Filling SaltWater

F

fernalfer

New member
Ok i have a 120 Gallon tank which is empty right now. I have 120 lbs. of Marco Key Largo Rock. And will be buying either dry or live sand (not sure which one yet). Now because my tank is empty can i just mix my initial RODI water and salt in the tank? And if so should i fill with saltwater first and mix with powerheads, then add rock and then add sand?

Just not sure what order i should add the water, salt, rock, and sand in.

Any suggestions?
 
I tried a new approach when setting up my last tank. I set the rock up first, and then added water. Was a lot easier. I went barebottom.
 
I have known hobbyist to mix the salt in the aquarium before adding anything, personally I didn't do that. For as adding what first, if you plan on getting something like goby or a jawhead or a fish that likes to dig, I recommend putting the rocks in first, then the sand. Some hobbyist put sand first then rock. It's all up to you.
 
Always best to to do rock on the glass, then add the sand. The reason being, if you have critters that like to burrow in the sand, moving the sand around won't cause your rocks to shift and tumble.
 
I have Marco Key Largo Dry rock. They say it is pre-cured. Is it necessary to put it in a seperate tub/container with RODI water, salt, heater, and powerhead for up to a month or can i add the rock right to the tank.

My plan is to add RODI water, Then mix in the Salt with a heater. Once the Saltwater is at the right temp and salinity i was going to add my rock. And then add my sand. And start the fishless cycle.
 
If you are worried about putting the rock right on the glass you can always put egg crate down first. I went with this approach and am very happy with it, as is my goby. I didn't mix the water in the tank but don't see an issue in doing so. I would suggest looking at ways to put sand in post water because you will have a difficult time getting the sand spread due to the sand storm; thus, causing a second one to fix it once it is settled.
 
fernalfer said:
Ok i have a 120 Gallon tank which is empty right now. I have 120 lbs. of Marco Key Largo Rock. And will be buying either dry or live sand (not sure which one yet). Now because my tank is empty can i just mix my initial RODI water and salt in the tank? And if so should i fill with saltwater first and mix with powerheads, then add rock and then add sand?

Just not sure what order i should add the water, salt, rock, and sand in.

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

problem is salinity. i wouldnt mix the salt in the tank.
Do you know exactly how many gallons of water the tank has with rocks, sand, pump etc. in, those take up some gallons.
if not your salinity is all over the place and you need to adjust it

id only add salt the first time from a bucket that you know has the right salinity.

also as mentioned first rock on glass then add the sand. also make sure the aquascape is sturdy if you want to add urchins etc..
 
for the initial fill you can either premix or fill with water and add salt. My personal preference is to pre mix it. That way I do not have to add water or remove water from the tank to get the salinity correct.

in either case since you got some dry rock, I would set up the rock first and get it arranged the way you like it. I would also use dry sand and save a few bucks, just make sure to rinse it very good.

If adding the salt after the water I would at it pretty slow with some power heads running so you don't end up with a pile on the bottom. Then let it circulate for awhile. Good luck just my 2 cents.
 
You really want to add the salt to the water before you add either rock or sand if you plan on mixing the saltwater in the tank. If you add the salt afterwards crystals get lodged in the cracks and it can take a very long time for it to dissolve making it difficult to keep the salinity from rising over several days. As posted above you want to place the rock directly on the glass or on plastic egg crate which helps lock the rock in place so it doesn't slide around over time as the sand shifts and rocks above press down on the base rocks. Add the sand last and be sure to wash the sand first. Use dry sand, it will cost you less and it is much easier to wash.
 
Just get a Brute. trash can and premix some saltwater, arrange your rock first, add sand and fill tank from the Brute, just keep mixing in there until your tank is almost filled, then wait a bit to check the salinity and make any adjustments in the final fill.
 
I am going to setup my 125 in about a month and I plan to fix the rock in the tank first then pour live sand in, and finally just use a return pump to fill my tank with pre-mixed saltwater. I use dry rock by the way and it is way easier to glue and aquascape without water.
I also plan to put a big acrylic sheet on the bottom of the tank just in case a rock falls by accident. It's going to be covered by sand anyways.
 
roberthu526 said:
I am going to setup my 125 in about a month and I plan to fix the rock in the tank first then pour live sand in, and finally just use a return pump to fill my tank with pre-mixed saltwater. I use dry rock by the way and it is way easier to glue and aquascape without water.
I also plan to put a big acrylic sheet on the bottom of the tank just in case a rock falls by accident. It's going to be covered by sand anyways.
Click to expand...

What kind of dry rock and did you sure it first or just put it right into tank. Another one of my dilemmas
 
Live sand isn't worth what they charge for it. Normally "live" sand costs double that of dry sand. Once you put the rinsed dry sand in your tank it is "live" within about 2 weeks if you get a cup of sand from a trusted source to seed your sand. Even if you don't seed it, the sand gets live after your cycle is done. So either way it's a total waste of money to purchase "live" sand IMO

I would mix the water either in buckets or like was mentioned get a Brute and mix it in there. Like was also mentioned if you do mix it in the tank the salt particles can get stuck and not dissolved for a while which can make your SG way off.
 
Alright so i have decided to cure my rocks only because i have time before i'm ready to fill tank with water. I will also mix water first in a Brute Plastic can. Still up for debate on live or dry sand because everywhere i look they seem to be right around the same price.

So to cure i put in Brute with RODI Saltwater, a powerhead for circulation and a heater. Then monitor and do water changes every week or so. Until when do you cure them? what tells you they are ready for the main display. Also how long can the rock be out of the water when transferring to the main display for aquasqaping?
 
I used Marco rock and soaked it in DI water for a week just to clean off the dust, vs worrying about curing since it shouldn't have any bio matter. I then brushed/flushed it in the bucket several times, put it down on the glass and massaged sand around the edges and into the crevices as best as I could. Then I mixed the salt in a container to 1.026 and instead of pouring water in via a container, I used a very low flow small fountain pump and small airline hose laying it on the bottom and let it fill up slowly to minimize the sand storm due to my fine sand..
 
Will just soaking the rock in regular tap water get rid of any phosphates on the rock. Reason i'm asking is because i just filled my 120 with tap water and vinegar for a leak test and to clean inside of tank. Can i put my Marco Rocks in there and let them soak some with a powerhead? Will that leech out the phosphates at all or no?
 
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