Newbie to Saltwater Aquariums

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DawnMarie81

New Member
Hey everyone. I just got a 75g tank and am wanting to set it up saltwater. I have heard a lot of different things about getting started and read online a lot of different stuff, one site seems to contradict another. I am hoping that joining here may help me out.
 
BEELZEBOB

BEELZEBOB

Well-Known Member
Welcome!

BEFORE YOU BUY ANYTHING ask ask ask ask!!!!

we're all here to help you and the critters you choose to keep!!!


seriously, we will hold your hand start to finish!:hallo:
 
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DawnMarie81

New Member
Re: LOOK! Frequently Asked Questions~

I have heard that once you ut up the tank, put the water in it and whatever else is needed to get the water right (chemicals, salt...etc) that you have to wait 6 months before you can put fish in...or that it takes the water that long to sit before it is ready for fish? Is that true?
 
BEELZEBOB

BEELZEBOB

Well-Known Member
Re: LOOK! Frequently Asked Questions~

that depends on how long it takes the tank to cycle.

and that is relative to tank size, LR die off, etc.

i waited 2 months for my 18gallon
 
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DawnMarie81

New Member
Re: LOOK! Frequently Asked Questions~

I have heard that once you ut up the tank, put the water in it and whatever else is needed to get the water right (chemicals, salt...etc) that you have to wait 6 months before you can put fish in...or that it takes the water that long to sit before it is ready for fish? Is that true?
 
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DawnMarie81

New Member
Re: LOOK! Frequently Asked Questions~

Wow, I have a feeling this is going to take a while. Can you put the live rocks and coral in before the fish, while the tank is still on its first cycle?
 
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DawnMarie81

New Member
Re: LOOK! Frequently Asked Questions~

Sorry, i am not really too sure how to use these posts, the first time it kept saying there was a error and so i tried to re-post it. Didn't mean to "leapfrog" ya
 
BEELZEBOB

BEELZEBOB

Well-Known Member
Re: LOOK! Frequently Asked Questions~

soo you add LR and sand first.

let your tank cycle, then add fish and inverts SLOWLY
 
BigAl07

BigAl07

Administrator
RS STAFF
Hello :wave: and welcome!

Kudos to you for asking for help. I could have saved a LOT of $$ by doing that early on.

Some advice....

A) go to http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...rs/33555-look-frequently-asked-questions.html and read all about the "Nitrogen Cycle" and how it affects a Salt Water tank. It's going to be with you every step of the way so the more you understand it now the less you'll be FIGHTING it later on. It either works FOR you or AGAINST you (and it will win).

B) Think long and hard about what you want your tank to be like in 6month to a year. Then research and work your way towards that goal. By doing this you waste less money on lights, filters and junk you can't use later on. Save yourself some money and heart ache and think long-term.

C) Go slow and research every aspect of your purhcases. Our sponsors do a GREAT job of supporting us and many provide additional discounts and support to RS members.

D) Be very careful about advice you get from your Local Fish Store (LFS). They are in the business to SELL SELL SELL and this may mean they don't have you or your tank's best interest at heart. Research is your new best friend.

E) Go slow and be deliberate about your purchases. "Impulse" buying can hurt more than just your wallet. Buy everything after researching it and for a reason not "just because it looked so cute in the tank at the store". I'm as guilty as they come of this.. or I WAS :)

F) Sit back and enjoy the whole process. It's all about learning and growing WITH the tank not just the looking at the tank once a day and going WOW! The whole process can be FUN!!

Good luck and WELCOME to the REEF! You can log out but you can never really LEAVE :)
 
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DawnMarie81

New Member
Re: LOOK! Frequently Asked Questions~

ok, so i fill the tank with water, then add whatever chemicals and salt needs added...i havent done that research yet...and then i can add the live sand and live rocks at the same time? or do i have to wait a while for the chemicals to level out before I add the live sand/rocks? (stupid questions i know, but this is a diffucult thing to get started when you research 4 different sites and get 3 or 4 different answers about the same thing) Do you have to wait for your chemicals/water to level out before you add these to the tank, or do you just have to wait to add the fish? Also, once my tank has cycled and i have it all up and going, do i have to cycle any new rocks in a seperate tank before adding them to my big tank?

I have also read that you should use a mixture of 50/50 live sand and dead sand to start with since the live sand c0onverts the dead sand to live sand over time, and that if you use straight live sand it can become too think/condensed and trap bacterias. Is this correct? Would you use the 50/50 mixture or just use all live sand?
 
BigAl07

BigAl07

Administrator
RS STAFF
You add water (preferrably RO/DI filtered water) and mix in the chemicals (all you need is a quality salt mix). This ONE time you can mix IN the tank but from this point on you want to mix in another container and NEVER EVER add any chemicals or anything into the tank straight.

You'll want to add live rock and sand in the process here too.

Here is how I would do it...

A) Get a container other than tank and mix your water and salt mix and get those parameters correct.

B) add sand & rock to the tank and when the water is right then add to tank carefully as to create as little of a sand storm as possible.

This will be the Beginning and you'll want to test to "See" the cycle happening.

Once it's cycled you can add a small clean up crew (CUC) and start to slowly add a fish. Go slow and take your time.
 
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DawnMarie81

New Member
Thanks a lot, this site sure makes it a lot easier to get things started. It is much easier to trust someone who already has a tank set up and running compared to just some sites that could tell you anything they want to. I am hoping to get my tank set up as much as i can this weekend and get things started
 
lcstorc

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
Go slowly and do a lot of research. This hobby is one that will not be successful if rushed.
Make sure you get quality equipment to start with or you will end up having to replace it which costs even more.
Not sure what sites you found before but we would love to help you get started. There is a lot of information here and some great people to answer questions.
 
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DawnMarie81

New Member
Can someone tell me what the difference between live rock and reef is? Or is there a difference? Also what IS coral? can you use live rock, reef and coral, as well as fish all in the same tank?
 
lcstorc

lcstorc

Well-Known Member
I'll tackle this one. There are actually a number of questions here.
Live rock is rock that has come from the ocean or from someone's tank that has the necessary bacteria to convert the wastes in your system.
Reef rock is generally base rock which is rock from the ocean or other places that has been allowed to dry and therefore the bacteria is no longer alive.
You can certainly use some base rock and some live rock in your system. Over time the base rock will become live by gathering the bacteria from the live rock. Personally I like to start a tank with mostly live rock but I have certainly been known to put base rock in my sump to gather life and then use it as live in another tank.
Coral is just that. Living coral. There are many different types and each has it's own set of requirements. They all require very good water quality.
Fish are of course fish.
Yes you can have them all together. I would highly recommend the live rock regardless but you can have fish or corals or both. Generally it is easier to start with fish since they can handle less than perfect parameters and you can add coral later. Be sure not to overstock with fish or it will be very hard to keep the tank clean enough for corals to survive.
 
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