Dry Rock Question

[Screwgunner]

You have to clean your sand . Or buy enough sand dwelling critters to keep it clean if you don't as soon as it gets full of crap . Something bad happens. Plus if you want sps you want high flow and sand and high flow do not get along. Sand with soft coral or some of the lower flow corals is fine.

 

[tamanning]

Oh okay I see what you mean....so I would basically cycle in a container. I bought Dr. Tims one and only and the ammonia so I would basically do what I was planning to do in the tank but in a container? Would 5 gallon buckets work? The rock was never live rock it is carbonate limestone-structured aragonite that was quarried in Florida. They are supposedly professionally cleaned and dried. Then they add imitation coraline.

I cycled all of it together in my tank. I waited for the water to cloud and started testing. I fed the tank with nothing in it to start then when the nitrite dropped I added the first fish. From there you build slowly allowing your bio to build to take up the load. if you add a bunch of life without letting your bio catch up you will kill some very likely expensive animals.

 

[JL15219]

I cycled all of it together in my tank. I waited for the water to cloud and started testing. I fed the tank with nothing in it to start then when the nitrite dropped I added the first fish. From there you build slowly allowing your bio to build to take up the load. if you add a bunch of life without letting your bio catch up you will kill some very likely expensive animals.

Yeah I noticed most people are doing it this way....I decided to do it in the tank but with no sand just heater and powerhead hopefully it yields better results...

 

[Screwgunner]

Sand has better surface area for bacteria

 

[Saltyreef]

you've been waiting for 9 months to start your tank?!

Yup!
I have my established reef already tho lol.

My new build
Doing it right.

 

[Saltyreef]

How do you weed out the bad without weeding out the good? do you just manually pull them out by hand?

I dont weed lol. Nor introduce anything that could be catastrophic.

My liverock has been aquacultured for 10+ years and there is no bad besides some majano and aptasia lol

 

[JL15219]

Sand has better surface area for bacteria

Yeah that's what I thought but apparently phosphates stick to sand, but I'm just doing it that way to the rocks are cycled and no longer releasing phosphates.....

 

[Screwgunner]

I would get a hanna for phosphates so easy

 

[JL15219]

I would get a hanna for phosphates so easy

Oh really? I just ordered the Salifert phosphate test...I noticed it was recommended quite a bit...hopefully I didn't make a mistake... what makes it so easy?

 

[Screwgunner]

It is a good test just not as accurate as the hanna

 

[JL15219]

It is a good test just not as accurate as the hanna

Crap really, I actually got that for Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate test kits as well... I see everyone say get Salifert instead of API. That's why I bought them all the same brand...I actually just ordered the phosphate yesterday...

 

[Screwgunner]

Api is on the very low side of test kits but for cycling your tank at least you know when your peramiters are going up or down. If you are going for a reef you need to know what your peramiters are like calcium magnesium alkalinity coral use it up so you have to replace it . Vet water change for a few coral or calcium reactor for a lot.

 

[JL15219]

Api is on the very low side of test kits but for cycling your tank at least you know when your peramiters are going up or down. If you are going for a reef you need to know what your peramiters are like calcium magnesium alkalinity coral use it up so you have to replace it . Vet water change for a few coral or calcium reactor for a lot.

Yeah I ended up buying Salifert.... what do you mean "Vet water change for a few coral or calcium reactor for a lot"?

 

[Screwgunner]

Oh really? I just ordered the Salifert phosphate test...I noticed it was recommended quite a bit...hopefully I didn't make a mistake... what makes it so easy?

You put tank water in a 10 ml vial put it in the checker push the button then take it out put a little packet of powder in it shake till dissolved put back in checker hold button till timer starts in 3 min you have a brand new baby girl

 

[Screwgunner]

Well if you only have a few coral you can keep up with there needs via. Water changes if you have a lot of sps or lps they will use up calcium and alkalinity fast to keep up you will have to use kalkwasser in your top off water or put in a calcium reactor.understand now

 

[JL15219]

Well if you only have a few coral you can keep up with there needs via. Water changes if you have a lot of sps or lps they will use up calcium and alkalinity fast to keep up you will have to use kalkwasser in your top off water or put in a calcium reactor.understand now

Yes I get what you mean now...

 

[Screwgunner]

I hope you have learned a bit the hobby can be so frustrating. With hitchhikers and water peramiters you never know what coming next but if you stay on it and keep everything stable with good light. That little piece of the ocean in your house is amazing!!!

 

[JL15219]

I hope you have learned a bit the hobby can be so frustrating. With hitchhikers and water peramiters you never know what coming next but if you stay on it and keep everything stable with good light. That little piece of the ocean in your house is amazing!!!

Oh yeah I have for sure!! Can't wait to get up and running