First setup help !!!

[Shergar11]

I have just started setting up my first aquarium 182 litre, I have added the water and the salt to the tank and am waiting on this settling, my live rock and sand isn't comin until Tuesday so plenty time to get it all perfect, what I am wondering tho is should I have my protein skimmer and filter running at this point or is it not worth it, not sure if it be better to get the water moving now or just wait till rock etc goes in the tank.
Thanks folks look forward to hearing from people in the know as I am as I said new to this and don not want to make any mistakes !!!!

 

[pgr11]

You can leave the skimmer off for now. When you say filter do you mean a canister filter or your sump with Bio filtration?

 

[Shergar11]

Ok al leave the skimmer off just now, I mean a canister filter which actually brings me to my next question !!!! It came with carbon and ceramic media in the filter and I have removed the ceramic media but left the carbon in at the moment, I bought rowaphos for running in the filter but haven't put it in yet should I add it just now aswell or just leave it until I have a phosphate problem ?? Thanks :smile:

 

[Pkunk35]

You can leave all external filtration out until the tank cycles...you want to leave in nutrients for the bacteria on the live rock to consume and reproduce on.

 

[pgr11]

Yeah leave it all off. I would also suggest ditching the canister filter and setting up a sump with fuge. The canister can become a nitrate factory a d a hassle to deal with

 

[Squishie89]

Do you have your powerheads going? Otherwise the water is not going to be mixing.

 

[ReeferBob]

I suggest turning on everything that will be on the finished tank, including any filters and the protein skimmer. Protein skimmers need to break in and running it now will ensure it is ready for your livestock. Your filters (including the protein skimmer) are part of the entire filtration system that includes your live rock so they need to be part of the cycling process. I don't suggest using canisters either. But if you do, just use them as reactors. leave out all sponges and bio-filtration media.