Yup Got a couple ??????????s lol

[krazy karl]

:headwally: Hey guys got a couple newbie questions. For 1 I bought some Florida live rock. It looked pretty rough when I got it. The travel wasn't nice to it. It looked like it was amazing. Anyway I have been trying to see whats going on with it via google! :headwalls: Basically I got my tank off craigslist. 35 gallon hex tank. I got a nice aquaclear filter. Good heater. Etc. I cleaned the tank up real good looks NICE! Well I put in new live sand. Let it sit for a week or so. Bought my live rock and put it in. I read that I shouldn't rinse it. I should rinse it. If I did rinse it, it was going to get rid of a bunch of "goodies" if i didn't it was going to muck up my tank. Well.....I didn't rinse it and now it has this almost spider web looking patches growing all over it. I'm assuming they are dead sponges and possibly some mussels some plants...lots of stuff. My test are coming back good for everything. I was also told to do 5-10 gallon water changes every day. So I have been doing that as well. I am using instant ocean reef crystals for my salt. Maybe I'm just being impatient but if something is going on I want to get a handle on it now. I am also running 0-1 hours of light a day. Please let me know what you think. I can post pics later. Thanks

 

[Shawn O]

5 gallon water change, once per week during the cycle would be cheaper. No light needed during cycle. Cheap salt will be adequate for the cycle then switch to the salt of your choice with your 5 gallon water changes. It wouldn't hurt to put a powerhead in the tank pointed at the rocks to help blow off some of the crud. After your cycle is finished, add some nassarius and dwarf cerith snails to help clean up the crud. QT is highly recommended, at the very least, for your fish.

Welcome aboard, great place to learn a lot about reef tanks. Read the stickies at the top asap, it will save you a lot of questions i the future.

 

[d2mini]

Good advice ^^^

Not sure who you got your rock from, but Tampa Bay Saltwater has a setup procedure you can look at and follow. His rock is amazing and I've set up several tanks with it. I had a fully cycled and functioning reef within a week or so every time.

The biggest thing is to watch your ammonia levels in the beginning and be ready for some large water changes. Many people don't see much of an ammonia spike at all.

http://tbsaltwater.com/thepackage/setup.html