Post your questions and ideas here!!

OK, purchased a skimmer, got the sump, purchased lighting, the build of the stand and canopy starts next week...now what? If I decide to go closed loop, what is all needed besides a pump and some tubing? Or am I being niave? What else am I forgetting? I know I need to start some live rock...WOW - this is an expensive "hobby" So far I've spent almost $800 and I haven't even started on the expense of the stand and canopy, live rock, and livestock!! HOLY CRAP!!!
 
I would just get some Eco-rox from 2 part solutions in the cities. and them just get a few pounds of LR to seed it. WOW 800.00 what have you bought? what kind of skimmer did you get?
 
Well, I spent $100 on the tank, $300 on the lighting, $350 on a MRC MR-1 Skimmer with a waste collector and mag12, $45 on the sump...it adds up fast. I'm sure there will be well over $100.00 in LR and then the cost of building the oak stand and canopy. Not to mention the $200.00 I just spent on the RO/DI unit....I guess that is $1000 already and I have nothing to look at :-( I'm feeling depressed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
yeah, I'll be getting some eco-rox, depending on how long my tax season check lasts. Its a great price, and seems easy enough to handle for me.
 
If I were just starting out Val I would just get the eco-rox it is nice stuff. If you come down to the meeting you could stop by and take a look at it. I have a lot in my tank. I would not spend 8-9 dallors per pound on LR when the ER is just like it but dead and then just get a few LR . IMO that is the way to go and the ER is only 2.56 a lbs. maybe you and Swan. can do a group order. I know the new lady from Park Rapids needs rock and stuff too.
 
Yeah, I think that is how I am going to go...I already have several peices of live rock in my 20g. I need to do some reading now on how to cure it and get it "live".

Hey, Garrett, how long did it take your tank to cycle after you set it up?
 
If you have the LR in the 20 it should be alive and cured all you would have to do is get some eco-rox and the stuff you have will make that live.

As far as the cycle goes your tank will more than likey cycle faster than mine because you will have LR and sand to put in there mine took about 4-6 weeks to finally cycle.
 
by dedex
Yeah, I think that is how I am going to go...I already have several peices of live rock in my 20g. I need to do some reading now on how to cure it and get it "live".
Click to expand...

If you are talking about that stuff from Ben Franklin, I'd check to make sure it is pourus before you sign it off as live rock. A lot of the rock they sold was solid granite and they called it live rock. Not true.

Val, You are going to need roughly 1.5 - 2 lbs/gallon of rock. 1/4 of that can be live while the rest is dead (or dry). Eco-Rocks, Marco Rocks and that other store out of Tampa Bay, FL (can't remember the name) sells an excellent dry rock. Or you can make it yourself!! DIY live rock. Lots of people on RC have done it, including my friends down in Florida. That way you can sculpt your own designs. I have never tried it, but always wanted to. Reef Club project!!
 
IF you have any idea how to do it, maybe that would be a good demo for the meeting.

Also, I purchased some live rock from the LFS in Grand forks. And the stuff I got from Ben Franklin you hand picked for me and told me that it was pourus. I'm sure you don't remember - that was a hundred years ago, wasn't it? And I WAS the ONLY person you dealt with there - don't you remember? (hehe). I only have about 10lbs of live rock right now. So I may have to get some more. So I basically need about 100-150lbs when completed? UF-DAH!!!!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11683974#post11683974 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Home_Depot


As far as the cycle goes your tank will more than likey cycle faster than mine because you will have LR and sand to put in there mine took about 4-6 weeks to finally cycle.
Click to expand...


Which opens another topic - live sand or bare bottom? Which is the best way to go? AND can I just add "sand" to my live sand, like I would with live rock, to make it live?
 
Eco-Rox is $2.65 a pound!!! Jeez I can get aquacultured up here at the same price, I was going to 50/50 it to save money but that won't really work, I still might just for differences in shape. Dedex, I feel your pain, all I have is the tank so far, everything else has to wait until I'm less broke.
Sand or bare bottom is up to you, usually bare-bottom is preferred by the sps junkies so you can have tons of flow and suck up all the nasties into the skimmer, deep sand beds are another route, that you would want to do some research into. I'm going with a shallow sand bed here, that's what I've always done and I like the look of sand but don't want to worry about sandbed crashes.
 
I have been BB (Bare Bottom) for the last several years. DSB's (Deep Sand Beds) were the craze a while back, but cause too many problems. They say you need a sand bed for nitrification or something like that. I have no sand, yet, in my system. My sand bed will be in my refugium. I may even try A. Calfo's "DSB in a bucket" idea.
 
Alright - everyone has told me a hundred times that there is never a dumb question....what is "aquacultured rock"? I'm assuming the way that GoingPostal stated it that it would be preferred to Eco-Rox? Maybe in my best interest to make a trip to I-Falls?
 
 
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