New reefer questions

[leon1972]

So I had a tank for a few months in the past but it was already established. I am now starting my own brand new tank at the end of the year. I am in Korea and will be till September so I have plenty of time to learn and figure things out.

1. I want to buy LR that is already cured but I can't seem to find it online. What is the price difference between buying pre-cured rock and curing it myself?

2. I am a little confused on the pros and cons of a Deep Sand bed as they seem to be self contradictory depending on your opinion.

3. I'm thinking I want to lay the rock on the glass bottom then lay the sand around the rock to stabilize it and for the sand burrowing critters. If I do go for a DSB though that is six inches of rock that will be under the surface unused. Is this way of placing LR a good or bad idea?

4. So once my LR is cured I want to fill my tank and test for leaks. Then add salt and let stabilize for 24 hours. Then I will add my LR and after that my sand. Then I will drop In a raw shrimp and wait for several weeks for my tank to cycle. My tanks water will cloud up then clear up. then it will get a brown diatom bloom. Then it will get a green algae bloom. Once the green algae bloom is gone my tank is cycled. From my understanding all I am supposed to do during this process is wait it out. Then test the water once the green algae bloom is gone to ensure correct water parameters. Do I have the basic gist of the process down?

5. What are the best parameter test kits to use? I will be running a American Marine Pinpoint Salinity Monitor because of how often salinity gets measured.

6. Everything will be fed through a mini fridge dosing pump autofeeder feeding everything, including my fish, the reef nutrition line. Right now I'm looking at the Doser One Evolution Dosing pump because it will dose in increments as low as .1ml. Any advice, experience or input on auto feeding would be appreciated.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to a long journey with all my fellow reefers here. I will have just as in depth a tank build as a plan build and may we have fun together!!!!!

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

I have posted my response in red.

So I had a tank for a few months in the past but it was already established. I am now starting my own brand new tank at the end of the year. I am in Korea and will be till September so I have plenty of time to learn and figure things out.

1. I want to buy LR that is already cured but I can't seem to find it online. What is the price difference between buying pre-cured rock and curing it myself?
Honestly, when you get rock shipped there will be die off and you will need to cure. I prefer to buy dry rock and a couple of pieces of live rock. This way the live rock will seed the tank and with having mostly dry rock you can avoid unwanted hitchhikers. Pre-cured rock will be teeming with life and be helpful in kick starting the cycle.

2. I am a little confused on the pros and cons of a Deep Sand bed as they seem to be self contradictory depending on your opinion.

I am no help here.

3. I'm thinking I want to lay the rock on the glass bottom then lay the sand around the rock to stabilize it and for the sand burrowing critters. If I do go for a DSB though that is six inches of rock that will be under the surface unused. Is this way of placing LR a good or bad idea?
That is exactly what I did.

4. So once my LR is cured I want to fill my tank and test for leaks. Then add salt and let stabilize for 24 hours. Then I will add my LR and after that my sand. Then I will drop In a raw shrimp and wait for several weeks for my tank to cycle. My tanks water will cloud up then clear up. then it will get a brown diatom bloom. Then it will get a green algae bloom. Once the green algae bloom is gone my tank is cycled. From my understanding all I am supposed to do during this process is wait it out. Then test the water once the green algae bloom is gone to ensure correct water parameters. Do I have the basic gist of the process down?
I would do a freshwater test for leaks first. Then, I would add the RO/DI water and salt and get the salinity right. After that, I would the rock and sand. You got the rest.

5. What are the best parameter test kits to use? I will be running a American Marine Pinpoint Salinity Monitor because of how often salinity gets measured.
Red Sea, Salifert and Elos get pretty good reviews.

6. Everything will be fed through a mini fridge dosing pump autofeeder feeding everything, including my fish, the reef nutrition line. Right now I'm looking at the Doser One Evolution Dosing pump because it will dose in increments as low as .1ml. Any advice, experience or input on auto feeding would be appreciated.

No help there either.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to a long journey with all my fellow reefers here. I will have just as in depth a tank build as a plan build and may we have fun together!!!!!

 

[fishroomlady]

good advice above - a DSB is really the hobbyist's choice. There are many tanks that have run them with great reefs and many that don't have them that also have great reefs. If you are prepared for any cautions with the DSB. One other point is that you really don't have to wait until your algaes have gone through their phases before you can add fish/inverts. Getting registered nitrates in a positive range after having gone through is the time you can add livestock slowly.

 

[leon1972]

good advice above - a DSB is really the hobbyist's choice. There are many tanks that have run them with great reefs and many that don't have them that also have great reefs. If you are prepared for any cautions with the DSB. One other point is that you really don't have to wait until your algaes have gone through their phases before you can add fish/inverts. Getting registered nitrates in a positive range after having gone through is the time you can add livestock slowly.

I read that a DSB is pretty self sufficent so long as u have the proper CUC to turnover the sand and you dont really have to do much for the DSB yourself.