New saltwater tank help needed

[Rob Nelson]

We have a 55 gal tank that we are converting into saltwater. After cleaning, we filled it with treated water and added instant ocean per instructions. We haven’t added any sand or anything else yet. It’s been a week and a half with power heads running and it’s still not completely dissolved and has a lot of crusting on the sides and bottom. We have tried agitation several times. Still looks like a lot of undissolved particles in the water. Kinda cloudy looking. Is this normal starting out? We were told not to add live sand or anything else until the water is stable. The hydrometer indicates right at the top end of normal.

 

[DeepBlueSomething]

Welcome to R2R! Let me point you to a few resources I have found very helpful -- keep the questions, ideas and thoughts coming! It is typically not recommended to mix your SW in the tank -- its a bit of a messy process. What else have you added to your tank -- any reef rocks or Live rocks? What kind of water did you start with?

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-supreme-guide-to-setting-up-a-saltwater-reef-aquarium.138750/

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/video/video-category/52-weeks-of-reefing

 

[Big G]

How did you "clean" the tank? And what kind of "treated water" did you use?

 

[Rob Nelson]

Welcome to R2R! Let me point you to a few resources I have found very helpful -- keep the questions, ideas and thoughts coming! It is typically not recommended to mix your SW in the tank -- its a bit of a messy process. What else have you added to your tank -- any reef rocks or Live rocks? What kind of water did you start with?

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-supreme-guide-to-setting-up-a-saltwater-reef-aquarium.138750/

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/video/video-category/52-weeks-of-reefing

My wife cleaned it with some kind of mild vinegar solution that our local fish store recommended. We used tap water treated with the fish tank water conditioner. We haven’t added anything yet. Just water, salt, 2 powerheads,heater and just started the filter today.

 

[DeepBlueSomething]

Ok, let's start with another question -- what type of tank do you want? Fish only with live rock (FOWLR), fish and coral (mixed reef), coral only (reef)? These will help guide things a bit.

With SW (as I am learning) things are much better with a lot of planning and then, slowly but steadily, taking the next step. Its really different than FW. More expensive and less fly by the seat of your pants.

It is strongly recommended to use RO DI water for your tank. As well as making sure you have substrate for your nitrifying bacteria to grow. Typically in SW this is the sand and rock. Depending on what you start with -- live rock (wet reef rock), live sand (sand with bacteria already present) or dry rock -- you need to seed and monitor your cycle.

I know the two links I gave have tons of information and might seem overwhelming, but they will help a great deal on where you are and how to get where you want!

You are asking questions in the right place! R2R has a great amount of knowledge and expertise -- and we all had a first tank and trial and error.
Below is the link to my tank build thread where you can see how far I have come in just a few months with help from my local reefers and the crew at R2R!

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dbs-40-breeder-tank-build.331886/

 

[Big G]

Hard to say without actually analyzing your water if it is the problem. Some water sources have very high TDS (total dissolved solids) in solution in the water, which can cause problems with mixing the salt and later water quality problems as the tank is maturing.

 

[Salty1962]

Welcome to R2R! IO does have a residue that accompanies the mixing of the salt. Keep circulating and run some carbon through your filter to see if that clears it up.

 

[Rob Nelson]

Thanks for all the help. We eventually want fish and corals, we’re just starting slow. If the salt level is good in the morning, we’ll be adding live sand and maybe some rock. Then if all is well, a couple of clowns early in the next week. There seems to be so much to know in this stuff, I think my brain is gonna pop. I’ll try not to contaminate the tank with gray matter, though.

 

[Rob Nelson]

Hard to say without actually analyzing your water if it is the problem. Some water sources have very high TDS (total dissolved solids) in solution in the water, which can cause problems with mixing the salt and later water quality problems as the tank is maturing.

We’ve been using the same tap water in our fresh water tanks and it’s usually chrystal clear

 

[Big G]

We’ve been using the same tap water in our fresh water tanks and it’s usually chrystal clear

The best way to know for sure is to have your water tested. You can purchase a TDS meter for about 20 bucks or some local fish stores will test the water for you. Highly suggest you find out as soon as possible. Lots of implications if your TDS is high. That's why the norm in the hobby is to use RODI water to avoid lots and lots of problems that could frustrate the heck out of your enjoyment of the hobby.

 

[Big G]

Thanks for all the help. We eventually want fish and corals, we’re just starting slow. If the salt level is good in the morning, we’ll be adding live sand and maybe some rock. Then if all is well, a couple of clowns early in the next week. There seems to be so much to know in this stuff, I think my brain is gonna pop. I’ll try not to contaminate the tank with gray matter, though.

The learning curve is pretty steep for saltwater fish keeping. May I suggest one of my favorite books on the subject: "The Complete Idiots Guide to Saltwater Aquariums" - I keep it next to my chair at all times. LOL. It's like the book was written just for me. All kidding aside, its a great intro and reference book. Buy a used copy on Amazon, their cheap. Hope this helps. Cheers! And welcome to R2R!

 

[cmcoker]

On RODI, we usually have a lot of flow and that means more evaporation than a freshwater tank. You use Fresh water to replace evaporation, if you tap has high nitrates, silicates, traces of metals, etc. You are topping up the tank with this stuff as well.
Using rodi you have pure water and aren't adding anything that will cause you headaches in the long run.
A good rodi unit is well worth the cost, I replace a little over a gallon a day in my 54g tank, plus another 12g a week for water changes. Not having to lug 20g of rodi from the fish store every week is priceless!

After you add your sand and rocks, be sure go wait for your cycle to complete. The rock needs to be able to process ammonia before adding any fishes so they don't have to suffer their gills burning or worse while the tanks bacteria catch up!

The link on setting up will help you be successful from the start and avoid pitfalls that will frustrate you. Another good book is The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Bob Fenner, excellent reading!

Happy reefing!

 

[iemsparticus]

Welcome to R2R! This is s wonderful community of reefers who have a passion for the hobby.

Thanks for all the help. We eventually want fish and corals, we’re just starting slow. If the salt level is good in the morning, we’ll be adding live sand and maybe some rock. Then if all is well, a couple of clowns early in the next week. There seems to be so much to know in this stuff, I think my brain is gonna pop. I’ll try not to contaminate the tank with gray matter, though.

I would not add Clowns or any other fish early next week... you really need to cycle the tank first.

I join the “RODI is worth every penny” position... it is easy one of the most vital pieces of gear you can get for your tank. It takes guess work completely out of what is in your water.

One other word of caution: hydrometers are notoriously inaccurate... I highly suggest purchasing a refractometer.

 

[Michael Cronmiller]

Welcome to our salty family, and this side of the hobby. Lots of great info and friendly helpful people on here. Take it slow, don't add any fish yet, tank is definitely not ready. Cycle needs to happen. Don't rush and enjoy the journey. Cheers.

 

[MaiReef]

Welcome to R2R!
Yes that is normal

Like all have said the slower you take things the quicker your tank will be looking great like you want it. The more you rush and go in without knowledge the more issues you will face and wonder why healthy fish died overnight. Get yourself all the equipment first and let your tank run. The above references are a great start.

I do recommend getting an RO/DI system as well. A simple 5 stage will work well and mix your salt in a separate container with heat and a powerhead. There are heaters that stay at about 78 degrees with no adjustments. I use that in a Brute garbage can to mix the salt. Brute garbage cans are food safe containers that will not put contaminants back into the water.

I would also plan for an auto top off system for evaporation. That will keep your salinity stable.