Excited, have many questions!!!

[Ready4Reef]

Hello all,
I just got a RSM 130 last Sunday. I set it up with live rock and sand, and have some questions. I've been reading for two weeks now (1 week before I bought aquarium, and this week). I have the New Marine Aquarium:Step by Step Setup and Stocking Guide by Michael Paletta - good book, and Saltwater Aquarium Models: Recipes for Creating Beautiful Aquariums That Thrive on my Kindle. I also have been talking with people at the LFS. All have somewhat conflicting info. I'm trying to do the right thing, so hopefully you guys can clear up some of my confusion.

1) When I bought the aquarium the LFS was having their annual sale. Live rock was 50% off. So I asked if I purchased the rock and aquarium at the same time. I then later read in one of the books that you should let tank run 24 hrs before adding rock, is that right? Did I add it too soon?

2) When picking out the rock, I felt little prickly things sort of like fiberglass in my fingers. The LFS told me this may be Bristleworm on the rock and to get rid of it, submerge the rock in high salinity saltwater before putting into tank to cure. He told me to mix half a box in two buckets I bought with tapwater. I did that and let it sit overnight. I set up aquarium next morning which took most of the day, then by 10 pm, but Rock in. When I called the LFS back with questions, another rep told me I should have only left the rock in the high salinity water for 60 secs. OH NO.http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/images/Tsmilies/crying2.gif Now I'm wondering if I ruined the live rock? I asked him if I killed it, he said it is already dead. I corrected myself and asked if I had killed off all the bacteria and made it useless. I had noticed the morning after I left it in the bucket, there are a lot of brownish gunk in the water when I took the rock out. He said it would be ok. Is that true? Will any bacteria grow back into the rock?

3) The first day I tested the water, my readings were: Specific Gravity 1.026, pH 8.3, Alk=normal, Temp 78, NH=.25 ppm, NO2 = .1, and NO3=2.5-5.0, Calcium =430. The LFS said the Salinity was "way to high" and told me to change 50% of water to make it lower. I did, brought it down to 1.022. At first it was too low, then I had to pour in more salt. I did all this in aquarium with the rock, was that wrong? I thought it was ok since no fish or coral was in tank. Another mistake?

4) I left the rock in for a day. Then added the the live sand. It is now day 4. I tested last night (day 3), and noticed all the levels were the same. Making me feel that the rock is NOT curing properly and I did ruin it. PH was the only thing that was higher than when I first tested day 1, at 8.6. Will I need to throw away the rock and start over, should I add more rock to help. When I do add rock now, do I add uncured directly to tank or do I have to cure it in a bucket or another tank before adding it. I have 24 lbs now (that is if it is any good), and will need 60 eventually. Wondering if I should just build up rock now before adding anything, or if I do it over time when fish and coral are in the tank?

5) The LFS said I could use Ivory soap to make sure my hands were clean before putting them into the tank since it had no oils or moisturizer in it. True/False?

6) I have two 5 gallon buckets and have just poured salt in to mix it for when I have to do a water change. Been sitting for 3 days. Will it get stale? I saw another thread that said I need to get a pump to mix? What kind of pump?

7) Lastly, there is no foam in my skimmer cup. There's nothing in it actually. I see bubbles through the tank wall coming from the pump, but nothing is rising to the cup. Will that take time, or is my setup faulty?

I know this is a lot, but I'm trying to get on the right track. Thanks for all your help in advance!

 

[jgking21]

Okay, I'll give some of these a try! First, be very careful of what you learn from the LFS, they are not alway knowledgable and some try to make a buck off everyone.
1) Adding the rock right away is not a problem, you did good saving some money and getting it on sale. You will see die off from the new rock, which will only get your cycle started with the ammonia.
2) The pricky things may have been feather busters or other benefical stuff. I'm not sure of the process you did, but to get rid of hitchhikers it is best to hold the rock over a bucket and pour vinegar over it. Bristle worms are not bad though, they will eat extra food.
3) I wouldn't add any more salt directly to the tank, mix it in a bucket first. A good salinity is 1.024 - 1.026, so you were okay. Also, don't do anymore water changes until your cycle is done, you can make it longer doing that.
4) I would try to get all the sand and rock you want into the tank before livestock goes in. I would also try to cure the rock for a bit before putting it in. Add things like that can put your tank in a mini cycle, so doing it while you are cycling would probably help you down the road.
5) I usually just rinse my hands really good, not sure what soap is the best.
6) Are you using RO water? That should be fine for a few days in a bucket. It is best to get a small powerhead to move the water and mix with the salt.
7) Skimmers have a break-in period and you usually won't see any skimming, also being a new tank there really isn't anything to skim.

I hope that will give you somewhere to go from here, just remember Patience is the name of this game. Do as much research as you can before purchasing anything or adding anything to the tank. Ask questions here on RS, the people are very knowledgable and have the experience.

Good Luck!

 

[jgking21]

Also, if you are only in the first week give it time. Cycles can be as long as 8 weeks, so research, research and research!!!

 

[Neptunesghost]

+++1
all good advice, and based on what was said, I would be very cautious when dealing with that LFS.

 

[Ready4Reef]

Thanks for your response!

You will see die off from the new rock, which will only get your cycle started with the ammonia.

I haven't seen anything come off the rock since leaving it in that high salt solution overnight before added to my tank. That's why I was thinking I killed off all living organisms.

4) I would try to get all the sand and rock you want into the tank before livestock goes in. I would also try to cure the rock for a bit before putting it in. Add things like that can put your tank in a mini cycle, so doing it while you are cycling would probably help you down the road.

Glad to hear it. I was actually reading some of the FAQs here, and saw one about cycling. Turns out base rock is without life and live rock has it. So wondering if that intense salt had the affect of turning my LR into base rock. I will purchase more live rock and add to it as you recommended. I'll make sure to cure it some first before adding. I'm assuming I can do that in a bucket with some premixed saltwater.

6) Are you using RO water? That should be fine for a few days in a bucket. It is best to get a small powerhead to move the water and mix with the salt.

I'm using distilled water, is that the same as RO?

I do have a lot to learn, so I will continue researching on this site. I appreciate your advice. Thanks!

Here's a picture of the tank

 

[jgking21]

Nice Tank!
You won't really see things fall off, just die off of the living organisms that come on the live rock. This is actually what kick starts most people's cycle. I see a good bit of sponge on the center rock, the orange stuff (or looks like sponge), and that usually can't handle the spikes. I guess you would say this is kind of turning your live rock to base rock. Fear not, it will all become live rock as the tank becomes established and some will survive. Yes, just cure the rock in a bucket with a powerhead and premixed salt. Setting up your rocks now will save you later when you start setting corals. Below are two links, the first is Rockwork (great thread!) and the second is Distilled vs. RO (can't tell you which is best).

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/general-reef-aquarium-discussion/44055-rockwork.html

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/reef-chemistry-forum/46072-r-o-verses-distilled.html

Hope this is helpful!

 

[Ready4Reef]

You're awesome. Thanks so much!

Last question, I promise ;-) You may notice the film around top of tank. I got that when I added the sand. What would you recommend I use to clean it off? A sponge, paper towel? I saw somewhere to use sponges without mildew preventative ingredients that could contaminate the water, but don't recall seeing anything like that in grocery store.

 

[jgking21]

Keep the questions coming, how could anyone learn anything if they don't ask! A stupid question is one that is not asked!

Yeah, next time you add sand put it in a bucket with clean water. Then make sure to get as much water out of the sand before adding it, you should not get as much foam. Now for cleaning, I just use a toothbrush most of the time to keep the water line clean. They also make a glass cleaning sponge on a handle, I've seem them around at fish stores. I also use a Mag-Float to keep the glass clean, looks like you have some dust on the glass, this will knock that off and make the tank look so much clearer!

Check out the sticky's at the top of each forum section, there are a lot of good threads for newbies!