rock is usually only about $2 or $3 per lb get dry coral.
hth and this is by far the easiest way to go IMHO I only do a water change about every 3 or 4 weeks on my softy tank and then I do it to put back in trace elements more than to get rid of nitrates.
hth
Max
they have really cut back on the critters that you will get with the new aquacultered rock... but it is still possible but unlikely now coral worms you might get and then you would be pissed when your expensive coral starts to dissapear at night
Its cool how the base rock, can turn into live rock.. blows my mind... Freshwater is lookin so much easier now that i am understanding SW even more! i need a challenge!
