New and going for broke

grinner30

grinner30

New member
:hmm3:I am new to the reef scene. I am obtaining a tank that has not been kept up. The rock in the tank is brown. It has white matter on it that I need to clean off. I am not sure any bacteria is still present. I plan on curing the rock in 3-30 gallon tanks while I build the cabinet that the tank is going into and clean the main tank.

Questions:
1. Several pet stores have bagged live sand. Is this worth buying?
2. The tank is 120 gallons. How big of a sump do I need to run this? The person I am buying this from has a huge sump I cannot use and smaller one that is probably less than 10 gallons.
3. If I want a refuge should I put sand and substrate in it?
4. I plan on curing the rock in 3-30 gallon tanks while I build the cabinet that the tank is going into. Other than using power heads to help clean the rock, should I get a soft bristle brush to help clean the white dead matter from the rocks? (about 60 lbs of rock on hand and another 120 lbs of base rock on the way.)

Well that about wraps up my first set of questions. I am looking forward to a long couple of months getting this started and begging some of you to answer my noob questions! :hmm3:
 
1. IMO they aren't much better than bagged dry sand
2. 10g is going to be too small. I would go 30 gallons at the minimum for a display that size
3. I wouldn't d sand/substrate in the fuge unless you want a remote deep sand bed. I would read up on the pros and cons of such a system.
4. You could clean it off with something like a shoe brush or a tooth brush. Just don't use anything like a wire brush. I would also get some small heaters to keep the water around 78 degrees to promote bacteria growth. Some say skim the water, some say don't The sound of your situation is that your water will get pretty dirty during curing. I would recommend skimming that if possible. If not, water changes should help too.
 
1588989513Reefnut_welcome.gif
To the Broke club :)

1) Not really, I would just look for some bagged Argonite sand. The live sand is ok but I wouldn't pay a premium for it.

2) It will be best to get the biggest tank that you can fit into the space available for the sump/fuge. I have a 55gal and 35gal attached to my 90gal DT. One is under the tank in the cabinet and the other one is in a closet nearby.

3) I think it just depends on the purpose of the fuge in your system.

4) I think cleaning the rock with a brush is a good idea.
 
+1 on the skimming, brushing and the largest sump you can fit in your cabinet. Good luck with your new money pit!
 
The first thing you did right was asking advice on here before starting. Whatever you do, just take your time and ask questions before you do ANYTHING.
 
Picking up the Tank and all the equipment tomorrow. I need to stay in the Newbie section of the forums. Its scary to look at the rest of the big setups people have...a little overwhelming! lol

I will have pictures of the equipment in my garage tomorrow....then the fun starts...:hmm5:
 
I was going to separate the rock and do another curing process, then add it to the main tank and let it sit for a week or 2. I am not planning to add any new fish or inverts for a while for a while.

...not sure was cooking the rock means..:fun2: <--noob!
 
grinner30 said:
...not sure was cooking the rock means..
Click to expand...

You basically keep it in dark, covered containers for several weeks or months while doing water changes and moving the rocks from container to container to get rid of what they shed. Easy but long process that pretty much assures fresh, clean rock. Not the type of "cooking" one might think. ;)
 
Keep a powerhead in each of your 30G tubs to circulate the saltwater in the rock. Do 10% water changes in the tubs, just like you will later do in your tank. Even after this process, you will probably have a cycle in your new tank. Brushing with something non-metallic is a good idea, too.

Good luck.

LL
 
I just used that live sand and established LR. and had 3 day cycle. if you want to speed things upand can afford it do it. if not use pool filter sand. good luck CHEERS
 
Rather than buying the bags of live sand at the LFS, just get a normal sand that you want for the base then find a friend and get some live sand from them to seed your tank. That's what I did for my refugium and it seems to be doing just fine. (Yes - I have a remote deep sand bed in the refugium with a mangrove farm sitting on top of the sand.)
 
The Tank and stone are filthy. There is a white covering on the bottom and sides of most of the rock. I will be cooking it I think. Total darkness going to be a task though.

Pics below. I also have a skimmers and a 55 gallon sump that got thrown in with it.

Questions:
1. Do I really need a 55 gallon sump for a 120g tank? or is it over kill?
2. There is a Sealife systems 150 skimmer with the used items. Is it worth a darn?
3. What can I get the glass clean with on the inside of the tank that will not leave a residue that will harm the rock and inverts I put in later?

<a href="http://s994.photobucket.com/albums/af68/grinner30/fish%20tank/?action=view&current=100_1810.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/af68/grinner30/fish%20tank/100_1810.jpg" border="0" alt="Dirty Rock"></a>

<a href="http://s994.photobucket.com/albums/af68/grinner30/fish%20tank/?action=view&current=100_1809.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/af68/grinner30/fish%20tank/100_1809.jpg" border="0" alt="More Dirty rock"></a>

<a href="http://s994.photobucket.com/albums/af68/grinner30/fish%20tank/?action=view&current=100_1808.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/af68/grinner30/fish%20tank/100_1808.jpg" border="0" alt="..even more dirty rock"></a>

<a href="http://s994.photobucket.com/albums/af68/grinner30/fish%20tank/?action=view&current=100_1807.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/af68/grinner30/fish%20tank/100_1807.jpg" border="0" alt="55 Gallon Sump"></a>

<a href="http://s994.photobucket.com/albums/af68/grinner30/fish%20tank/?action=view&current=100_1796.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/af68/grinner30/fish%20tank/100_1796.jpg" border="0" alt="tank front left"></a>

<a href="http://s994.photobucket.com/albums/af68/grinner30/fish%20tank/?action=view&current=100_1797.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/af68/grinner30/fish%20tank/100_1797.jpg" border="0" alt="tank front right"></a>

<a href="http://s994.photobucket.com/albums/af68/grinner30/fish%20tank/?action=view&current=100_1798.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/af68/grinner30/fish%20tank/100_1798.jpg" border="0" alt="Tank back"></a>

<a href="http://s994.photobucket.com/albums/af68/grinner30/fish%20tank/?action=view&current=100_1804.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/af68/grinner30/fish%20tank/100_1804.jpg" border="0" alt="SeaLife Systems 150?"></a>
 
You can clean the glass with vinegar. My tank sat for 10 years with sand, rock the salt water evaporating and looked worse then the one that you have. I spent about two weeks cleaning it with vinegar and it looks brand new.
 
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