Setting up new 130D

[mzreenie]

New 130D arrived today. The stand has been assembled and the tank filled with tap water to check for leaks, then drained. Now ready for SW.

The instructions for the Red Sea Coral Pro Salt call for a mixture of 1.4 lb salt for 5 gallons of water. Has anyone converted this to another measurement, such as cups of salt, etc.? I do not have a scale.

Also, if I put my saltwater into the tank tomorrow, is it OK if I wait an entire week before adding my Live Rock? My LR is scheduled to be delivered on Nov. 26. so is it ok to run the tank with just the substrate, and then add the LR a week later? Should I run the skimmer during this week w/o the LR?

[deaclauderdale]

You should measure the salt content using a refractometer and not bsed on cuos or the measurement on the bucke of salt. You can also add the rock at a later date although most wait and add the rock first and substrate last for stability reasons.

[Reefmack]

Agree with deaclauderdale - you can wait as long as you need to put the rock in. When I set my RSM up I mixed my first salt load into the tank water (Filled with RO/DI water). If you do this add it slowly, and have the powerheads and heater on to help the salt dissolve. As a general rule of thumb it usually takes roughly 1/2 cup salt per gallon, but you need to inch up on it at the end till you get the salinity correct. If you overdo the salt you obviously can't remove it, and would have to remove saltwater & replace with fresh water - a real PITA! You'll probably start out with the plastic hydrometer, but as soon as you can afford another $40-50 get a refractometer - much more accurate and a lot easier to use. If you mix the salt in the tank do it before adding substrate. You'll probably get a little insoluble sediment doing this, but that's normal. I added my substrate before my rock arrived - pros & cons to adding rock or substrate first. If you add it first just be sure that when you place the rock in that it's pushed down (gently) into the substrate to make it stable. No need to run the skimmer yet, other than if you want it to be breaking it in - skimmers can take a few days or more of running to remove any oils, etc. left over from the manufacturing process. You could get a head start on the break-in process, or just wait till after the rock goes in.

Best wishes on the new adventure you are beginning!

[mzreenie]

Thanks for the good info

[WatchinFish]

yay i remember when i was in yours shoes. dont worrie. its easy. fill the tank with ro/di water and then start putting the salt into it. mixing directly in the tank is fine for a first fill. dont put in your subtrate in untill you have dialed in you salinity(spesific gravity) and your temprature(monitor for a couple days to make sure its steady) and then you are ready for the substrate. running your protien skimmer cant hurt during all this. i mean you dont need it yet but you will get a head start on breaking it in. sometimes it takes a few days to work properly.when you get your rock, just push the bottom ones down into the sand. and when aquascapeing make sure that the rocks are stable(dont want a big fish kocking one off and killing something). good luck and happy reefing.

[mzreenie]

I'm almost there with the salt. I added it gradually as I was waiting for the temp to come up too. Once the temp gets up to 78 I will test again - I think I will need to add a little more salt. As far as the temp, I have read 4 books (including the RSM user manual), and therefore I have been told 4 different temp ranges: 75-79, 74-78, 74-82, and 77-80. What do you suggest for a Reef tank?

And I have the three following suggestions for Salinity: 1.021 - 1.024, 1.024 - 1.026, and 1.026 in the RMS manual. Suggestions?

[Reefmack]

mrzeenie - I run mine at 78-80F, averaging about 79. On salinity I shoot for 1.025 - 1.026. But, that's just my preferences. Actual reef temps can be lower or higher. Here's a reference I refer to often:

Reef Aquarium Parameters

Better to err on the low side of salinity I think, but not too low.

[mzreenie]

Oh gosh, I don't want to look at the article you sent me because then I will have a fifth opinion!!! Just kidding. I know that you have had good luck with your RSM, and I value your opinion over some of the books that I have read. Some of the books are too broad, and don't specifically target reef aquariums, nor do they know about a tank like the RSM. Thanks for your info. I think I will test my water again, and hopefully later tonight I can add my substrate.

[MatthewJ]

I'm pretty much at the same stage as you. re: temp and sg, the impression i've generally gotten is that consistency within the range (and maybe even a bit out of it) is most important. I landed on 77 degrees and 1.025 sg. My temp will vary 1 degree on either side. My sg will go up as high as 1.027 if I'm not around for a day or two to replace evaporated water with RO/DI water.

[redseareef]

mzreenie,
I run my tank at 77-79. Actually, the lower you can hold the temp, the more oxygen the water can hold. Oxygen is a oxidizer, and so less disease is usually a benefit of having a bit cooler temps. Fish always seem more healthy and livlier in cooler water. Keep it where you can per your climate conditions. I live in So. California, and already have a chiller hooked up to my tank.
Anything over 81 degrees and your snails will start to die! At least mine do!

Salinity, Redsea recommends the 1026 range because the Redsea has the highest salinity level of all the oceans. Except for the dead sea, which has no fish or coral life in it.
Most of your animals will not come from the RedSea. Therefore, I would recommend one of the lower settings. I run mine at 1024. This also gives you some insurance in case you miss adding freshwater to make up for evaporation.
I hope this helps!

[mzreenie]

I have a question about the RSM heater - how far down in the compartment did you put the heater, did you push it way to the bottom, or do you have it up higher? Mine is just about at the level where the red dial is to change the temp. I can't seem to get the temp to be consistent. I turn the dial just a hair (or so I think), and the temp either gradually goes up to 80, or gradually drops to 75.

Also, I bought a stick on thermometer for outside the tank, but it reads about one degree below the one in the hydrometer. What type of thermometer do you recommend?

I am going to buy a refractometer because the hydrometer never gives the same reading when I use it. I think my salilnity was 1.023 at 75 degrees this morning, then after waiting for the heater to warm the water up for a while, I think it was 1.021 at 79 degrees. Any suggestions on the type/brand of refractometer for me to buy? Will the refractometer also have a thermometer built in to it or should I spend the money for a digital thermometer?

[redseareef]

mzreenie,
The hydrometer should give you CONSISTENT results. They need a little time to break in. Make sure it is rinsed VERY well after each use with freshwater. IF not, the salt deposits stay in the hydrometer after the seawater dry's out of it. Then you go and refill getting a strangely different reading. Usually higher. Also, you have to tap on it to get any air bubbles to release that may be stuck to the needle. This will cause strange readings as well as it changes the weight of the needle.
No, they are not as accurate as a refractometer. BUT, they can be consistent and good enough! I have used one for years with a built in temp. compensator and love it!
The lifegaurd digital temp meters are pretty darn accurate. If you do not want to buy one of those get yourself a good regular thermometer. You may need a chiller. If so, they come with one already on the front of the unit.
Hope this helps! Any pics yet?

[Mavjoy]

Hi mzreenie, I use a digital thermometer and it's been accurate and reliable. I got the dial of the heater right above the water line. A refractometer is a MUST in this hobby of ours, just to be sure to calibrate it and your good to go. Any brand of refractometer is good IMO. I keep my salinity at around 1.026 at 78-79 degrees. Post some pics up when you get a chance. We all love pics.

[WatchinFish]

what are to planning on keeping in your tank. corals like higher salinity then fish. if its fish only you can go with 1.022-1.023. if you are going for a reef setup, aim for more of a 1.024(like mine)-1.025. as for adding the substrate. what kind are you adding. live sand is a good way to help with cycleing your tank faster. but once again. dont add anything until your temp is stable for a few days, including subtrate. trust me. oh and you dont realy need a chiller. you could always use a couple of clip on fans. they work fine. i actually keep my tank cooler with 4 computer fans put into my canopy, and i have 250w halides. fans work miracles. their more cheap and they dont let out any exaust.

keep asking questions. i can already tell your gonna be succesfull in this hobby.

[WatchinFish]

will tell you what temp most of our members use. hope it helps. i personally keep mine from 76-78 cause i live in california and like to leave some room for warm ups incase of a super hot day

Whats The Temperature Of You'r Water?