Newbie Needs HELP!

T

tkjudge

New member
We kind of got rushed into this saltwater tank, we got it from a kid that is going to be depolyed.

Question 1 - Husband filled the tank with cold water, will this have an effect on the live sand?

Question 2 - We currently have live rock in totes, sitting at room temperature, how long should we wait to add it to the tank. I know we need to get the temp of the water up.

Question 3 - How can you tell if your live rock is dead?

Question 4 - He gave us some rock that is a red color, is this normal?!!?

Please help me out here, my husband is ready to pull his hair out then mine!!!
Any tips would be greatly appreaciated!!!

Thanks
Tara
 
live sand might not make it(you have live rock anyway), need to get temp up to around 78f, is the water filtered in some way(no tap water if you can avoid it)? was the salt mixed before the water went in the tank? put moist newspaper(saltwater moist) on the rock to reduce die off while you get the temp up in the tank. did the tank come with a sump(tank under that water goes through) or some kind of filter, powerheads, lights and most importantly a heater? do you have a marine water test kit? did you read the stickies for how to set up a saltwater tank? sorry but what you have with the tank helps us give info on what to do.
 
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The live sand maybe ok - what is the temp of the water? You can heat the water faster by taking some out and heating in the microwave.

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This is what we have:
90 Gallon Tank
1 power head
Cascade 1000 Canister Filter
Plan on getting a Sump soon.
2 - 250 watt heaters
Live Sand, Live Rock
Extra Tank 10 gal tank for water changes

We need to know what kind of Light to get??
 
Lighting depends on what you plan to keep. Do you have a thermometer? What is the water temp now?
 
the light can wait until you get your water straight and decide what direction you want to go with the tank...fowlr, reef etc. do you curently have live stock from the purchase?
 
tkjudge said:
Oh and the live rock that we have is sitting submerged in salt water in totes in my living room!! LOL!!
Click to expand...
If the temp of the water in the the totes is the same as the tank, it doesn't matter - you can put it in now as long as you know the salinity is ok. Are you able to check pH?

When was the tank taken down?
 
I guess I am looking to find out what kind light do you need for live rock and fish only?

And this maybe a stupid question is coral and live rock the same thing??

I am reading all of the info in the stickies too!!!
 
not same, do you have a test kit and hydrometer(or like device to check salt level)? you wont have to get crazy lights to keep fowlr(fish only with live rock) it just depends on if you have a hood over the tank that you want the lights to fit in or if it will be open top
 
tkjudge said:
I guess I am looking to find out what kind light do you need for live rock and fish only?

And this maybe a stupid question is coral and live rock the same thing??

I am reading all of the info in the stickies too!!!
Click to expand...
:thumbsup: No, coral are living creatures, not plants but animals. They build a rocky substrate like we do bone. Live rock is a porous rock (often dead coral "bone") where beneficial bacteria live and perform the nitrogen cycle. They quickly convert ammonia from fish and other waste into nitrate, which you have to export from the tank by water changes. Ammonia is much more toxic to fish than nitrate, so this keeps the water livable.

Coral, algae and many inverts live in or on live rock. Live rock is your filter, if you have enough you dont need that canister, which actually can cause more bad than good.

You likely will have to go through a cycle before you can add any fish.
 
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"Ammonia is much more toxic to fish than ammonia, so this keeps the water livable."



now im confused I didnt know it was more toxic than itself:blown:
 
I would say at this point in the game. Once you get the tank to the right temp and salinity and the rock is in the tank . Take a deep breath and slow it down. In this hobby you definitly do not want to rush things. You will just be setting yourelf up for failure.

Your tank is going to take a few weeks to cycle . so that will give you plenty of time to do research and ask questions. Keep an close eye on the Liverock and hopefully a lot of critters survived the transition. If you see worms, feather dusters, snails ,starfish and such over the next week that will be a good sign. A great time to look will be in the middle of the night with a small flashlight. If you do not see much life you will always be able to seed your LR with a couple of pieces of fresh Liverock from a local LFS.

I would use the cannister filter for now but I have to agree with angel*fish . They can become nitrate factories if not cleaned on a regular basis once the tank is established.

You came to the right place for help. Reef central is a great community and people here are very helpful.

Good luck and remember to take it slow and research !
 
You can tell if your live rock dead if there isn't anything (critters) living on it such as brisstle worms, brittle sea stars, sea worms or any other living critters
 
Welcome:

Question 1 - May have some loss, but it should be ok

Question 2 - Tep of water should be 78-80

Question 3 - It will smell REALLY Bad

Question 4 - Yes, the red color is good it is corraline algae
 
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