http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1031074
temperature 78
salinity 1.024 BY REFRACTOMETER
at least one live rock; rest can be just 'conditioned' rock.
Set base rock down before adding sand.
WASH sand if bought dry. Use aragonite sand, never crushed coral, never play sand.
Fill tank, run pump, expect some cloudiness from sand. This settles.
drop in 1 flake of fish food per gallon of tank.
do this daily. After 5 days, run nitrate/ammonia tests, and run the tests every five days until week 3. test daily during week 3 and keep adding fishfood. If you see ammonia, still add fishfood. If the ammonia goes away over the next 5 days you are cycled enough for snails and microhermits and worms. Buy same and let them clean up the tank. Go on adding the fishfood.
Now you can get a fish (read the info on the adult size of said fish!!! he'll generally get there within a year) and run him through TTM (see the sticky) while the snails work on the tank and help the sandbed. ONLY ONE FISH.
Once that fish is ready to go in, keep him healthy for a week before starting the next through TTM.
It's also ok to add coral, but ask about lighting and coral types before doing so.
temperature 78
salinity 1.024 BY REFRACTOMETER
at least one live rock; rest can be just 'conditioned' rock.
Set base rock down before adding sand.
WASH sand if bought dry. Use aragonite sand, never crushed coral, never play sand.
Fill tank, run pump, expect some cloudiness from sand. This settles.
drop in 1 flake of fish food per gallon of tank.
do this daily. After 5 days, run nitrate/ammonia tests, and run the tests every five days until week 3. test daily during week 3 and keep adding fishfood. If you see ammonia, still add fishfood. If the ammonia goes away over the next 5 days you are cycled enough for snails and microhermits and worms. Buy same and let them clean up the tank. Go on adding the fishfood.
Now you can get a fish (read the info on the adult size of said fish!!! he'll generally get there within a year) and run him through TTM (see the sticky) while the snails work on the tank and help the sandbed. ONLY ONE FISH.
Once that fish is ready to go in, keep him healthy for a week before starting the next through TTM.
It's also ok to add coral, but ask about lighting and coral types before doing so.
