FINALLY starting my first SW tank! What else am I missing?

J

Jimmer12

New member
Ok I have been a member here for quite a while, silently reading posts and getting involved in a few conversations as well. After over a year of having "things get in the way" and causing me to put it off, I am finally ready to get some water in my tank and start cycling this weekend.

Ok so the details:

46 gallon bowfront that was being used for a planted freshwater tank up until last week. I have thoroughly cleaned it out, with hot water and vinegar yesterday and am leaving it to dry completely.

I have around 75 pounds of dry rock that I bought from a guy shutting down a 75 gallon tank. Its been sitting dry for about a year. I have way more than I need for this tank so I can pick and choose through it all and build up a nice scape. I've started rinsing it all off to get rid of dust and any critters that have made a home in it since its been sitting in my basement.

I have a few local reefers that have offered to sell me a few chunks of established live rock from their tanks to seed all my dry rock and kick start the cycle.

I have two 15 pound bags of Carbisea aragonite aragmax select sand. I may need to grab another 15 pound bag, but I will make that call once I add it to the tank.

I am going to build this tank as a sumpless tank, and I have a HOB filter to hang on it, as well as 2 Aquaclear 50 powerheads to get started, but I intend to swap those out with better powerheads and keep those for salt mixing etc.

No skimmer yet, I am going to add one after the cycle.

Eheim 150 Watt heater

API saltwater test kit

RODI unit up and running....


So what else am I missing?
 
I have a basic T8 fixture on that tank for now, since I am starting the tank as a fowlr, I will add an appropriate reef light down the road and move this T8 light to my quarantine setup at that time.
 
If you are starting as a FOWLR, you should be fine.

All you need is a QT setup. Be sure every fish gets QT'd before it goes in your display.
If you've bee lurking for a year, you know how important that step can be.
 
Why not start a skimmer now? It will help remove the die-off left over from your rocks. I have cured rocks a few times and stayed skimming from day one. You would be surprised how much skimmate is actually produced.
 
kmbyrnes said:
If you are starting as a FOWLR, you should be fine.

All you need is a QT setup. Be sure every fish gets QT'd before it goes in your display.
If you've bee lurking for a year, you know how important that step can be.
Click to expand...
I should have added that. I have a qt setup leftover from my african cichlid days. 35 gallon 3 foot long tank. Eheim heater, fluval 405 canister.
 
06bug said:
Why not start a skimmer now? It will help remove the die-off left over from your rocks. I have cured rocks a few times and stayed skimming from day one. You would be surprised how much skimmate is actually produced.
Click to expand...
The main reason is I was planning to save up and get something really top notch, I hear a lot of good things about the JNS skimmers I figured I'd save up during my cycle and buy one when I'm ready to add livestock.
 
Just a suggestion, if you plan on using the t8, make sure the bulb is new, even though it's a fish only, and old bulb on anything will create excess nuisance algae. I thought the same thing. If your keeping it a fowlr then get a cheap led and then no worry about old bulbs and algae. It will haunt you. I would get a external thermometer, a cheap ones fine $7. I don't trust the ones on heaters and it's a peace of mind. Also I would start now by soaking the rocks for a few days in prime water to leach off any phosphate or anything else that may be on there in a Rubbermaid or bucket.
 
I'd grab an alk test and a refractometer. The API master kit ought to come with alk instead of ph.

The hob filter will need cleaning every couple days or else it can raise nitrates. Once you get all the dust from the sand out of the water you might want to run it empty most of the time and only use it to polish he water after a water change. I use a floss pad with carbon in it for that, works pretty good.

Some other knicknaks like extra powerhead for mixing water, and siphon tube for water changes or a gravel vac to clean the sand etc. If you see a good deal on that type of stuff, pick it up.
 
CStrickland said:
I'd grab an alk test and a refractometer. The API master kit ought to come with alk instead of ph.

The hob filter will need cleaning every couple days or else it can raise nitrates. Once you get all the dust from the sand out of the water you might want to run it empty most of the time and only use it to polish he water after a water change. I use a floss pad with carbon in it for that, works pretty good.

Some other knicknaks like extra powerhead for mixing water, and siphon tube for water changes or a gravel vac to clean the sand etc. If you see a good deal on that type of stuff, pick it up.
Click to expand...
I've got a refractometer, going right now to buy a bottle of calibration fluid. I have all the normal gravel syphon etc for cleaning since I have had multiple freshwater tanks for years.
 
Tarheel Reefer said:
What about powerheads...need some water movement.
Click to expand...

I've got a pair of Aquaclear 50 powerheads I will use for now, eventually i'll replace them with something better and keep them for salt mixing. I also have a 2400 gph aqueon powerhead but I have a feeling that may be overkill for a 46 gallon tank lol.
 
I'm getting excited, RODI water is slowly filling some buckets as we speak. Should have my tank filled tomorrow and the cycle can begin!
 
I did sumpless like you for a while. In the end I ended up installing a sump. Trust me it's the best way to go. Eshopps sump + overflow box would cost you about 300 if you shop around.
 
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