Can I start of like this?

[tigga]

Instead of spending a lump sum of money at first I was wondering if I could start of like this for my 29g(30x12x16)...



Buy:



-10lbs of fiji live rock

-10lbs of base rock

-30lbs of Caribsea Agranonite Sand for 2" sandbed

-a Hydor Korelia 1 Powerhead

-RO/DI unit

-API Saltwater Basic Test kit(nitrate, ammonia,etc.)

-Hydrometer or Refractometer

-Instant Ocean Salt Mix







Since it's the cycling phase I dont need as much live rock(or do I?) Also for couple of months I'll stick with a FOWLR so I dont need as much flow.



What I have installed are...



-Aquaclear 70 (empty compartment use as flow and later on as refugium)

-100W stealth heater

-Thermometer

-2x24W Icecap t5HO





Will this beginning phase be alright?



Thanks in advance for any help

[aquarius77]

Its a start but it is best to get all your rock and sand in before the cycle. Adding it later might cause another cycle.

[papagimp]

I agree with aquarius77, I"d get at least the majority of all rock and sand in the tank prior to cycling, that way the rock and sand is already in there for bacterial growth. Otherwise you'll end up with a little bit of rock with bacteria and have to add livestock even slower than typical. Plus adding more liverock at a later time may cause an ammonia/nitrite spike. depending on the source of the rock and quality and all.

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Adding it later WILL cause another cycle, unless it is 100% genuine, real cured rock and is added slowly. By "real cured rock" I mean rock that came from an established tank, or rock that you cured yourself. If it comes in the mail or from a retailer's gunky holding vat, it doesn't count!

[bertoni]

I agree with starting with all the rock you want to have. It's just easier, although not absolutely necessary. I'd have at least 300 gph of flow in the tank. A FOWLR tank might need more flow than a reef if heavily stocked, due to the oxygen demands of fish. I'd also have two powerheads, since they do seem to fail from time to time. The filter might be fine as a backup, though, if it has reasonable flow.

I'd run activated carbon in the filter, but leaving it empty is okay.

[szwab]

IMO you'll want to start off with as much live rock as possible. Also not real familiar with that test kit, but I would make sure you get the best one you can afford (for reliable tests) The live rock and sand are what your bacteria will colonize on the more surface area you can provide the better. you may also have a spike in ammonia when adding live rock later due to the inevitable die off. I would also recommend a refraction over a hydrometer. Your set up sounds like a very good start. What sort of live stock are you thinking of adding? Best advice also is to take things slow even after your cycle.

[tigga]

okay so can I get 10lbs of fiji live rock from bigals and 20lbs of base rock or should I buy more live rock and less base rock. Also is 30lbs of live rock enough for my 29g. I dont want it to look packed and create dead spots

[papagimp]

Originally posted by szwab
Also not real familiar with that test kit, but I would make sure you get the best one you can afford (for reliable tests)

Same ones i use, there cheap, ineffective, inaccurate, but better than nothing. Salifert would defantly be the way to go with test kits but for those of us on a tight budget, they'll get a decent ballpark idea. Be prepared to do alot of squinting and holding the tubes up to everything white in your house trying to match colors properly,

[papagimp]

Originally posted by tigga
okay so can I get 10lbs of fiji live rock from bigals and 20lbs of base rock or should I buy more live rock and less base rock. Also is 30lbs of live rock enough for my 29g. I dont want it to look packed and create dead spots

for that sized tank, i'd avoid all base rock and just get live rock. The more porous the rock the better filtration. Base rock isn't very porous and used for nothing more than asthetics and giving you a place to put the live rock on top of. All my tanks with no base and all good porous rocks tend to do alot better, IMO.

[tigga]

Originally posted by papagimp
for that sized tank, i'd avoid all base rock and just get live rock. The more porous the rock the better filtration. Base rock isn't very porous and used for nothing more than asthetics and giving you a place to put the live rock on top of. All my tanks with no base and all good porous rocks tend to do alot better, IMO.

Oh yeah so I should get 30lbs of live rock. What if you have a tight budget or something but can afford it in the long run? That is why I'm asking if I can put some now and others later.

[aquarius77]

Some base rock will be OK.

If you dont think you can afford to achieve the tank you want, it might be better to wait. I am not trying to be rude, i have a tank that i cant afford. I set it up thinking hob filters and junk skimmers and cheap pumps would suffice, I have spent more money on replacing the junk equipment than i can even begin to describe. I should have just waited.

[papagimp]

Have you considered looking at the dry rock for sale? I bought some from that pet place.com awhile back, they have base rock and what they call reef rock (more porous like live rock) and it's dead, dry, white.....non-live. Took about 2 months to liven up and I can say with all honestly, after a year in my tank, nobody and I mean nobody could tell you which rock was live and what was bought dead. It's all the same coralline covered look right now. Cost me about $50 for #50lbs. It's a nicer cheaper alternative and WILL be just as good.

that said, I'm on a very tight budget myself and the first couple tanks i put together I did just like you are describing, a little at a time. wasn't the best way to go about doing it, but it's definatly possible. And aqurius is correct, base rock isn't going to hurt anything, but it's just my opinion that because of the lack of space for that small of a tank, make the best out of everything you can. including the rock.

Heck, even check out the DIY forum on making diy rocks. Takes time to cure and all, but while waiting to spend money on more rock, you could be curing your own that'll be just as good looking and cost a heck of alot less......ALOT less

[tigga]

Okay i guess I'll buy all live rock since itd be better so that I dont have to worry about bio filtering.

Also do I need a lot of flow during the cycle. Can i begin cycling just using the max flow of my aquaclear 70 which is about 300gph?

Thanks every1 w/ the quick replies

[aquarius77]

More flow is always better in a marine tank IMO.

During the cycle i would have as much flow as i can in there, it may help to work loose any rotting stuff. I would take a powerhead and blast the rocks every few days, turning them over and doing the same a few days later.

I have cured rock for 2 tanks now and you wont belive the nasty stuff that can be in/on it. Cleaning it is an important part of the process.

[papagimp]

Couldn't agree more Aquarius. Ditto on what he said.

[tigga]

So will my aquaclear 70 and a hydro korelisa 1 be enough?

[papagimp]

If you get the Koralia 1 see if it comes with the adapter for the tip on it, A koralia 1 pushes 400gph which is great, and nice and wide flow pattern, but won't push clear across the tank like a maxijet would (less flow than a K1 btw) Just the way they work. I would think with a HOB and koralia, you should be okay, but there a chance it may need a little more. Anyways, back to my point, the adapter narrows the output hole on the powerhead and will cause it to push further if needed. They didn't have these when i bought my first 3 koralia's but when i bought one this last weekend, had the new addition to it included. I don't use it myself, don't need with my setup, but nice to have.

fwiw, the last 29g I was setting up (prior to shattering the back pane out ) I was using a mag 3 return pump (295gph) and a koralia 1 and it was all good.

[tigga]

so I suppoe the HOB n korelia 1 will be okay for flow...thanks