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[grouper25]

Ok Mates,
I have just completed my nightmare of 6 months plumbing my 220 reef. I am now ready to actually add water. Can anyone advise me how to add water??
I have added all my base rock and will add live rock in two weeks.

Should I(1) just fill the tank with RO water, turn on the heaters and then add my 12 bags of live sand or
(2) Fill 6 inches with salted water and then add live sand, and then add salted water to avoid a sand storm??????
When do I turn on my MRC 3 skimmer???????
What do u think???

Thanks Mates,
Happy New year,
G 25

 

[alizarin]

I think it's easiest to add rock, then sand then add the water slow or deflected enough not to mix the sand up much.

If your base rock was live and now has dried up dead stuff on it I'd turn on the skimmer now... if not there's no point using it until you add live rock and or fish. Same with the heater... after you add life. Turn some circulation on though. Also, if nothing is live I think it'd be easier to add the sand in the tank.

 

[BrandonS]

Not sure what sand you have so it'll make a difference. The packaged LS isn't as dusty as the home depot southdown route. When I did my tank I added the LR, then added the water, then the salt, then I added the LS. For the LS I cut the corner of the bag at an angle and poured it out of the bag where I wanted it. It didn't make too much of a storm either and cleared in a day or two with the pumps running.

You might want to premix the water as it was a pain in the *** trying to get everything to mix in my tank with rock. Plus you may inadvertently burn something if undissolved salt gets on the LR. I'd premix in retrospect.

 

[chris.hampton]

You could (and should to test that is nothing leaking!!) add the water first then add the salt then the rock etc.. If you put the water in test that nothing is leaking and that all the heaters and things are working first then add the salt if anything does go wrong you won't waste all the money on the salt and you don't need to worry about premixing it while your trying to do your rockwork, then add the rock then sand. Just make sure you leave enough room for the displacement you will get from the rock and sand