Questions from a newbie

[DRHunk]

I am new to the whole Saltwater scene so I have a few questions that I have found conflicting information on. Most my information comes from reading the TBS site and asking questions at the local store. The first thing I need clarification on is the amount of rock to add to a
tank. The TBS site says 2lbs per gallon but the fish store says 1lb per
gallon. I have a 90 gallon tank 60" long 18"wide.

1. Is the rock you provide heavier than say Fiji so it requires more lbs yet takes up same amount of space? Or is it a personal preference of 2lbs per gallon?
I want to have a nice scenic tank with there still being enough room for the fish to swim and play.

My tank without the heaters turned on stays about 78-79 degrees in the summer and drops to 69-70 degrees in the winter. I heard on the TBS video you made a tank at your business that stays at 68 degrees and was thriving. The local store and TBS web site text says my tank needs to be 79-83 degrees.

2. Is it ok to let my tank range in temp with the seasons as it might in the wild or do I need to keep it at a constant temp year round, and if it needs to be constant what is the correct temp.

I think skimmers are a necessity but am not sold yet. Some say they are a bonus but not necessary and others say they are #1 priority. I run 2 filters that combined, filter 600 Gallons an hour, use 2 20" bubble wands and a power head (100 Gallon per Hour) to keep the water circulating.

3. If I only keep the live rock, cleaning crew and 5 fish at most, will I need a skimmer to keep everything healthy and vibrant or should my
current system help keep everything in check.

Thanks for any help or suggestions. I am hoping to purchase my rock soon and want to make sure everything is perfect for its arriva.

 

[Raggamuffin]

dang good questions for a "newbie", asking them shows that you are exactly the oppisite!

not speaking for Richard here just my 2 cents,

1: yes it is fairly dense BUT I swear he sends more than you pay for, I bought a package for my tank size and gave away about 1/2 because there was just so much! Temp swings are no big deal IF and only if they are slow 2 degree swing per day is no biggie but 5 will wipe out a tank. To clarify, 5 degrees a day every day.

2: see #1, and skimmers are 100% needed when you add corals... and you will someday. until then you are golden (personally I would chuck the bubble wands, and you will likely get some freebies that may require a skimmer, like anems)

3: see #2 (you mixxed up some questions )

 

[NeonFish]

Even for fiji LR 1lbs/gal is a bare minimum. LR is part of the biological filter.
Protein skimmer is highly recommended without it you'll lower you bio-load. See my album (95gal SW Wave has TBS rock in it).

 

[divemonster]

Hi Newbie...Here are some answers

Hi Newbie...Here are some answers

1. No where on any TBS video does anyone say Richard is keeping a thriving tank at 68F. A constant temp of 75-79F is required for a healthy tank. Remember that a saltwater tank is a well-managed, CONTAINED ecosystem and is not the ocean even though we do our best to get as close as possible. You should use your heater in the winter to maintain a constant temp.

2. Richard has developed "The Package" over time and knows how much of what needs to be in the tank so that it thrives. It could be compared to baking a cake...if you don't add the proper amount of flour the recipe calls for then the cake will not turn out well.

3. Do NOT believe everything your local fish store tells you. They want your money and will sell you a song to get it. I overheard a fish store employee telling a customer "a French angel won't eat your corals if you buy him while he's still a baby like this one..."

4. TBS live rock is alive...there are organisms of all sizes living on and in the rock. All living organisms excrete wastes. The purpose of a protein skimmer is to remove wastes and waste by-products. Too much waste in your tank could be compared to living somewhere where an ecological disaster has occurred. Yes, you could live there but you will not be healthy and will eventually die. There is a huge difference between "thriving" and "surviving."

Hope that helps.

 

[liverock]

Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks Teri for the input....the 68 degree thing is from the OLD video from 17 years ago.....68 degrees is what temp we kept the shop at...to maintain the water temp at 75-77....as when you ship live rock at those temps it does much better as the dissolved oxygen in the water stays in cooler water much longer than warmer water.

The actual temperature in the gulf goes from "this year was a record", 49 in the winter to 93 in the summer time. Is why the rock does so well it is ready for any temp as it grew up that way. I was diving yesterday, and it was gorgeous out there....the day before the storm we are getting today.....will get some pics of the rock and post later today...

And BTW ALL the videos you did are now up at

www.tbsaltwater.com

but the first two are not playing right until my isp adds an mp4 format, which should be later today....

watch out...looking at the radar that storm is now heading your way!

sea ya
Richard TBS:spin2::spin2::spin2:

 

[divemonster]

And BTW ALL the videos you did are now up at

Aww heck Richard...you used that bad visibility video I took last November :-(

I have lights for my UW video housing now and can do much better. I want to take footage of the gorgonian patch and other stuff I missed last time.

 

[liverock]

Pics of rock from yesterday

Pics of rock from yesterday

harvested 7/22/10

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=17410321#post17410321

Richard TBS:spin2::spin2::spin2:

 

[liverock]

Normal stuff!

Normal stuff!

Aww heck Richard...you used that bad visibility video I took last November :-(

I have lights for my UW video housing now and can do much better. I want to take footage of the gorgonian patch and other stuff I missed last time.

It was not your excellent video skills......it was the visibility....don't you just love diving when you can't see your feet!

That is the way the vis is most of the time in the Gulf on my site.

Richard TBS:spin2::spin2::spin2:

 

[DRHunk]

Thanks for all the responses. I have a new questions now =)

When is the best time period to order rocks to ensure the most activity on them. I ask because I am thinking that if I order in the Winter as a Christmas Present to myself life will be barren because of the temp the Gulf gets in the winter. I am guessing late spring/early summer for the best rock.

 

[liverock]

Thanks for all the responses. I have a new questions now =)

When is the best time period to order rocks to ensure the most activity on them. I ask because I am thinking that if I order in the Winter as a Christmas Present to myself life will be barren because of the temp the Gulf gets in the winter. I am guessing late spring/early summer for the best rock.

Hiya

The only thing that changes seasonally....is macro algae......summertime there is more....winter time there is less, everything else basically stays the same.

Sea ya
Richard TBS
www.tbsaltwater.com

 

[craigshup]

IME with TBS livesand

IME with TBS livesand

Definately get a good protine skimmer!

Just to add a little that I didn't see anyone else tell you, the live sand he sells also is full of life, it comes with the package, I didn't get it for my 90 gal. as you can see from my pictures I posted a couple weeks ago, but I did get it for my 35 gal. and I will post pictures of all of it when I recieve part 2 of my package for the 35 gal.
I have a lot of old crushed coral in the 90, i liked the bright white of it and I have had if for around 13 yrs.
However after seeing the TBS livesand I should have got it for the 90 also.It looks great!
A lot of mine in the 35, has mostly 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch size very colorful crushed stuff in it, and an advantage I seen right away was the hitchicking snails that were in the livesand when they fall off the tank walls they can flip themselves back right with the larger size livesand from TBS, but the same size and kind of snails in my 90 gal. tank with the small size crushed coral will lay there and die if you don't find them in time!
Plus you will also likely get many really small hermits, dif. kinds of snails, a few small stars, etc.
TBS livesand is Truly LIVE SAND FULL of LIFE not just sand with a bottle of bacteria added like in a LFS.
I only brought this up because I don't remember reading any post about describing TBS livesand!
I am sure it has been said many times over the years but (i was probly just druling over the pictures of peoples new LR from TBS) and didn't pay attion to the many post of information!
IMO I think the livesand is as important as the LIVE ROCK!
Sorry for butting in, but I just wanted to say this for you or any other noobie, as you can see by my starting date on this sight I am kind of a noobie too!
I had figi white/purple rock for 13 years, and now as the pics. show of my 90 gal. the figi worked ok for the REAL LIVE ROCK from TBS to cover it
I only wish I hadn't wasted 13 years waiting for my figi to come back to life like the owner of LFS told me it would, he was a good salesman, thats what I keep telling myself!:mixed:
PS I still havn't figured out how to leave a small message, Sorry for going on and on and the bad spelling and writing skills :spin1:
From now on, the ONLY LR or LS I get will be from TBS
From the quality of their LR and LS etc.to his generosity he runs a 1st class operation IMO
Many Thanks!!