New setup

[jesusq]

Last year, I started a setup on my 120 gal. I had about 100 lbs of dried sand and about 120 lbs of dried rocked from macro rocks.

I used dr Tim one and only and fed the aquarium a bit of Ammonia to keep the fish alive. The tank crash and the nitrate was off the scale for almost two months before I decided to take down the tank. Now after almost six months (I moved into a house) I'm setting up my tank again.

This time, I'm taking more caution on the nitrates and have increases my sand bed from 3-4" to a 5-6", have added a second BRS bio pellet canister and have had the rocks and sand on the tank through running water and the skimmer on for two months.

Two days ago, i added salt and I took a small piece of raw salmon and dumped it on the rock. I will move it to the sand soon.

I was told that I should take off the rock after I aquascapped it and rinse them off with a power washer before starting the cycle again. When I started the cycle last year I didn't have any fish on it. It was just the dr Tim one and only bacteria added.

What do you suggest?

 

[mrcoffee2]

Why do you have such a think sand bed? In my experience that is going to cause problems later unless you stay on it with siphoning.

 

[jesusq]

Been told that would assist in keeping nitrates down.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Yea deep sand beds help with nitrates.
Youd be ok rinsing the rock in vinegar and water or giving it an acid bath for a bit, then rinsing for 24hrs, and be good to go. You coukd use the sand also, if you rinsed thst really well.

 

[jesusq]

I rinced it twice last year while taking the tank down.

This time, I aquas caped while everything was dried, filled it up with water and ran it like that for two months. Two days ago, I started the cycle again. Don't know if I should drain it all down one more time. I had already put in the salt and started the cycle by placing a piece of salmon. But I could remove all the water and start all over if need to.