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Thread: setting up new tank

  1. #1
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    setting up new tank

    I have had a 24 gallon aquapod nano reef running for about 2 years now and its been really fun. i have been wanting to upgrade for a while and when i was in my lfs they had a 50g tank and stand on sale so i bought it. i bought 2 bags of live sand, but i did not buy live rock. The guy at the lfs told me that i could just use any rock like lava rock and the live sand will still cycle the tank just fine. I set the tank up today, put all the sand and the non live rock i bought into the tank. i was just wondering if lfs was correct about just using lava rock and it will eventually turn into live rock, or should i stop being so cheap and just buy live rock from the lfs.
    also, i had one more question, i bought a hang on tank protein skimmer, should i hook that up right now while the tank is cycling? i have never used a protein skimmer on my nano tank so i dont really know anything about protein skimmers.

    thanks!!
    Bobby

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    Insightful Reefer Mostly Rock's Avatar
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    I assume that lava rock would be fine. I would have gone with base rock if I wanted to go that route. What I did was buy a little LR at a time until I had the aqua scape I wanted and more importantly the water to rock ratio I was shooting for. Whenever you add a piece of new LR there will probly be a mini cycle, but nothing you can't control with a water change. The biggest problem with adding base rock instead of LR (again, I assume this applies to something like Lavarock too) is the time that it takes to seed the rock. Lets say you have 80% base rock and 20% Live Rock, you're probly looking at several months before it is all active live rock and doing it's job. If it's all LR, as soon as your done with your initial cycle, your good to go. I would be cautious of any rock that isn't explicitly for the hobby, who knows what metals and chemicals are hiding away in there? One thing is for sure... if you don't put any Live Rock in the tank to seed the base rock... you won't get much out of it.
    Don't worry so much about the skimmer while you are cycling, unless you just want to mess with it and learn how to make it work properly. Until you start putting livestock in, it's not going to benefit your tank.
    Everything I've said is my opinion, and not absolute fact. I would research everything you ever read before you implement it.

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    thanks for the reply. it is actually base rock that i put in the tank, but i didn't know what the name of it was until i did a little research yesterday, i added 50lb of base rock and 10 lb of live rock. i was also told that i could put a cocktail shrimp in the tank for about 5 days and that would start the cycle. then tank the shrimp out after the nitrite goes to 0 and nitrates start raising. i guess i am going to try this out. any tips would be great!

    thanks
    bobby

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    Insightful Reefer Mostly Rock's Avatar
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    That's an excellent method for cycling the tank. You still have a ways to go as far as your LR, personally, I used 2 lbs per gallon. That means if you start adding 5lbs per week, you'll be pretty close to a tank full of functional LR by the time you have a hundred lbs in there.

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    Master Reefer SaltyDawg's Avatar
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    I agree about the skimmer and rock. I've heard of a few people trying lava rock but haven't seen any long term results. How deep of a bed did the 2 bags of sand make? If you want a deeper sand bed, now would be the time. Nice to see a new project. We don't mind seeing some pics either (hint hint).

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    the sand bed is 2 inches deep. so.. has anyone used a frozen shrimp to boost ammonia levels in the tank so that the cycle will start? i have been reading on other forums and it seems that if i use the frozen shrimp, after a few days my water will start smelling, and i want to try to avoid that. I cannot afford to buy more live rock as i am a poor college student and this tank has already cost me to much money!! i have also read that i can buy ammonia from a hardware store and dose the tank with that to get the cycle started instead of using the shrimp, or that i could put a couple damsels in the tank, but i don't want to do that.
    i will try to post some pictures later on tonight.

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    Master Reefer SaltyDawg's Avatar
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    A pinch of flakes along with the die-off from the live rock should start the cycle. Might take a little longer but this is something to take slow anyway. The rewards will be worth all the patience required for this hobby.

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    Grand Master Reefer CarmieJo's Avatar
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    A big pinch of food or a raw shrimp can be used to start a cycle. I drop a shrimp in for a couple days until I see the ammonia start to rise and then I pull it out. To make it easy to pull out put it in a piece of nylon stocking.

    I do not believe in using live animals to cycle a tank as the ammonia and nitrite burn their gills.
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    Carmiejoe, at what level of ammonia should i remove the shrimp from the tank, and will the tank cycle on its own with only 10 lbs of live rock? also, my lighting right now is a 150w metal halide, i was wondering if this is powerful enough to keep any corals i want in the tank.
    Last edited by bobboman; 03-16-2011 at 12:42 AM.

  10. #10
    Grand Master Reefer CarmieJo's Avatar
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    Hey Bobby,

    I would wait until it is at 0.50. The tank will cycle with 10 lbs of LR but you need to have enough base rock to support the bioload of the tank. The rule of thumb is 1-1.5 lbs of rock/gallon of water. Since base rock is dry when you buy it it is lighter than a similar volume of LR so a pound a gallon is about right. When you cycle with mostly base rock (which I have done) I believe that you have to add fish more slowly to reach the full load of the tank than if you had used all LR. Even if you use all LR I think that the tank is probably healthier when you add the fish slowly.
    Carmie


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  11. #11
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    Thanks CarmieJo, right now i have 70lb of base rock and 10lb of live rock, once the Ammonia level starts rising i'll remove the shrimp, its nice to have someone that has cycled help me with this. also, with regards to my lighting i have a 150w metal halide. i hope this is enough to light up the tank, and speaking of lighting i was wondering your guys thoughts on if i should keep the lights on during the tank cycle because currently i have to keep transferring the light from my nano tank to the bigger tank.

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    Grand Master Reefer CarmieJo's Avatar
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    That should be enough rock for a 50. You don't need lights to cycle unless your LR has corals that came as hitchhikers.
    Carmie


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    +1 to both CarmieJo and SaltyDawg. 150 watt MH should be fine, may want to get t5's for supplemental. I have a 90, and all I use is t5's (Seriously cheap and inexpensive fixture too) and I can keep every coral I can think of. I have Acro's growing very well. Back to the DSB. Salty has a point about the 2" sand bed too. I would make it at least a 4" sand bed, and it's much easier now than it will be then.

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    Thanks for the reply Mostly Rock. i had another question, since i plan on moving everything from my nano tank to my new reef tank once its set up, is the tank going to cycle again if i add more live rock?

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    i was just wondering, if i move the 50LB of live rock from my old nano to my new tank after the new tanks cycle is complete, is this going to cause the tank to cycle again? the live rock in my nano tank has been in there for over 2 years so i guess its what you would call "cured." should i move just a little bit of rock at a time, or all at once??

    also, i was wondering what your guys thoughts on this lighting system are.

    Aqualight Pro Light Fixture - 250W HQI - 2 x 65W - 36 in (ESU)

    here is the link, wondering if this is a good price too.

    http://www.aquariumguys.com/250w-aqu...-pro-36in.html

    currently i have aquatic life 150w 10000k pendant
    http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/10960/product.web

    would it be worth it to upgrade the lighting system?? i want to be able to keep all types of corals and clams. is the light i currently have strong enough for that?

    also i will be posting some pictures tonight of both tanks, im waiting for the camera battery to charge.

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    here is a picture of the 50g im setting up.


    Uploaded with ImageShack.us


    picture of the nano tank will come soon.

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    Grand Master Reefer CarmieJo's Avatar
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    If you are careful to avoid exposing the rock to air you will probably be OK. There is always some die off when rock is exposed to air so you will want to be sure to test after you move it.
    Carmie


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  18. #18
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    Pictures of the nano, been up for 2 years.



    Uploaded with ImageShack.us



    Uploaded with ImageShack.us

  19. #19
    Our Brotha Down Unda
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    Why so much bubblegum on the backwall when all you have is softies?



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    i don't know about the "bubble gum" it just grows there. is there something wrong with it??

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    Our Brotha Down Unda
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    yeah its strawberry, I prefer grape flavoured.

    Nope, just asking for the sake of asking bud.

    Welcome to the forums too, see your new.



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    I actually have been reading this forums since i set up my reef tank, and i have only posted about problems that i have. i have always gotten lots of helpful information on this forum. so thanks everyone!

  23. #23
    Master Reefer SaltyDawg's Avatar
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    I don't mind the coraline on the back at all either. But when I changed lights from 50/50 PC's to T-5's I got the same bleach line across the tank. Then it started falling off in sheets.

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    Insightful Reefer Mostly Rock's Avatar
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    You should be ok with moving the LR. I had to pull half of my rock out to hunt down a Sith Lord Banded Coral Shrimp once, I transferred it from my tank to a rubbermade bin full of tank water, then back again when I finally curtailed the beast. I didn't even have a mini cycle. As far as the lights, I assume you'll be fine with that fixture. I'm happy with 4 t5's, and so is everything you've listed. I also live in central FL and don't run an AC, so I need a fixture that produces very little heat and uses minimal electricity (I know Carmie, LED's, right? Not quite ready for those yet.) and I only paid about 80 bucks for a 48" 4 bulb t5 fixture. It's even cheaper if you buy the kit and build a canopy.

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    the white line across the top of the tank is because i messed up one day mixing my salt, the ph got screwed up some how so the water level was dropped for about a day.

    anyways, the new tank seems to be cycling just fine, nitrates are starting to rise today, and ammonia is dropping. i was kinda concerned because my ammonia level only got up to .50ppm and then started dropping. i thought that was a little low.

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