Proper Procedure to Fill Tank?

Vapour1ze · 03/17/2008, 10:07 PM

Just wondering because I'm starting this tomorrow when my stuff gets here...

Putting my powerhead in,,, not turned on yet,

-Mixing 5 Gallons, turning powerhead on, mixing another 5, all the way up until I'm up at 29, after this is all mixed, and has been in for a while, I plan on checking salanity, and then do I do this???

-Base Live Rock,
-Pour sand in around base live rock, and fill up my sand bed,
-Then do rest of LR ,???

Or am I missing something?

Also, just wondering probably newbest question you'll probably see all day, but LR, does that just eventually grow some of the really cool looking corals, like a lot of people just have boom plain rock, and then they post a pic later, and BOOM its so colorful and beautiful and purple looking, does this just happen, or do I have to buy EVERYTHING. Like no duh I know you buy corals anemones everything , but do a lot of them grow from your LR? or no...

vanmo92 · 03/17/2008, 10:17 PM

I would put the sand in before the water IMO. I did the water first and it took a week to clear up. LR should go in after the water is all mixed and clear. THe corals dont grow on the rocks. Things like coralline and maybe some sponges will grow on the rocks if it is true live rock. But not corals.

Vapour1ze · 03/17/2008, 10:20 PM

ok so everything on everyones rock they've bought? i just dont get how to position everything in the tank do u just plop em in the tank or what?

alizarin · 03/17/2008, 10:31 PM

Sounds like you have it right. You want the rock to touch the bottom of the tank, not just sit on the sand in case something burrows under it and it falls. And mix the salt in a bucket with a powerhead for at least 20 minutes before putting it in the tank to reduce stress to anything still living on your live rock.... assuming you're mixing dry salt with RO or RODI filtered water. If you're buying salt water from the store then just mix it in. Don't pour it in real fast... use a siphon hose so the sand doesn't create a snowstorm.

About the live rock - It will get colorful to some extent (purple coraline algae, maybe more) assuming you start out with at least some actual wet still living live rock and not just dry dead live rock.
If it's all living live rock (never dried out or went through dramatic temp swings etc during shipping or whatever) then it will likely have lots of life on it - a couple colors of coraline algae, maybe some sponges, pods (little bugs), small fan worms, etc. You might be lucky and have some small corals. I didn't add any corals to my first tank for many months and I had some yellow sponge, pods, 3 colors of coraline algae, fan worms, bristle worms, and a little crab in one rock. It was a fun tank to look at for me even before I bought anything beyond the cleanup crew. After that go to your local reef club meeting and buy cheap corals at a frag auction or swap and you'll have an amazing tank in no time.

Good luck =)

Vapour1ze · 03/17/2008, 10:36 PM

awesome, thanks a bunch man! ... one thing though ill be mixing all the water into my tank, instead of garbage can because its a new tank,,, nothing living in it yet. =]

Vapour1ze · 03/17/2008, 10:38 PM

oh and btw, im using DISTILLED WATER, just bought 32 gallons at walmart, for 20 bucks =]

alizarin · 03/17/2008, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tehauthority
ok so everything on everyones rock they've bought? i just dont get how to position everything in the tank do u just plop em in the tank or what?

It takes a bit of an artistic sense =) I'd look at photos of other people's "aquascaping" and get some ideas first. I try to balance stability, having interesting features visible (sponges etc), places available to put new corals - horizontal pieces, not just vertical. Also, I try to have places for my fish to swim, places for them to hide a little but no so well I can't see them (like ledges or tunnels). I guarantee you'll completely redo it several times before you're happy ;-)

Vapour1ze · 03/17/2008, 10:41 PM

lol, alizarin, I guarantee you i redo everything 10 times. before im happy. im picky picky lol.... =]

Ehaze · 03/17/2008, 11:03 PM

Sand >>> rocks >>> BIG trash bag to keep the water from from stiring up the sand (place bag over sand/rocks >>> water >>> salt That is the way i do it with no livestock.

Best of luck to you, and grats on setting up a new tank!

Vapour1ze · 03/17/2008, 11:08 PM

Thanks ehaze, and the rest of you. hopefully all goes well, =] I look forward to posting pics of my progess, look for the thread :-) I'll start one tomorrow,

daveverdo · 03/18/2008, 08:00 AM

You do not have to buy "everything". Much depends on where you get your live rock. The live rock I got had quite a few hitchhiker corals. No LPS, but there was one SPS, some zoos and some mushrooms. There were also lots of tube worms and feather dusters. The zoos and mushrooms took some time to grow out but look great.

Dave

Vapour1ze · 03/19/2008, 01:23 PM

coo lthanks.

03/17/2008, 10:07 PM	#1
Vapour1ze I'm an Addict. Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Yorkville, IL Posts: 3,036	Proper Procedure to Fill Tank? Just wondering because I'm starting this tomorrow when my stuff gets here... Putting my powerhead in,,, not turned on yet, -Mixing 5 Gallons, turning powerhead on, mixing another 5, all the way up until I'm up at 29, after this is all mixed, and has been in for a while, I plan on checking salanity, and then do I do this??? -Base Live Rock, -Pour sand in around base live rock, and fill up my sand bed, -Then do rest of LR ,??? Or am I missing something? Also, just wondering probably newbest question you'll probably see all day, but LR, does that just eventually grow some of the really cool looking corals, like a lot of people just have boom plain rock, and then they post a pic later, and BOOM its so colorful and beautiful and purple looking, does this just happen, or do I have to buy EVERYTHING. Like no duh I know you buy corals anemones everything , but do a lot of them grow from your LR? or no... __________________ 93 Reef \| 220 Reef \| Basement Fish Life Support Room \| Empty Savings Account

03/17/2008, 10:17 PM	#2
vanmo92 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Silverthorne, CO. Posts: 2,045	I would put the sand in before the water IMO. I did the water first and it took a week to clear up. LR should go in after the water is all mixed and clear. THe corals dont grow on the rocks. Things like coralline and maybe some sponges will grow on the rocks if it is true live rock. But not corals. __________________ PBITAWA Current Tank Info: 72 gallon bow Mixed Reef 1 fw tank

03/17/2008, 10:20 PM	#3
Vapour1ze I'm an Addict. Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Yorkville, IL Posts: 3,036	ok so everything on everyones rock they've bought? i just dont get how to position everything in the tank do u just plop em in the tank or what? __________________ 93 Reef \| 220 Reef \| Basement Fish Life Support Room \| Empty Savings Account

03/17/2008, 10:36 PM	#5
Vapour1ze I'm an Addict. Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Yorkville, IL Posts: 3,036	awesome, thanks a bunch man! ... one thing though ill be mixing all the water into my tank, instead of garbage can because its a new tank,,, nothing living in it yet. =] __________________ 93 Reef \| 220 Reef \| Basement Fish Life Support Room \| Empty Savings Account

03/17/2008, 10:38 PM	#6
Vapour1ze I'm an Addict. Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Yorkville, IL Posts: 3,036	oh and btw, im using DISTILLED WATER, just bought 32 gallons at walmart, for 20 bucks =] __________________ 93 Reef \| 220 Reef \| Basement Fish Life Support Room \| Empty Savings Account

03/17/2008, 10:31 PM	#4
alizarin Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 869	Sounds like you have it right. You want the rock to touch the bottom of the tank, not just sit on the sand in case something burrows under it and it falls. And mix the salt in a bucket with a powerhead for at least 20 minutes before putting it in the tank to reduce stress to anything still living on your live rock.... assuming you're mixing dry salt with RO or RODI filtered water. If you're buying salt water from the store then just mix it in. Don't pour it in real fast... use a siphon hose so the sand doesn't create a snowstorm. About the live rock - It will get colorful to some extent (purple coraline algae, maybe more) assuming you start out with at least some actual wet still living live rock and not just dry dead live rock. If it's all living live rock (never dried out or went through dramatic temp swings etc during shipping or whatever) then it will likely have lots of life on it - a couple colors of coraline algae, maybe some sponges, pods (little bugs), small fan worms, etc. You might be lucky and have some small corals. I didn't add any corals to my first tank for many months and I had some yellow sponge, pods, 3 colors of coraline algae, fan worms, bristle worms, and a little crab in one rock. It was a fun tank to look at for me even before I bought anything beyond the cleanup crew. After that go to your local reef club meeting and buy cheap corals at a frag auction or swap and you'll have an amazing tank in no time. Good luck =)

03/17/2008, 10:41 PM	#8
Vapour1ze I'm an Addict. Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Yorkville, IL Posts: 3,036	lol, alizarin, I guarantee you i redo everything 10 times. before im happy. im picky picky lol.... =] __________________ 93 Reef \| 220 Reef \| Basement Fish Life Support Room \| Empty Savings Account

03/17/2008, 11:03 PM	#9
Ehaze Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Thornton, Colorado Posts: 1,259	Sand >>> rocks >>> BIG trash bag to keep the water from from stiring up the sand (place bag over sand/rocks >>> water >>> salt That is the way i do it with no livestock. Best of luck to you, and grats on setting up a new tank! __________________ 75g SPS tank, 30gal sump/refuge. Melev RO/DI, Coravue duel calc reactor, MSP 200 skimmer, 2 Vortech MP40, Mag drive 9.5 return, autotopoff.com ATO, 2 CoralVue 250W SE finished pendants(with 20k Radium bulbs), powered by 2x Icecap ballasts, controlled by a ACJR.

03/17/2008, 11:08 PM	#10
Vapour1ze I'm an Addict. Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Yorkville, IL Posts: 3,036	Thanks ehaze, and the rest of you. hopefully all goes well, =] I look forward to posting pics of my progess, look for the thread :-) I'll start one tomorrow, __________________ 93 Reef \| 220 Reef \| Basement Fish Life Support Room \| Empty Savings Account

03/18/2008, 08:00 AM	#11
daveverdo Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Horseheads, NY Posts: 1,881	You do not have to buy "everything". Much depends on where you get your live rock. The live rock I got had quite a few hitchhiker corals. No LPS, but there was one SPS, some zoos and some mushrooms. There were also lots of tube worms and feather dusters. The zoos and mushrooms took some time to grow out but look great. Dave

03/19/2008, 01:23 PM	#12
Vapour1ze I'm an Addict. Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Yorkville, IL Posts: 3,036	coo lthanks. __________________ 93 Reef \| 220 Reef \| Basement Fish Life Support Room \| Empty Savings Account