Need ASAP Answers Plz - Getting Started Questions

[Megumi05]

I will be setting up my first tank and have some questions. Some of which I've so far gotten miss-matched answers for.

1. Do I have to use RO/DI water? I've seen plenty of advanced hobbyist filling tanks right from a garden hose and I've never used RO/DI water for any freshwater fish. My local water is pretty nice.
*Some info you may want to know to answer this: It will be a fish only tank. If I use corals it'll be a few soft corals only but at this time plan on using rock only.

2. Do I have to buy live rock or can I buy dry rock and let it naturally colonize over time?

3. Other than basic (ammonia, pH, Nitrite, Nitrate) what test kits would be a good idea to buy to have on hand and why?

4. How's this sound 29G tank with a Sixline Wrasse, clown fish, cardinal fish, and a sailfin blenny (1 each)? Perhaps a starfish or cleaning crustacean of appropriate none-meal looking size as well.

 

[Pruett-nc]

Your water might be fine but it also could have alot of contaminates it . Bad water = lots of Tylenol popping .

Yes you can use dry rock and seed it with an bacteria booster or not .

 

[Oldreefer44]

1. You don't "have" to use RO/DI water but if you don't you will likely have algae issues. Especially considering that many municipal water supplies have some fluctuations in mineral percentages.
2. Either one will work. Some like live rock because you never know what your going to get with them, good and or bad. Likely a little of both. Others prefer dry rock because it is cheaper and is hitchhiker free.
3. If you go the unfiltered water route then I would suggest phosphate and calcium. You will need both once you introduce corals and will need to measure phosphates if any algae issues present themselves.
4. Most Cardinal fish are considered to do much better in schools so I would be careful with which species is chosen.

 

[Mike in CT]

Majority (large) of people use RODI. Dry rock is fine ..... Of course it has to cycle.

 

[Rattooth]

RO DI water is a must ! Otherwise nitrates and phosphates in tap water will result in green hair algae. You will have more trouble getting rid of hair algae than preventing it. Your fish list sounds fine.
Testing for calcium and alkalinity will help you grow coralline algae. If parameters are correct. And you use clean water. And don't over feed . And have a cleanup crew. Then you will do great. Add fish slowly. Don't rush. Try to find an experienced hobbiest in your town.

 

[p7willm]

Once something gets into the tank it is often VERY hard to get it out. Even if your water has low concentrations of stuff you are going to be adding it constantly and, over time, it will build, unless you find some way of getting it out.

Live rock can have wonderful things on it, little crabs or other stuff that will only enhance your reef with biodiversity. They can also have things like aplastia and you might spend the rest of your life trying to get rid of it. Dry rock also takes a little longer to cycle and longer to get that reef look.

Test for phosphates to know if they are getting too high and you have to do something about them. If you add corals then you will need to keep an eye on calcium, hardness, and magnesium. If you have just fish then they should not change and any salt mix should take care of them.

 

[Megumi05]

The only place I've had any sort of phosphate and algae issue in is my unfiltered, stagnant copepod tanks that sit in direct sunlight for hours. Beyond that I've actually had to buy algae for any algae cleaners. I do pretty good with not over feeding, and I understand protein skimmers help prevent excess nutrients from food from building up in the tank. I know of ways to lower phosphate levels if they are an issue. Isn't live rock and dry marine rock high in calcium to provide this necessity nutrient to your corals and that's why genuine rock is suggested over faux rocks or egg crate as bes for coral tanks? These rocks harden water, raise pH, and provide Mg as well. I know what to get and what not to get for marine vs freshwater tanks when it comes to real rocks.

 

[KKaiser85]

Great blog for info!

http://blog.hannainst.com/digital-water-quality-testing-in-saltwater-aquariums

 

[SVP]

RO DI water is a must ! Otherwise nitrates and phosphates in tap water will result in green hair algae. You will have more trouble getting rid of hair algae than preventing it. Your fish list sounds fine.
Testing for calcium and alkalinity will help you grow coralline algae. If parameters are correct. And you use clean water. And don't over feed . And have a cleanup crew. Then you will do great. Add fish slowly. Don't rush. Try to find an experienced hobbiest in your town.

I agree with him RO/DI water is a must unless your city has perfect water and I seriously doubt that. The RO/DI water comes out pure of total dissolved solids, my (I have a spectrapure 90gpd) unit has 2 tds meters the first reads the cities water it is usually around 275 ppm total dissolved solids entering the unit by the time it exits the last stage the tds meter is at 0ppm meaning no impurities entering your system from the beginning.

 

[Salty1962]

1. You need to use RO water.
2. You don't have to use LR. It's better if you do because of the bacteria already present in the LR. Cuts down cycling time.
3. Other than the ones you mentioned, the big three are a must for testing. Kh, Ca and Mg.
4. I would steer clear of a Six-Line Wrasse unless that's all you want. They become very aggressive and territorial. Would probably kill the cardinals and any other fish you'd put in after it. Some of the smaller Flasher wrasses would be ok, Blue Line Flasher is one.
Good luck on your build, keep us updated along the way.

 

[donnievaz]

4. I would steer clear of a Six-Line Wrasse unless that's all you want. They become very aggressive and territorial.

Amen to that, and once you decide that you want to get rid of it, good luck catching it. Lol That being said, they are beautiful fish with a ton of personality. If you decide to not heed our advice and get one anyway make sure you add it last.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

The only place I've had any sort of phosphate and algae issue in is my unfiltered, stagnant copepod tanks that sit in direct sunlight for hours. Beyond that I've actually had to buy algae for any algae cleaners. I do pretty good with not over feeding, and I understand protein skimmers help prevent excess nutrients from food from building up in the tank. I know of ways to lower phosphate levels if they are an issue. Isn't live rock and dry marine rock high in calcium to provide this necessity nutrient to your corals and that's why genuine rock is suggested over faux rocks or egg crate as bes for coral tanks? These rocks harden water, raise pH, and provide Mg as well. I know what to get and what not to get for marine vs freshwater tanks when it comes to real rocks.

On water. Here's the difference in marine animals and why water quality and ro is so important.
Fresh water fish don't drink thier water. Salt water fish do. http://www.macmillanlearning.com/catalog/static/whf/phelanpreview/doc/01_fish.pdf
Also the amount of chlorine and cloramines present in tap water kills off algaes and bacteria again because of the drinking thing. Yes you might have tap water that's fine but why risk it over a 150 dollar investment. It's a proven method. Paul b with the 40 year old reef tank has a few stories about the surprise addition of a chemical in his tap water that crashed his tank. He loves to tell stories and he's is here on reef to reef.
The main filter in a reef tank is the live rock. The best way to kill bacteria is clorine. One good way to kill algae is also clorine(bleach). Inside of photosynthetic corals are plants. Also corals feed on bacteria and amino acids the base elements that compose bacteria.
Calcium and magnesium are used by corals at a faster than rock dissolves. Thus dosing is important. Dosing is done at the same rate it is being used and that's why testing is done. To determine the mineral usage. There are passive calcium blocks in the market that dissolve over time not very popular anymore.
If it's a smaller coral bio load esp . stony coral dosing may not be nescessity and frequent water changes may suffice as it simply a mineral replenishment (like dosing)and different salt mixes have different mineral content levels to choose from for this purpose.

The amount the water ph is bufferd by aragonite (coral skeleton is not actually rock used in live sand and live rock ) changes as it is coated by bacteria and micro algaes and can be seen and monitored when starting a tank with dry sand and dry rock as opposed to live sand and live rock. In fresh water argonite is often quite dangerous as it wil change the ph drastically especially if un cured. (I.e. Un coated with bacteria)
Live rock is also extremely porous and has a larger overall surface because of this to house bacteria for the cycle. That's the main reason for live rock. Google Berlin method.