ok so I am new to reef tanks in fact i dont even have one setup but im actually planning on it first off i have a few questions that wernt very specific on the podcast

first, how much will the water cost in a 55 gallon tank if im using distilled water

second, I want to use live sand and rock so do i but those in there even before i put the water in?

and third, is it ok instead of putting shrimp like he (the podcast guy) suggested in to the tank to start the nitrogen cycle to put say like a banana peel or something of that kind?

Hello Edward and :welcome: to TR.

I don't know how much water is where you live but here you can get distilled for about 80 cents a gallon. Are you planning on a sump? A 55 won't have 55 gallons in it when you consider sand and rock. I figure my 54 with a sump that has about 12 gallons of water in it has about 60 gallons all together. So that would be about $48. You can buy RO/DI for 50-60 cents a gallon at the LFS.

To minimize the sand storm, put the sand in the tank, cover it with a plastic bag, set a plate on the bag and pour your water into the plate. Fill the tank about 2/3 full and then add the rock. I don't believe that it is necessary to buy the LS in a bag, your LR will seed it.

I would not use plant material to jump start the cycle. You can use a good pinch of fish food instead of the shrimp.

Thanks! very much

Hey Edward Finch, Welcome to TR. :welcome:

Listen to Carmie, she is a great resource here on TR.

I would like to clear something up for everyone concerning "seeding" a new tank to kick off the "cycle". Back in the "old days", I'm talking before the use of live rock (LR), before live sand (LS) was commercially available and long before the average hobbyist (fresh or salt water) new there was a "cycle". I can speak to this early "Age of Aquarius" because I'm old and experienced it first hand. We used a fresh dead shrimp to seed our sand beds as a source of Ammonia to start the cycle. We didn't have the luxury of LR. No one had "discovered" LR as the perfect solution to our problems. We did know the cycle was going to happen and jumping into and stocking our aquariums before the cycle was completed spelled disaster for everything we put into the tank. We didn't know about sumps, refugiums, wet/dry trickle filters, those would be "discovered" much later.

We did know about skimmers and ozone. I had a hang-on the tank (inside) skimmer that was air driven and an ozone generator hooked into the airline. I still have that ozone generator.

We didn't have to "seed" our sand beds but, it would take 3 to 4 months for the cycle to complete without doing it. One method we "discovered" was to "seed" our sand bed with sand from an established marine aquarium. That, and the shrimp method combined, shortened our "cycle" time to 1 to 2 months. We tested our water daily as we waited eternities for those bacteria to colonize our sand beds with high enough populations to consume the Ammonia and Nitrite (both highly poisonous) that was being produced. It got pretty old staring into bland aquariums with little or no livestock and that led to impatience, which led to impulse buying way to early. Countless marine specimens have perished to impatience. Patience is one of the most important "traits" you must develop in this hobby.

The "discovery" of LR and all it's benefits (LR brings all the necessary ingredients together in our aquariums, dying mater and the correct bacteria) changed this hobby forever. If you understand the "cycle", the benefits of LR and LS and know how to use them to your advantage, a successful marine aquarium can be set up in a very short period of time compared to "the good old days".

Because you are going to use LR and LS you don't need to use the "old" method of seeding your system with a dead shrimp and certainly not with a banana peel.

first, how much will the water cost in a 55 gallon tank if im using distilled water
First off, you should not use distilled water. Commercially available distilled water is distilled over copper piping. This water may have a trace amount of copper, something you want to avoid in a marine aquarium because it is very toxic to our critters. Listen to Carmie about getting RO/DI water from the LFS or buy your own RO/DI unit ASAP. You will be doing (hopefully) weekly water changes. You will want one in the future (about $140).

As a beginner, you will want to question us about everything BEFORE you do it. That may seem strange to you but I'm serious. You will be amazed at how costly a simple wrong decision can be. Bring it here first!!! And one important piece of information repeated on all aquarium related forums is this - "The worst place to seek information is your LFS". That may seem ridiculous but it's true. You are bound to find out sooner or later might as well be from us before you rely on advice from them.

I hope this helps you in making your system sucessful.

Dick

^^^ what they said ^^^

Hello Edward and :welcome: to TR! Ditto, Ditto!!!! :D