New To Salt,Help!!?

[nonstophoops]

I've seen countless times where people introduce live rock into their "fish" tank and all it did was wipe out their fish with disease. I don't see any benefit by adding live rock to a fish tank. Of course I'm talking about a tank that does have a real filtration system like a wet dry or whatever. Yes I understand that new reef tanks have rufugium systems with no biological filters other than a skimmer and live rock. I'm not talking about this type of tank. I'm only referring to a fish only tank.

This was most likely not the case. It would not have been disease unless they got the rock from a tank full of sick fish. Most likely they did not properly cure the live rock after purchasing and it caused a cycle in there tank that stressed the fish and made them susceptible to illness. Then the illness that was already in the tank(not from the rock) takes over and kills the fish.

The problems you are associating with rock are not the rock at all and are hobbyist error. Adding rock that is not properly prepared to an already established tank is dangerous. The solution to this is to set up the tank and put the rock in to help the tank cycle. If you are really worried about disease then let the tank stay fallow for at least 6 weeks before introducing fish. This way the diseases you speak of would have starved and be dead. You need to leave the tank fallow almost that long anyway while it cycles so this will solve these problems you have stated.

There is NOTHING that we can put in our tanks that is more beneficial than live rock. It introduces food(copepods, amphipods, etc.), natural shelter, looks, and natural denitrifying bacteria. It comes with more surface area than bioballs could ever duplicate and it also denitrifies deep within the rock. Bioballs create nitrates which is exactly what we don't want in our tanks.

I truly believe that every marine tank should have some live rock in it, reef or no, doesn't matter. It is very important.

 

[Chaz88]

thinking bout taking the plunge into saltwater tank.i have done fresh for years,cihlids,catfish,bass... think im ready for a change ,time to brighten it up. i have been doing some reading. i want to do a fish only tank with maybe few live rocks. what is my best approach to setting up a tank,cycling it,what filtration? it will be a 75g tank.

BUMP FOR THE OP.

 

[Mudslinger14]

first off live rock and fish is a no no. live rock only brings in disease and destruction to a fish tank.

 

[Chaz88]

thinking bout taking the plunge into saltwater tank.i have done fresh for years,cihlids,catfish,bass... think im ready for a change ,time to brighten it up. i have been doing some reading. i want to do a fish only tank with maybe few live rocks. what is my best approach to setting up a tank,cycling it,what filtration? it will be a 75g tank.

id like to keep a small trigger.an few other fish that could be tank mates with him, what other fish can i put in with a trigger? i know ill ned a bigger tank but a 75g for a 3-4 inch trigger will be fine for a little while, how bout snowflake eel?

ONE LAST BUMP FOR THE OP: Becasue I feel I have helped start a derail.

 

[hghlndr85]

lol just a little its all good tho. so can i use a ac110 as a filter?

 

[JayMan8200]

im setting up a FOWLR tank and am new to all of this. is there any difference to the live sand? would this be good? is it better to get all live sand or can i mix it with something else a little cheaper. im looking at putting about 60lbs in my 72 gallon bow front...is that enough or do i need more? i have 2 3gallon buckets of live rock that i got from my friend.

 

[FLESHY]

Do not waste your money on live sand. Aragonite...something around 1-2mm grain size is what I use, allows you to vacuum your gravel and get out all the detritus that will eventually cause a nitrate factory.

 

[Chaz88]

im setting up a FOWLR tank and am new to all of this. is there any difference to the live sand? would this be good? is it better to get all live sand or can i mix it with something else a little cheaper. im looking at putting about 60lbs in my 72 gallon bow front...is that enough or do i need more? i have 2 3gallon buckets of live rock that i got from my friend.

Do not waste your money on live sand. Aragonite...something around 1-2mm grain size is what I use, allows you to vacuum your gravel and get out all the detritus that will eventually cause a nitrate factory.

I used a bunch of live sand when I set up my SW tank and, as far as I can tell, it did nothing but cost more money. Your mileage might be different.

 

[nonstophoops]

I used a bunch of live sand when I set up my SW tank and, as far as I can tell, it did nothing but cost more money. Your mileage might be different.

Yep, its a waste. It does just cost more money.

How can something be alive when it hasn't had food or oxygen in a bag for months? IT CAN'T!

 

[nonstophoops]

ONE LAST BUMP FOR THE OP: Becasue I feel I have helped start a derail.

I answered his cycling questions and what he will need in my first post.