just add salt?

[JohnnyHildo]

hey guys!
i'm brand new to the hobby and have been chipping away at getting my 120g going and by the looks of things i'll be putting my RO system through it's paces today as i start to fill my tank.
my question seems fairly simple but in searching i didn't find my result so i'll ask here... when making new water for a marine aquarium is immediately adding salt, heat and lights necessary to cycle the tank?
i ask because i don't have my hydrometer or salt yet and was curious.
i apologize in advance for my noob question lol.

 

[JRR1285]

You definitely need an adequate amount of salt to start cycling. Is it going to be a FOWLR (Fish only with Live Rock) or a Reef tank? Also, you should have your rock and sand in place before adding the salt water since it will displace the water if you add it after filling. You will then need to remove water if you add too much initially.

You should make one of your next items a Refractometer instead of a Hydrometer. Make sure you get one intended for salt water and it should be calibrated with a solution that has the same salinity as NSW. It is much more accurate and easier to read.

You do not need lights for a cycle and if your house is in the low 70's you could probably get the cycle going. Otherwise I would recommend heaters.

Did you read the stickies in the new to the hobby sub-forum? They are excellent starting points.

 

[JohnnyHildo]

You definitely need an adequate amount of salt to start cycling. Is it going to be a FOWLR (Fish only with Live Rock) or a Reef tank? Also, you should have your rock and sand in place before adding the salt water since it will displace the water if you add it after filling. You will then need to remove water if you add too much initially.

You should make one of your next items a Refractometer instead of a Hydrometer. Make sure you get one intended for salt water and it should be calibrated with a solution that has the same salinity as NSW. It is much more accurate and easier to read.

You do not need lights for a cycle and if your house is in the low 70's you could probably get the cycle going. Otherwise I would recommend heaters.

Did you read the stickies in the new to the hobby sub-forum? They are excellent starting points.

i appreciate the response.
yes, sorry i meant refractometer. to start off it will be FOWLR and then i'll slowly work my way into the corals. the dry rock then the sand-bed will be added today when i finish plumbing my return.
while i have spent a lot of time reading here before i registered but will definitely go over everything i can. i mean how else is a guy supposed to remain busy when he's not tinkering with the tank? lol
kind of a bunk photo but...

 

[JRR1285]

Looks like a great start.

Since it is going to be a Reef eventually I would target a salinity of 1.025-1.026.

If your sand is dry I would recommend rinsing it very thoroughly. You will be happy you did when your tank looks clear after a day or so instead of multiple days.

 

[JohnnyHildo]

Looks like a great start.

Since it is going to be a Reef eventually I would target a salinity of 1.025-1.026.

If your sand is dry I would recommend rinsing it very thoroughly. You will be happy you did when your tank looks clear after a day or so instead of multiple days.

i was feeling all bad about the waste water when using my RO unit... until i rinsed my gravel lol. after i get the rest of my rock placed in there today i'll add the gravel should come out very clean.
thank you for the salinity advice and i'll shoot for somewhere in there.

 

[JRR1285]

When you say "gravel" do you mean some kind of sand, crushed coral, or are you using a large sized substrate as your sand bed? Just want to make sure you're not adding something that could be potentially problematic.

 

[billdogg]

When you say "gravel" do you mean some kind of sand, crushed coral, or are you using a large sized substrate as your sand bed? Just want to make sure you're not adding something that could be potentially problematic.

Seems like you are off to a good start, but........



What he said^^^^^^^^

Even crushed coral can quickly become problematic, trapping detritus, and generally being less than hospitable to many fish and inverts, especially those that require finer substrate.

 

[JohnnyHildo]

yea i need to get my terminology down. i'm using aragonite seaflor super reef which is basically a varied sized variety.

 

[JRR1285]

It looks like the grain size should be suitable for a reef tank. I used caribsea reef floor special which had a smaller grain range (1.0-2.0), my tank is bare bottom now.

As long as the bulk of the substrate isn't closer to that 4mm size listed I think you should be good. Maybe post a pic of the sand so we can see if it's not closer to crushed coral in size. You can also thin it out with a smaller grain sand if need be. It depends more on which animals you intend to keep.

 

[bertoni]

Personally, I stuck with the finest-grained sand products after trying crushed coral. Anything that can accumulate lots of debris can be an issue, although some fish might stir up the substrate enough to reduce that problem.

 

[JohnnyHildo]

It looks like the grain size should be suitable for a reef tank. I used caribsea reef floor special which had a smaller grain range (1.0-2.0), my tank is bare bottom now.

As long as the bulk of the substrate isn't closer to that 4mm size listed I think you should be good. Maybe post a pic of the sand so we can see if it's not closer to crushed coral in size. You can also thin it out with a smaller grain sand if need be. It depends more on which animals you intend to keep.

i'd say it's 1/4 5mm and varying down to probably 1mm pebbles. it's supposedly coarse enough that it holds it's place but is small enough that burrowing fish like jawfish can still do their thing.

 

[bertoni]

Well, a jawfish might be able to keep it clean.

 

[JohnnyHildo]

this is completely on an unrelated note but i have to say, this forum has been terrific. first day here and i'm sure my questions are as lame as any other noob but i didn't have to wait long to get well thought out responses quickly. great job reefers

 

[tmz]

If that's live rock in fesh water most of the life on it has or will die.

 

[JohnnyHildo]

If that's live rock in fesh water most of the life on it has or will die.

no no it's dry rock. everything is dead already haha.

 

[headnic789]

Welcome to the struggle. If you really do plan on going reef. Make sure you buy reef safe fish so your not ripping your tank apart getting fish you don't want anymore out. Start slow and don't buy cheap products to get you by. I only speak from experience. What's the rest of your setup look like.

 

[JohnnyHildo]

Welcome to the struggle. If you really do plan on going reef. Make sure you buy reef safe fish so your not ripping your tank apart getting fish you don't want anymore out. Start slow and don't buy cheap products to get you by. I only speak from experience. What's the rest of your setup look like.

the tank is a plumbed 120 gallon and it has a 40 gallon sump with a quietone 4000. i have my substrate and pukani all in place now and am playing the waiting game on my rodi system to make water for me. more lighting, new heaters and a skimmer are all on the list of things to come.
i'll make sure to post more photos once i get this thing filled and turned over a few times

 

[reefitted]

Sounds like a great start. I also love this forum for its immense knowledge and people willing to share their successes and struggles. Do you have an ATO/reservoir for top off? One thing all aquarists agree on is stability. React to changes methodically to discover what works. Daily attention, lots of testing at first. Headnic789 is completely right on proper choice of livestock now and not go cheap on products/equip. Research all choices before you buy or place. Congradulations and welcome to an amazing hobby.
Cheers

 

[JohnnyHildo]

Sounds like a great start. I also love this forum for its immense knowledge and people willing to share their successes and struggles. Do you have an ATO/reservoir for top off? One thing all aquarists agree on is stability. React to changes methodically to discover what works. Daily attention, lots of testing at first. Headnic789 is completely right on proper choice of livestock now and not go cheap on products/equip. Research all choices before you buy or place. Congradulations and welcome to an amazing hobby.
Cheers

i honestly haven't looked into automatic top off much but will definitely look into it more. the information base for this stuff is awesome.
i'm about 5 more hours of water making away from firing my plumbing up for the first time! :dance: