how long will it take?

jgray76 · 11/25/2006, 10:39 PM

i got my 75gal tank and stand(at a lfs). i also got about 50lbs of live sand and a fliter(aqua clear power filter) it filter 500gl an hour and i got with the tank a 40 w perfecto light and that is all i could get with the money that i have. I know from people tell me is to read and find out more info on what type of tank that i want and what kind of reef that i want to keep. you guys have help me from reading your treads and reading web site so is there more tips that you guys can give me. i know that there is not alot of stuff to work with but i new to this and i'm learnig as i go and not making buys that i don't have too. so if you guys can give me some more thing that i need please tell me ok thank you guys for you tips and info josh ps i hope that i can post pics on what my tank looks like so you guys can have more of a picture of where i'm at

Shooter7 · 11/25/2006, 10:54 PM

You need about a pound to a pound and a half per gallon of live rock, a RO/DI, refractometer, multiple test kits, skimmer, powerheads for flow (I wouldn't bother with the power filter), something to store topoff in and to mix saltwater for water changes in, if this is going to be a reef you're going to need much more powerful lights....that's all just a start.

Have you read this yet?

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hreadid=239848

nlknight · 11/25/2006, 10:55 PM

well it really does depend on what your into but every tank needs live rock, so once the sand,salt,and water are in i would add live rock about 70 pounds of it. Let the tank cycle for 6-8 weeks testing your amonia,nitrite,nitrate once per week. then you can think about adding fish/clean up crew. if you decide you want coral, you will need better lighting.

jgray76 · 11/25/2006, 11:17 PM

dave and nikki thank you for the tips, but david what is a ro/di and do i still need tow let the tank cycle for that long if i get cured rock and live sand with the bact and stuff in it get back with me. and nikki sorry girl i mean you too thank josh

Shooter7 · 11/25/2006, 11:28 PM

It depends a lot on the rock you get. Some stores have what they call "cured rock" and it's really not that cured at all, other times you can actually get rock that has been around for awhile. If you transport it home in water and get it right into a tank, you will avoid much of the die off that fuels cycles in the tank. I can tell you that I set my 120g tank up with rock I already had in my smaller system along with a bunch of rock I got from a local reefer who had it in his tank for a couple years. I placed all this in the tank and did not get the typical ammonia spikes or cycle as you would see if you used rock you had mail ordered to you that got dry and had a lot of die off. I did, however, still get algae and cyano as the tank still had to go through maturing stages with all new dry sand put in and all the new surfaces the life in the rock had to populate in the tank, sump, and plumbing. It took some time for that to all run its course. If you get rock mailed to you, you will usually have a very significant cycle due to much die off on the rock. I had some marshall island rock sent to me from Premium Aquatics for my previous small tank and had a very typical cycle from that.

RO/DI is reverse osmosis/deionization used to get your water pure. If you use tapwater over time, you will frequently have more problems with algae and cyano.

Another thing you should have in mind is extra funds to set up a quarantine tank. Mine is sitting right next to me here with its most recent inhabitants I just got from liveaquaria. If I did not have a QT, my new swallowtail angel would be sharing her ich with my entire fish population at this moment, instead of being treated in QT and keeping it to herself.

jgray76 · 11/28/2006, 01:54 AM

thanks dave for the reply. so i wish i cuold see you set up and what is in your tank but i keep buying stuff when i can thanks

Sk8r · 11/28/2006, 11:43 AM

You'll find many people on the forums are selling old equipment: 'old' in the sense of they just bought a bigger tank and are trying to sell their smaller-scale equipment. Look in 'vendor feedback' to see how people rate certain sellers. Look in 'equipment and light' or whatever-they-call-it to find what you should run for what critters. Ideally, find someone who lives near enough you can go see the equipment for yourself and be sure it works.

HTH...and saves you some cash.

11/25/2006, 10:39 PM	#1
jgray76 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: indiana Posts: 7	how long will it take? i got my 75gal tank and stand(at a lfs). i also got about 50lbs of live sand and a fliter(aqua clear power filter) it filter 500gl an hour and i got with the tank a 40 w perfecto light and that is all i could get with the money that i have. I know from people tell me is to read and find out more info on what type of tank that i want and what kind of reef that i want to keep. you guys have help me from reading your treads and reading web site so is there more tips that you guys can give me. i know that there is not alot of stuff to work with but i new to this and i'm learnig as i go and not making buys that i don't have too. so if you guys can give me some more thing that i need please tell me ok thank you guys for you tips and info josh ps i hope that i can post pics on what my tank looks like so you guys can have more of a picture of where i'm at

11/25/2006, 10:54 PM	#2
Shooter7 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Tolono, IL Posts: 6,754	You need about a pound to a pound and a half per gallon of live rock, a RO/DI, refractometer, multiple test kits, skimmer, powerheads for flow (I wouldn't bother with the power filter), something to store topoff in and to mix saltwater for water changes in, if this is going to be a reef you're going to need much more powerful lights....that's all just a start. Have you read this yet? http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hreadid=239848 __________________ Dave Current Tank Info: 10 years salty - standard 29g reef - moved from 120 gal reef, 2x250w Reeflux 10k's on ARO electronics and VHO super actinics on Icecap ballast, 2xTunze 6060, MSX 200 skimmer, GEO 612 Ca reactor, mag 12 return

11/25/2006, 10:55 PM	#3
nlknight Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: oklahoma Posts: 177	well it really does depend on what your into but every tank needs live rock, so once the sand,salt,and water are in i would add live rock about 70 pounds of it. Let the tank cycle for 6-8 weeks testing your amonia,nitrite,nitrate once per week. then you can think about adding fish/clean up crew. if you decide you want coral, you will need better lighting. __________________ ~nikki Current Tank Info: 55 and 75 gl

11/25/2006, 11:28 PM	#5
Shooter7 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Tolono, IL Posts: 6,754	It depends a lot on the rock you get. Some stores have what they call "cured rock" and it's really not that cured at all, other times you can actually get rock that has been around for awhile. If you transport it home in water and get it right into a tank, you will avoid much of the die off that fuels cycles in the tank. I can tell you that I set my 120g tank up with rock I already had in my smaller system along with a bunch of rock I got from a local reefer who had it in his tank for a couple years. I placed all this in the tank and did not get the typical ammonia spikes or cycle as you would see if you used rock you had mail ordered to you that got dry and had a lot of die off. I did, however, still get algae and cyano as the tank still had to go through maturing stages with all new dry sand put in and all the new surfaces the life in the rock had to populate in the tank, sump, and plumbing. It took some time for that to all run its course. If you get rock mailed to you, you will usually have a very significant cycle due to much die off on the rock. I had some marshall island rock sent to me from Premium Aquatics for my previous small tank and had a very typical cycle from that. RO/DI is reverse osmosis/deionization used to get your water pure. If you use tapwater over time, you will frequently have more problems with algae and cyano. Another thing you should have in mind is extra funds to set up a quarantine tank. Mine is sitting right next to me here with its most recent inhabitants I just got from liveaquaria. If I did not have a QT, my new swallowtail angel would be sharing her ich with my entire fish population at this moment, instead of being treated in QT and keeping it to herself. __________________ Dave Current Tank Info: 10 years salty - standard 29g reef - moved from 120 gal reef, 2x250w Reeflux 10k's on ARO electronics and VHO super actinics on Icecap ballast, 2xTunze 6060, MSX 200 skimmer, GEO 612 Ca reactor, mag 12 return

11/28/2006, 11:43 AM	#7
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	You'll find many people on the forums are selling old equipment: 'old' in the sense of they just bought a bigger tank and are trying to sell their smaller-scale equipment. Look in 'vendor feedback' to see how people rate certain sellers. Look in 'equipment and light' or whatever-they-call-it to find what you should run for what critters. Ideally, find someone who lives near enough you can go see the equipment for yourself and be sure it works. HTH...and saves you some cash. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

11/25/2006, 11:17 PM	#4
jgray76 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: indiana Posts: 7	dave and nikki thank you for the tips, but david what is a ro/di and do i still need tow let the tank cycle for that long if i get cured rock and live sand with the bact and stuff in it get back with me. and nikki sorry girl i mean you too thank josh

11/28/2006, 01:54 AM	#6
jgray76 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: indiana Posts: 7	thanks dave for the reply. so i wish i cuold see you set up and what is in your tank but i keep buying stuff when i can thanks