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christopninja 
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 Topic: new tank build
Posted: March 03 2015 at 1:50am |
so i finally getting back into the hobby and this time i want to do it right im starting small with a 28 gal nano
So i had a 75 gal reef tank about 2 years ago and had to break it down to move and nerver set it up again, and all the rock and sand is now dead. i would like to use it to get this going and want to know what i should do. now i do realize i will have to Cure it and such but do i cure it in fresh water or salt. also should i wash it first with tap water or not. also i have 2 175 watt MH and 4 i belive 24 watt PC's now i realize im not going to want to put all that light on it but i was thinking two PC's and 1 MH hanging above it. now i want to have mostly acans and zoa i think with a nem and clowns. any info would be helpful thanks.
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: March 03 2015 at 8:13am |
I'm glad you posted this in the general discussion section. It says you are open to new information.
Doing it with all that dry, dead rock and sand will cost time. There is an easier, quicker, and dare I say, better way.
If you want to, come check out what I have. I can trade you dry rock for Live Rock and dry sand for Live Sand. I always give away free stuff to help people get started the easy way. Doing it "right" is actually pretty easy.
Also see the full reef tank I just set up two weeks ago that didn't have to cycle (no curing), had 3 fish in it on day 3 and never grew any start-up brown algae, ever.
As far as your PC and MH lights, those will work fine, but there have been some major advancements in lighting. Because of LED's the more advanced t-5 light fixtures are readily available at very affordable prices. They can make colors "POP". I'm using four different lighting types on my farm. Sunlight is the main light source and for supplemental light there are PC's, t-5's and LED's. Everyone is welcome to visit almost any time at MarksReef Coral Farm(click here) in Murray to see the different lighting in action. It's just a small farm of not quite 300 gallons, but it's growing.
Aloha, Mark  808-345-1049
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christopninja
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Posted: March 03 2015 at 10:58am |
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I may want to do that mark other then I'm all the way up in logan and Murray is a pretty for drive. But I will get with the girl friend(the one that got the tank for me) and see what she thinks
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Softplan
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Posted: March 03 2015 at 12:12pm |
Here's another method for cycling.
Rinse your sand real well. Let you rock soak for a bit and rinse it off real well. Put it in the tank add your salt water and dump the bacteria in (link below). Dose ammonium (link below) and test water. 2 weeks add your first fish. You really can add your first fish the first day if it's a hardy fish.
I did this on my first tank without rinsing my sand and rock. I added my first fish in a little less than 2 weeks. 2 firefish, they are still with me 2 years later.
http://www.amazon.com/DrTims-Aquatics-Nitrifying-Bacteria-Aquariums/dp/B001LUOB6W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1425409606&sr=8-3&keywords=dr+tims+one+and+only
http://www.amazon.com/DrTims-Aquatics-Ammonium-chloride-bottle/dp/B006MP4QG6/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1425409765&sr=8-5&keywords=dr+tims+one+and+only
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Marcoss
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Posted: March 03 2015 at 12:50pm |
 Softplan wrote:
Here's another method for cycling.
Rinse your sand real well. Let you rock soak for a bit and rinse it off real well. Put it in the tank add your salt water and dump the bacteria in (link below). Dose ammonium (link below) and test water. 2 weeks add your first fish. You really can add your first fish the first day if it's a hardy fish.
I did this on my first tank without rinsing my sand and rock. I added my first fish in a little less than 2 weeks. 2 firefish, they are still with me 2 years later.
http://www.amazon.com/DrTims-Aquatics-Nitrifying-Bacteria-Aquariums/dp/B001LUOB6W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1425409606&sr=8-3&keywords=dr+tims+one+and+only
http://www.amazon.com/DrTims-Aquatics-Ammonium-chloride-bottle/dp/B006MP4QG6/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1425409765&sr=8-5&keywords=dr+tims+one+and+only |
I assume you do not rinse sand that comes wet, right? Like the Carribsea stuff. I didn't rinse mine because I thought the good stuff would be rinsed out.
Marcos
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RedSea Max S400 - 90G Rimless Frag Tanks x2 - 185 Lookdown Bin
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sleepingdeep
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Posted: March 03 2015 at 1:48pm |
Marcoss,
yeah, don't rinse that stuff
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christopninja
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Posted: March 03 2015 at 3:59pm |
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It's cool to rinse it with normal tap water or should I be using ro water
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Pete Moss
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Posted: March 03 2015 at 4:01pm |
I rinse my sand with normal tap water, doesn't really introduce enough trace elements to be a problem. Just run some high quality water conditioner and carbon through the system once it is filled. I prefer to rinse all my sand. I usually just seed my tank from a trusted pest-free reef :)
There are hundreds of ways to cook an egg!
Edited by Pete Moss - March 03 2015 at 4:03pm
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125g 90g 2x33g 34g
What stores do I recommend?
Up North: Bill ( Saltwater Paradise 801-317-8115 )
Down South: Jerry ( Reef On 801-563-0600 )
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: March 03 2015 at 4:52pm |
I agree with John.
The method that Softplan gives is good, especially when there is no access to much live stuff. There are a number of hobbyists in Cache Valley that have established tanks, from which live stuff could be acquired. A trip to Murray isn't necessary, but would be a good idea. 
Dry dead LR could be trouble, though. There are reasons why it can mess up the first 6 months to a year of a tanks life. I recommend cleaning it as instructed in this Reefkeeping Tip:
In my opinion an important difference exists between the two methods discussed here and more traditional, outdated methods like adding food, or a dead shrimp or introducing a sacrificial fish. These two methods do not create the typical Nitrogen Cycle, they eliminate it. The Cycle is what occurs when pollution levels rise to unsafe levels because there is an insufficient population of nitrifying and de-nitrifying bacteria. Rather, the preferred methods mentioned here provide a plethora of bacteria, hence the reason that spikes of Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate only happen with the old traditional methods. It's much better when the tank provides good clean water every day from the beginning.
 The bacteria in a bottle is awesome stuff. I recommend it for every new tank. There are many brands to choose from. The Ammonium Chloride in a bottle is pure food for the bacteria. It's much better than adding food or a dead shrimp and waiting for it to decompose.
If there is access to some LR, LS, Macroalgae and LW, my opinion is that adding a lot of live stuff provides a better basis. One cup of LS from a mature tank has as much active bacteria as an entire bag of Arag-Alive, plus it has bugs and worms that don't come in the Arag-Alive. Some people are concerned about the so-called pests that come on LR and in LS from a mature tank. I believe that concern is unwarranted in most cases.
Aloha, Mark 
Edited by Mark Peterson - March 03 2015 at 4:56pm
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christopninja
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Posted: March 03 2015 at 7:42pm |
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I would be interested in getting some LR from you mark. Would you trade pound for pound or what would be the price?
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