Two Noob Questions

[malx]

Hi, Guys.

I have a few noob questions. Building my custom 60 Gallon reef as well as a 10 Gallon QT tank (that I'm going to keep in my office).

I have a few questions.

1: Has anyone opened a bag of live sand, used some of it, and stored the rest? Is this possible? If so what was your experience? Going to be running Hawaiian Black Sand in my QT and won't need it all. Would like to store the rest in case I need a tank tear down due to a contaminant.

2: I want to use this: http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/red-sea-reef-mature-pro-kit.html to cycle both tanks. Anyone have experience with this? If so, how did you go about doing it? Did you add this, wait X time, then add the fish?

Let me know!
Thanks,
Joey

 

[kmbyrnes]

If you have not purchased either yet, save your money.
If you have,but have not opened them, return them if possible.
Both products are an expense that could be put to better use on lights, pumps or power heads.

There is lots of good info on cycling your tank here, do some searches.

Live sand is not going to help establish your tank much faster. How long do you suppose that it has sat on the retailer's shelf? How long will aerobic bacteria survive in an anaerobic bag? If you use only part of a bag you will have to either keep the rest of it alive in another system of let it dry out.

Cycle enhancers MAY speed things up, but that is not necessarily a a good thing. IMO you would be better off getting a few pounds of live rock and a cup or two of live sand from the LFS or another reefer to start you system. Then a $1 bottle of Ace pure ammonia can get your cycle kick started and leave you plenty left over for house cleaning.

 

[Capt.Nemo]

I wouldn't put any substrate in a QT tank. That is where many parasites will go to live and continue it's life cycle. QT should be bare bones, only what is needed for mechanical filter, water movement, a place to hide and light. Don't even have to have that though.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[malx]

I wouldn't put any substrate in a QT tank. That is where many parasites will go to live and continue it's life cycle. QT should be bare bones, only what is needed for mechanical filter, water movement, a place to hide and light. Don't even have to have that though.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Well the QT tank is going to be in my office so it can't look like crap. I'm willing to break it down and remove the sand with each new fish so I'm not worried about that. I agree with you though.

 

[malx]

If you have not purchased either yet, save your money.

If you have,but have not opened them, return them if possible.

Both products are an expense that could be put to better use on lights, pumps or power heads.



There is lots of good info on cycling your tank here, do some searches.



Live sand is not going to help establish your tank much faster. How long do you suppose that it has sat on the retailer's shelf? How long will aerobic bacteria survive in an anaerobic bag? If you use only part of a bag you will have to either keep the rest of it alive in another system of let it dry out.



Cycle enhancers MAY speed things up, but that is not necessarily a a good thing. IMO you would be better off getting a few pounds of live rock and a cup or two of live sand from the LFS or another reefer to start you system. Then a $1 bottle of Ace pure ammonia can get your cycle kick started and leave you plenty left over for house cleaning.

I'm not trying to cycle the tank faster per se. I just don't want to throw a fish in there first. Also, I won't be doing live rock. I've had bad experiences with hitch hikers and pests and I would rather take it slow.

 

[Desert Sea]

Also, I won't be doing live rock. I've had bad experiences with hitch hikers and pests and I would rather take it slow.

You don't have to start with "live" live rock but your going to need live rock to provide filtration for your tank. Not saying that its impossible but it sure will make it a lot easier to keep your water environment stable.

If your worried about hitchhikers, start with dry rock and seed it yourself. Then you'll know you have clean live rock with no hitchhikers.

 

[Reef Frog]

Well the QT tank is going to be in my office so it can't look like crap. I'm willing to break it down and remove the sand with each new fish so I'm not worried about that. I agree with you though.

That will work but it's going to be one big messy hassle for each fish you introduce. A 10G QT is best done bare bottom and can be kept out of site in the stand or even in a closet or storage room somewhere.

I'd also double check the content & track record of black sand. I know little about it from personal experience. But I've read reports of some types being volcanic & magnetic, getting under magnetic glass cleaners, where it scratches the bejezus out of the glass. Aragonite (white, calcium based) sand also has buffering capabilities, as does live rock. Just wanted to throw this out there for your research purposes. Good luck with your build.

 

[Brieninsac]

Don't put sand in your QT. You will have limited filtration in the QT and you'll want to be able to vacuum all debris off the bottom and sand will interfere with this. Plus, if a fish gets sick you'll need to break everything down and sanitize it after treating the fish. Sand is just one more thing you'll have to clean out and dispose of.

 

[malx]

You don't have to start with "live" live rock but your going to need live rock to provide filtration for your tank. Not saying that its impossible but it sure will make it a lot easier to keep your water environment stable.

If your worried about hitchhikers, start with dry rock and seed it yourself. Then you'll know you have clean live rock with no hitchhikers.

I have Pukani for the main display tank. For the QT tank, I'm going to put the small pieces that I am willing to toss in the trash in the event of a sick fish in the back of the filter.

Don't put sand in your QT. You will have limited filtration in the QT and you'll want to be able to vacuum all debris off the bottom and sand will interfere with this. Plus, if a fish gets sick you'll need to break everything down and sanitize it after treating the fish. Sand is just one more thing you'll have to clean out and dispose of.

Yep, I'm aware. I'm willing to dispose of the sand if this were to happen. Might be a waste of money but it's OK.

That will work but it's going to be one big messy hassle for each fish you introduce. A 10G QT is best done bare bottom and can be kept out of site in the stand or even in a closet or storage room somewhere.

I'd also double check the content & track record of black sand. I know little about it from personal experience. But I've read reports of some types being volcanic & magnetic, getting under magnetic glass cleaners, where it scratches the bejezus out of the glass. Aragonite (white, calcium based) sand also has buffering capabilities, as does live rock. Just wanted to throw this out there for your research purposes. Good luck with your build.

I'll look into the magnetic thing. I got the CaribSea Hawaiian Sand. Will be dosing Kalk in the RODI Top Off Water for the QT. Main display will have white sand and a calc reactor for buffering.

 

[Capt.Nemo]

You say you are asking newbie questions.....
Then your getting responses from several people about what not to do, but you are going to do them anyway. So what's the point?
If you put sand in QT, then fish gets sick, your going to have to clean it out and start over. Then you will also have to introduce medications into that tank that you may have not needed.

But hey, it's your tank, do as you wish.
Just doesn't make any sense to me why your soliciting for advice
Good luck

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[malx]

You say you are asking newbie questions.....
Then your getting responses from several people about what not to do, but you are going to do them anyway. So what's the point?
If you put sand in QT, then fish gets sick, your going to have to clean it out and start over. Then you will also have to introduce medications into that tank that you may have not needed.

But hey, it's your tank, do as you wish.
Just doesn't make any sense to me why your soliciting for advice
Good luck

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Actually you're wrong. I didn't solicit advice weather or not to put sand in a QT. If you read my question carefully you'll clearly see that I asked if anyone has opened a bag of live sand and partially used it. You're actually giving me unsolicited advice, which is fine, and I appreciate it, but don't get upset if I don't take it. Honestly, I don't see the harm of having a QT tank look nice. Only risk is, fish gets sick, sand has to go in the trash, not a big deal for me.

 

[Brieninsac]

When I observe my fish I'm also looking at food consumption and waste on the bottom of the aquarium. Seeing a buildup of food and waste settling at the bottom is an early indicator water quality problem could arise. With sand you're going to lose this valuable assessment technique.

Either way, I'm glad to see you're going to setup a QT. That in itself gets a thumbs up from me!

 

[FindingEmily]

Are you planning on just observing while in QT or proactively treating with medication? I only ask because sand and rock in a QT will absorb and leech medication, making it very difficult to keep at correct levels.

 

[malx]

Are you planning on just observing while in QT or proactively treating with medication? I only ask because sand and rock in a QT will absorb and leech medication, making it very difficult to keep at correct levels.

Just observing. I don't plan on medicating the tank unless necessary. With that said, I was considering possibly a freshwater dip, but I'm still 30 days at least away from and live stock purchase as I don't have the tank yet and it needs to be cycled. I haven't researched freshwater dipping yet.

 

[malx]

When I observe my fish I'm also looking at food consumption and waste on the bottom of the aquarium. Seeing a buildup of food and waste settling at the bottom is an early indicator water quality problem could arise. With sand you're going to lose this valuable assessment technique.

Either way, I'm glad to see you're going to setup a QT. That in itself gets a thumbs up from me!

Why are you observing food and waste? Are you trying to ensure that your fish is eating everything you feed it? Trying to understand what your goal is.

 

[Brieninsac]

Why are you observing food and waste? Are you trying to ensure that your fish is eating everything you feed it? Trying to understand what your goal is.

As you know most QT's don't have filtration so you're even more dependent on minimizing food and waste. This is why people say do a water change every few days. By seeing how much food is consumed it allows me to adjust my feedings accordingly. I only do a w/c weekly on my QT tank because of this. With sand you're going to have a lot more bio waste and will require more frequent cleaning and water changes.

If you think the sand is going to introduce bacteria to help you cycle it you'd be better served to use a product like Bio-spira. I add a cap full to my QT after it's setup. Give it a few days and add your fish.

Also, you don't need kalkwasser for a QT...well unless you're planning on quarantining corals too???

 

[malx]

As you know most QT's don't have filtration so you're even more dependent on minimizing food and waste. This is why people say do a water change every few days. By seeing how much food is consumed it allows me to adjust my feedings accordingly. I only do a w/c weekly on my QT tank because of this. With sand you're going to have a lot more bio waste and will require more frequent cleaning and water changes.



If you think the sand is going to introduce bacteria to help you cycle it you'd be better served to use a product like Bio-spira. I add a cap full to my QT after it's setup. Give it a few days and add your fish.



Also, you don't need kalkwasser for a QT...well unless you're planning on quarantining corals too???

All good points. I'll see how it goes. I plan on testing every other day. I've never dosed with Kalk, so I'm using the QT tank to build good habits and understand more about Kalk and water parameters. For me it's a hybrid to ensuring the fish is healthy to also understanding how that fish affects water parameters.

Once I have added all of the fish to my main display I'll prob use this as an anemone tank but not there yet.

 

[SeattleReefer]

I have the black hawaiian sand. I wanted black, I could only find it in the 'live' version, and most importantly it's not worth my time spending all day washing dry sand just to save a few bucks. I dumped the live black sand in an existing aquarium with no ill effect and only about 1/2 hour to clear up.

the black sand doesn't seem to be magnetic, but then I don't get the mag float near the bottom anyway because the scraper is more efficient at getting the glass clean near the sand.

The 'live' part of live sand is questionable even when coming straight from the store so storing 'live' sand long term probably will mean you have dead sand when you put it in your tank and that's ok too because the black sand will still be black sand when you do finally use it.

So... use what you need and let the rest dry out to be used later in the expectation that the bacteria population in the sand will take care of itself given enough time and food.


edit... oops, I did not read OP close enough... I thought the sand was for a DT. Don't put sand in a QT.