Quick question for all

[jdnumis]

I am ready to start my reef tank. I am not going with a 125 setup but a 90 gallon setup. Just a couple of quick questions for everyone.

Miracle mud or live sand for fuge?

How long should I first cycle with live rock, do the water change then add damsels?

Can I start with Koralia heads first then do the vortech setup?

Much appreciated and I will post pics when I get the setup.

Thanks,

James

 

[daisy]

Hi there!

So if you can get live sand from someone with an established tank, then that's a great way to start. I have heard a few mixed reviews regarding miracle mud, and perhaps by the time it gets to you, some of it will not be quite so alive...

You can cycle your tank with live rock and a few pieces of mysis (food, not live) or something like that, and test your parameters to "see" the cycle before you add any fish. (the bacteria and even the detrivores on the live rock will start the cycle going) If you do a search on the site on cycling the tank, you should get a ton of hits on how to do it without endangering any livestock.

Remember to take it slow! That's the hardest part....

 

[jdnumis]

Thanks Daisy!

Thank a lot Daisy!

 

[JimmyR1rider]

You can use either sand, mud or a combination of both as I did. It doesnt really matter is your preference.

Cycle until the cycles completed- youll have 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and a level of nitrates. Your ammonia readings will go up then when consumed by certain bacterias- turns to nitrites than after thats consumed by other stuff they produce nitrate. Once your ammonia holds at 0 with no nitrite and some nitrates your cycle completed- around give or take 4-6 weeks because every tanks different and everyones live rock is different some take longer than others to cycle.

After the cycles completed do a water change. I wouldnt add damsels- youll regret it after a month when you no longer notice how pretty bright blue they are and then only notice what mean little buggers they are and will bully every fish you put in after them.

Besides if you cycle the tank without fish once the tank fully cycled its ready for all types of fish and you dont have to get cheap fish that will survive a nuclear attack to have them live lol.

There are plenty of awesome fish that are hardy. Besides most people put damsels in to cycle the tank dont do that its cruel to do to them. Cycle it without fish then introduce the fish you want to keep- clowns, blennys and such.

Sorry to be redundant Daisy hit you up while I was typing lol

 

[JonnyJ]

Research is your number 1 thing to do. Their are alot of factors that come into play when setting up your tank. The idea is too research and get it right the first time, without rushing - What jimmy said was perfect.

Where are you getting the live rock from? is it cured from an established tank with coral/fish living with it? or store "cured" [stores will tell you its cured when 99% of the time its not fully cured.

Anything should work for your fuge, from what i have been reading lately the larger the fuge - the better.

like jimmy said If you don't plan on keeping the damsels, which are very territorial and aggressive then i would advise you not too add them. They are almost impossible to catch once they are in the tank. They also will bully any new addition added too the tank after them.

 

[jdnumis]

Thank you all. I will cycle without the fish until my numbers are perfect. Then I will add livestock. But what about the power heads? Can I start with Koralia heads then get the vortech heads afterwards? Is it best to get from a store, cycle it until the numbers are right, then add livestock? Or best to get it cured already from another reefer? How many lbs should I get for a 90 gallon setup?

 

[motortrendz]

Miracle mud or live sand for fuge?
Can I start with Koralia heads first then do the vortech setup?

Much appreciated and I will post pics when I get the setup.

Thanks,

James

i use a mix of both in mine.. and im using koralias until my closed loop is finished, so that doesnt matter..
also instead of a more agressive damsel i used green chromis, theyre in the damsel family but a little less agressive twards others..

 

[JimmyR1rider]

You can get it from wherever what jonny was sayin is if not fully cured will just take longer to cycle in the tank which was one o fhte reasons I stated it can take a different length of time to cycle tank to tank- live rock quality being one of the factors- just cycle the tank as stated by everyone so far and when your numbers are where you know your cycles done do a nice sized water change can do 80 or 90% even if you wanted to because theres no livestock in it to shock. Get the nitrates to lower a bit aim for under 10. Then add your fish SLOWLY. One at a time- then give it a few weeks before adding more- you have to let your bio filtration catch up to the bio load each time you have a new addition. Obviously if doing mated pairs you have to add them together but other than that one at a time, be patient will pay of 10 fold in the end.


And you can use whatever powerheads you want. Start with and end up with whatever is up to you it wont hurt anything switchin them up so thats on you with what you want to do.

 

[jdnumis]

Thanks Jimmy! What about coral? Should I add them after I add the number of fish that I want or during?

 

[JonnyJ]

I would try to buy some nice quality rock from someone on here from an established reef tank. Rock in the stores is very expensive, upwards of 8 dollars a pound. You can probably pick some really nice stuff on here for around 2-4 dollars a lb. Im not really sure how many lbs you should add. I honestly dont know. It really depends on the weight of the rocks you buy and how porous it is. One thing i do know is that the more the better. I remember someone saying 1lb for every gallon.- just make sure when you stack them that they are secure so they do not fall. Many people will tell you too place the rocks directly on the bottom glass and add the sand around them so they are more secure which is true.


I have a 34 gallon solana and have around 70lbs in it. some of the rock i have are very heavy. so it definitely varies.

You can use koralias, a vortech isn't necessary and only considered an upgrade in my eyes.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

No problem at all. A lot of corals dont add a lot of bio load so you can add while adding fish- just start off with a cheapy so that if your system for whatever reason cant support it youre not upset from being out a load of money- get some nice zoas or some mushrooms- you can get some nice ones from members and vendors on here pretty cheap. Always keep within the coral categories that you have proper lighting for and you should be totally fine. Start with softies for a while then move onto lps then finally sps if you want to do sps. Upgrade as you learn and always ask plenty of questions. Best wishes with your new reef tank to be!

 

[motortrendz]

the more LR u add the better.. but a wall of rock never looks good.. the best way to pick rock is by feel.. if the rock looks like itll be heavy but is light.. that means its very pourus, has lotsh of hloes crevices and thats more surface area for water filtration..def a good place to start is 1lb per gallon and make sure you stack them so they have plent of caves and caverns between them for water flow you dont want too many spots where detrious can build up and cause nitrate issues..

 

[JonnyJ]

I would just take your time stocking the tank. After the tank is cycled add a fish or two along with a nice clean up crew. Then see how they do for a couple of weeks and start with some basic corals. There is alot of reading you need to do and theres a lot of information on the web about maintaining and stocking a tank. If you would like to borrow some books i have a few or you could just hit up a book store or library.

I wouldn't add any fish or coral until you read up on everything. Plan everything out while the tank cycles

Taking it slow pays off


Motortrends - has a very good point. Building caves and replicating a nice environment with hiding spots is the way to go. The fish will be much more comfortable. Try to stack them in a way where there aren't any dead spots, you want water to flow everywhere

 

[daisy]

one thing about the word "should" -

there are a million different ways to run a successful, wonderful system. What works for one person may not work for someone else, and what is "pretty" to one person may not be so nice in the eyes of another. You have so many options!

My suggestion is to keep in mind what your end goal is, with the understanding that it may very well change as you go! What fish do you want? What kind of corals do you want to keep? The answers to these questions and more will help you decide what lights to run, what pumps to get, how deep your sand bed, how much live rock and what the formation the aquascaping might be, how much flow you need....

The one thing you should do is read a ton. Look at tank threads and see what others have done. Ask members whose tanks you really like about the way they did their set-ups (that's what I found most useful). There are some great books out there, but on this site alone you'll find so much info from helpful reefers.

That said, I would not pay a lot of money for one really good pump with the intention of buying an even more expensive, better pump soon after. I'd want to start with the best if I could afford it. But that's just me. I'd rather do without while I save for the one I really want.

In terms of when to add corals and fish - wait till your cycle is complete. What fish you add and the order in which you add them will depend on the fish you want and their needs. If you want fish that eat the tiny animals that live on the live rock, you will need to wait quite some time for the tank to really establish itself. Specifically, I would not add a mandarin or a six-line wrasse or any of those "pod-eaters" for six months at least, maybe a year or more. Frankly, I won't add them at all for fear that they'll starve in my system, but I'm particularly averse to fish dying in my tank

When you are ready to buy fish, make sure you get ones that are healthy and eating prepared foods already!

You can add corals whenever, once your system is stable and mature, but go slowly (the very hardest part!)

 

[JimmyR1rider]

I would try to buy some nice quality rock from someone on here from an established reef tank. Rock in the stores is very expensive, upwards of 8 dollars a pound. You can probably pick some really nice stuff on here for around 2-4 dollars a lb. Im not really sure how many lbs you should add. I honestly dont know. It really depends on the weight of the rocks you buy and how porous it is. One thing i do know is that the more the better. I remember someone saying 1lb for every gallon.- just make sure when you stack them that they are secure so they do not fall. Many people will tell you too place the rocks directly on the bottom glass and add the sand around them so they are more secure which is true.


I have a 34 gallon solana and have around 70lbs in it. some of the rock i have are very heavy. so it definitely varies.

You can use koralias, a vortech isn't necessary and only considered an upgrade in my eyes.

+1 with fiji- porous rock 1 lb per gallon was what I went by as well. If you get carribean rock which is almost like slate you need up to 1 3/4 lb. per gallon because its not porous. Stick with lightweight porous rock as jonny was talking about, IMO- more crevices for beneficial bacteria to live in. And jonnys 100% right can get better for cheaper from established systems on here

 

[Awibrandy]

The least expensive way to go is to try, and get all your equipment, live rock, live sand from our "For Sales" forum. You can use any power head you see fit. Koralias are good inexpensive ones. Not everyone has Vortex. I don't! I can't aford them.;( I have koralias in my 155, and a tunze in my 120. I'm happy with them, and so are my animals which is more important.
BTW, the same goes for your live stock when your tank is ready! The vendors here, and members are great source for them also.

Happy reefing!:hug:

 

[jdnumis]

thanks to all!

 

[jdnumis]

I have done a lot of reading and researching for the past 5 months and I appreciate everyone on here for the great information