wanna be saltwater tank owner

KK LOTS OF INFO TO TAKE IN AND WILL TAKE TIME TO REALLY SOAK IT UP AND MAKE THIS SYSTEM TO WORK I JUST SOPKE WITH A PERSON FROM NJ WHO GAVE ME A GOOD BASE START STATING THAT I SHOULD PROLLY PUT IN A SAND BASE OF ARAGAMAX OR GO TO MY LOCAL LOWS AND GET A SAND CALLED SOUTH DOWN WHICH IS A GOOD SUB FOR THIS PROJECT. HE ALSO STATED I SHOULD MAYBE THINK ABOUT LIVE ROCK SUCH AS FIJI OR TUNGA OR A MIX OF BOTH AND CALLING A FEW LOCAL PET STORES IT ISENT CHEAP ABOUT 8.99 A LBS FOR FIJI AND 9.99 LBS FOR THE TUNGA THEY ALSO SAY I NEED LIKE 50 LBS OF THIS THATS GONNA LEAVE A DENT IN THE WALLET BUT WAS TOLD TO TRY TO ORDER FROM thatpetplace.com PRICE IS WAY CHEAPER $80 FOR 20LBS OF FIJI AND $124 FOR TONGA ROCK
BUT DO I REALLY NEED THAT MUCH??

AS FAR AS MY PLAN FOR NOW HERE IS WHAT I'M GONNA DO PIPE IN IF I'M MAKING A MISTAKE ON MONDAY MOSTLY BECAUSE THIS IS MY WEEKEND TO WORK I WILL EMTY THE TANK CLEAN IT MIX A FRESH BATCH OF SALT WATER CLEAN MY FILTERS REPLACE THE MEDIA IF NEEDED OR JUST RINCE THE LIVING HECK OUT IF IT PLACE THE SAND IN THE TANK WITH A POWER HEAD PUT THE FILTERS BACK IN BUT LEAVE THEM OFF NOT WANTING THEM TO BE CLOGED WITH THE SAND TURN THE HEATER UP TO ABOUT 79 OR 80 AND LET STAND ABOUT A WEEK I'LL ALSO PROLLY ADD SOME AIR LINES AT ABOUT AWEEK I'LL TRY TO ADD LIVE ROCK DEPENDS ON MY CASH FLOW MY WIFE IS A LIL TOUCHY ABOUT THE TANK RIGHT NOW BUT ONCE THE LIVE ROCK GETS IN I PLAN TO MAKE A SHELF FOR THE ROCK TO SIT ON ABOUT 1 INCH OFF THE SAND IN MY MIND THIS MIGHT HELP MAKE A HIDING PLACE FOR THE CRITTERS I'LL ALSO ADD THE SKIMMER AND SOME BETTER LIGHTING THEN IF EVERYTHING GOES WELL I'LL TRY FOR FISH????? IN ANY CASE I'LL KEEP CHECKING BACK HERE AND WISH ME LUCK

I don't have the expertise to know how to communicate why but (Help me out here guys) Please don't put sand from Lowes! Help guys please explain to him why!

Southdown hasn't been available for a couple years now. For a while, they were selling the same sand under the Old Castle brand. There's varying arguments about using "play" sand in your tanks. One of the checks you can do with the sand is see if it reacts with vinegar. If it foams, it's likely aragonite based and will be fine for your tank. If it doesn't it's probably silica based and some people will say it will do more harm than good.

Personally, since your tank is so small, just shop around for Live Sand on ebay or online and just go that route.

Or I don't know what I'm talking about. :)

Eric

I would stay away from so called "live sand" packed in "sea water" but just my two cents. I think all your buying is just a bag of nitrates! I used aragamax but it was the dry stuff so good luck i hope were confusing you enough

SOFAR I WENT DOWN TO THE LFS BOUGHT THE FOLLOWING THE ARAGAMAX 40 LBS I GOT 5 LBS OF FIGI AND ABOUT 5 LBS OF TONGA NOT CHEAP!! OK THAT BEING SAID HERE IS WHAT I HAVE DONE THUS FAR

1 DRAINED , CLEANED ,EVERYTHING WITH HOT WATER FILTERS POWER HEADS THAT SORT OF STUFF AND TANK

2 DUMPED 40 LBS OF SAND INTO THE NOW CLEAN TANK PLACED SOME BASE ROCK IN THE BOTTEM ABOUT 5 TO 10 LBS OF THAT I CANT RECALL THE NAME OF IT THO ONCE THAT WAS DONE I PLACED THE LIVE ROCK ON TOP OF THAT

3 I THEN TOOK A 5 GAL PAIL THAT I USE ONLY FOR FISH AND STARTED TO MIX 1/2 CUP SALT (MARINE SALT) PER GAL

4 MEANWHILE MY WIFE IS CUSSING ME OUT BECAUSE I SPENT ALOT OF CASH AND MADE A BIG MESS ON THE DECK OUTSIDE WITH THE OLD CRUSHED CORAL I DUMPED.

5 BUT BACK TO THE TANK I ADDED MY POWERHEAD AND BOTH FILTERS AND A HEATER SET AT ABOUT 81 DEG ALL ALONG THE BACK OF THE TANK THE POWER HEADS I HOPE WILL CAUSE A GOOD CURRENT.

LAST I STARTED TO FILL THE TANK THIS SEEMED TO TAKE FOREVER BECAUSE OF THE MIXING OF THE SALT AND ALL.........I THINK I WILL KNOW WHAT I HAVE IN A FEW DAYS ONCE THE WATER CLEARS.

I JUST CANT WAIT TILL THIS HAPPENS I FEEL LIKE A KID IN A CANDY STORE RIGHT NOW ..............I ALSO KNOW I NEED TO GET MORE LIVE ROCK BUT AS I POSTED BEFOR THE LFS WANTS A ARM AND A LEG FOR THE STUFF I'M GONNA CHECK OUT SOME OTHER WEBSITES AND EBAY. MY ONLY FEAR OF EBAY IS THAT I WILL GET JUNK ....ALSO MY SKIMMER SHOULD BE IN THIS WEEK BUT AM TOLD I DONT NEED IT TILL I GET FISH.... ANY ADVICE ON THAT?

First let me say you are off to a good start, and that being here will definatly help. Just a few things I see that I might do different. I would mix the LR and base to allow them to touch on more surfaces, This will allow criters and eventualy coraline alage to spread quicker. Second I would point the powerheads in mulitipul directions to create a better flow pattern. And last but not least DO NOT fire up the skimmer untill after or very close to the end of your cycle. It will only take out the nasties ( protiens that cause ammonia/nitrite/nitrate) that are needed for the tank to cycle, and won't pull anything at all in the very begining

KK WILL DO I'LL MOVE THE POWER HEADS SO THEY ARE IN A CIRCLE TYPE PATTERN AND WONT WORRY ABOUT THE SKIMMER TILL LATER

Sound great. Depending on your poewr heads it may be even better to put one on each end and just point them at eachother through the rock work. This way the deflection would create a more disburst pattern and it may also help eliminate dead spots in your rocks. If you don't understand let me know and we can hook up in the chat room.

We had a decent chat last night while he was at work. I apologized ahead of time because I told him that I was going to give him grief about his caps lock deal at work...

http://www.wap.org/info/techstuff/capslock.gif

Are you using RO water or better yet RO/DI one of the best investments you can make...In my eyes.......If not here comes the algae!!!!!