75g Getting ready for startup - quick questions

[Bike2k]

Well I should be getting the remaining pieces that I need to start my first SW tank and I have a few questions. I have a 75g DT with a 20g sump/refug.

1. I plan to put chaeto in the sump. Do i add this before or after the tank has cycled?

2. I've seen refug's with LR and some with but also without sand. Is one way used over the other for a reason?

3. If you obtain some live sand from another tank to seed your sand how can you be sure your not bringing in bad things like ich? Being new to this i don't really know anyone and I may have to rely on random kindness from a forum responder.

 

[hollister]

You can do it with the cycle. You want some sand and rubble rock.And yes wait untill cycle before you add cheato.

 

[mlott132]

Well I should be getting the remaining pieces that I need to start my first SW tank and I have a few questions. I have a 75g DT with a 20g sump/refug.

1. I plan to put chaeto in the sump. Do i add this before or after the tank has cycled?
I would wait until after the cycle.

2. I've seen refug's with LR and some with but also without sand. Is one way used over the other for a reason?
I think some of it has to do with how much LR you have in your tank. By adding LR to your fuge you increase your biological filter size. I have Miracle Mud in mine with a few pieces of ruble rock.

3. If you obtain some live sand from another tank to seed your sand how can you be sure your not bringing in bad things like ich? Being new to this i don't really know anyone and I may have to rely on random kindness from a forum responder.
I would think that you are still going to go through some sort of cycle and depending on the length ich would not be an issue. The life span of ich is around nine weeks. So if you keep your tank fishless for at least that amount of time you should have no issue.

 

[Bike2k]

thanks for the help