Getting Back into Reefing

[Pjhoehn]

Its been over 10 years since I have been in theses forums. After a 5 day power outage in January 2007 I lost all but a Clown fish. It was a few days before I could round up a generator by then it was to late water temp was in the mid 50s. So I'm here looking to restart my reef with what was my live rock (now dead)and sand and looking for advice. I hit the net and LFS and not getting the same answers. I have 20 Lbs. of live sand to seed my sand bed. My plan was to power wash my LR to remove the lose debris and cure the rock and sand in the tank. I have seen run the skimmer and not to run the skimmer. Im also looking at having to but new MH bulbs and a compact florescent tube, and was wondering making the jump to LED's worth it.


So looking for advice on curing my rock and sand.



My tank is a 72 Gal Bow

 

[Indymann99]

I would recommend LED as they are much less power hungry. Also produce less HEAT and that will help in the summer in CA.

Powerwashing the LR is fine. Place in tank THEN add the sand.

I would run skimmer from day 1.

I would recommend you give the tank at least 60 days or so to fully cycle AND develop some bio before adding fish.

 

[NO3]

run the skimmer and not to run the skimmer.

I'm reading more and more scientific studies that a pH of 8.2-8.3 allows corals to grow TWICE as fast as with pH of 7.8 bc 8.2-8.3 allows corals to release hydrogen bubbles quicker and make calcium carbonate quicker.

To get your pH up you need to Oxygenate your tank water by bubbling the tank water to RELEASE DREADED CO2 gas in tank water.

One of the best pieces of equip to release CO2 is a SKIMMER

My my opinions based on what I've read....

 

[Pjhoehn]

My intuition was to run the skimmer from the get go! I was going to put my calcium reactor in the loop with media and no CO2. Should I run it or no




















I think I will go LEDs in effort to not need to use my chiller as much

 

[NO3]

My intuition was to run the skimmer from the get go! I was going to put my calcium reactor in the loop with media and no CO2. Should I run it or no

I ran a Calc Reactor for 5 yrs and saw very little benefit. In fact, ran into multiple ALK SPIKES that killed a bunch of stuff but kept doing the reactor bc I had it all setup. My reactor now sits in a dusty corner.

I truly believe you can have MORE results not running a calc reactor but do MORE WATERCHANGES.

Im convinced keeping a high pH with aeration and waterchanges is the NEW way to go.

I'm met Ryan from Bulk Reef Supply featured below... and talked to him for 2hrs at a reef show. The dude is a no BS awesome dude. Whatever he says on BRStv is golden advice. I 100000000% believe everything he says as truth bc he's that kind of dude and biz owner. Super awesome dude.

WATCH WHAT RYAN SAYS ABOUT PH AND GETTING RID OF CO2:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=guDySmm99b4

 

[swhobbie1]

curing old live rock in the tank in the house may give off a smell you dont want in the house. If there is the chance of alot of dead stuff on it I would cure it in a tub in the garage.

 

[reefgeezer]

Your Mh lights will probably work great until you get the rest of the tank going. I'd be tempted to abandon the compacts & just get higher Kelvin metal halide bulbs for now. You can replace lights later. Quality LEDs are good, but expensive.

If you decide to keep the old rock, "cure" it outside the tank... and the house! Even if you bleach & acid bath the old rock, it could have a lot if dried stuff inside it that will begin to decompose and stink to high heaven until it cures. It might also create lots of ammonia and phosphate during that process. There is no use bringing that to your display tank.

Read up on acid baths for dead rock and using lanthanum chloride to battle leaching phosphates.

Many have gotten away from sand completely, or greatly reduced its depth, over the past decade. I'd suggest you look at that possibility using all new sand.

 

[Pjhoehn]

Update the rock and sand and RO/DI saltwater hit the tank 11 days ago. The Ammonia spiked and is now at .50ppm, Nitrite 5.ppm, Nitrate is off the charts, Phosphorus is at 0 and PH at 8.2. I have been dosing Macrobactor 7. running the skimmer and carbon filter sock. The tank never yellowed or gave off an odor. I'm assuming now because I have never cycled a tank without a poor Blue Damsel I need to start phantom feeding the tank.

 

[bcb577]

As far as your sand bed is concerned I’ve gone to a very shallow bed in my nano and I vacuum it every water change I’ve started that from day one and it’s working great I wouldn’t do that if the sand bed had been in the tank for a long time or if I did I’d do it in sections but doing it from the getgo has been great!