New Tank and Mixing Salt

[Mattiejay6]

For my 70 gal tank I used a 35gal brute trash can . Mixed a batch of salt and filled the tank and then mixed another batch of salt. Because there is no livestock in the tank I added the water several hours after mixing once the mixed water was completely clear and all salt dissolved. Worked great for me! Sicce makes a great utility pump that connects to a garden house to really make this an easy process!

 

[K7BMG]

i have a brute for RODI and one for mixing salt. i fill the rodi barrel add prime and let it mix overnight.
then i transfer that water with a powerhead to the mixing drum and add salt and mix with a powerhead while heating.
next day i consider that SW to be ready for transfer if the refract is correct.
i just bought enough 1/2" i.d. hose to pump the SW directly to my sump while i drain into buckets for water changes.
i also have a 75 DT and do 10 gal WC's.

Dont want to hijack but curious as to why you add Prime to your RO/DI water?

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

Here’s a shut off kit for Reference.

Auto Shut Off Kit for Reverse Osmosis Systems

All Bulk Reef Supply RODI units come pre-installed with an Auto Shut Off Valve and check elbow. If you wish to add a float valve to your BRS RODI system, just purchase a float valve separately and connect it to your product water line. Standard Float Valve Adjustable Float Valve Auto shut off...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[ilott]

i have a brute for RODI and one for mixing salt. i fill the rodi barrel add prime and let it mix overnight.
then i transfer that water with a powerhead to the mixing drum and add salt and mix with a powerhead while heating.
next day i consider that SW to be ready for transfer if the refract is correct.
i just bought enough 1/2" i.d. hose to pump the SW directly to my sump while i drain into buckets for water changes.
i also have a 75 DT and do 10 gal WC's.

Sounds very professional! Do water changes to place in the sump on these size tanks then? And if so do you still go into the main display to stir the sand and remove any ditritus or do you rely on the clean up crew to take control of the main display? Also "Prime" as in Seachem Prime?

 

[BackToTheReef]

Okay! brilliant I feel that's how I'll do mine aswell, will the water be okay to sit stagnant for a few days as my rodi produces about 50 litres in 8 hours, I think my water pressure is kinda low. Does low water pressure effect anything with the rodi water produced?

I'd drop a powerhead in there just to keep it moving. Not sure you would have to but better safe than sorry.

Can't help with RO/DI question

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

Also live sand is a tough one. I would rinse it to get the dust out.

 

[ilott]

Welcome!
You can really do it either way- Add your sand and rocks first, then fill up with rodi, then add the salt and mix with powerheads - or - do the sand and rodi then add salt and mix up then add your rocks. As stated, this way you will be adding rocks to the water so be ready for displacement. I did it the first way: sand and rockscape, add water then add salt and mixed it up. It mixed up fine overnight sg was perfect the following day. The rodi units are rated for different gallons per day, water pressure doesn’t really effect the output, unless it is very low. I have had same issues with powerheads in my mixing tank- they need to be cleaned in vinegar mix every once and a while- hydors seem to do it the most oftem, maxi jets not so much.

Thank you! I'll take this into account, I feel like adding the salt once the rocks and sand is in would be easier for myself, but will live sand be affected sitting in freshwater for a couple of days whilst my tank fills?

 

[dbowman5]

Dont want to hijack but curious as to why you add Prime to your RO/DI water?

A.i use the water for both FW and SW tanks. B.i like to be sure that there are no trace chlorine compounds,C. I'm just the slightest bit anal

 

[Mattiejay6]

Sounds very professional! Do water changes to place in the sump on these size tanks then? And if so do you still go into the main display to stir the sand and remove any ditritus or do you rely on the clean up crew to take control of the main display? Also "Prime" as in Seachem Prime?

Yea he probably means Seachem Prime. Probably to remove any left Chloramines.

I like to use 5 gallon buckets for water changes. With sand you need to siphon clean it to prevent nutrient build up. I take 5 gallons out and put 5 gallons back. Makes it easier.You could do it out of the sump for a quick change.

 

[dbowman5]

welcome to R2R if i have not said it before. Are you in a time crunch? live sand has bacteria in it. i dont know how those strains of bacteria will be affected by FW, check the manufacturer.

 

[ilott]

welcome to R2R if i have not said it before. Are you in a time crunch? live sand has bacteria in it. i dont know how those strains of bacteria will be affected by FW, check the manufacturer.

I have all the time in the world I'm just worried the live sand will be pointless if I'm slowly adding water over a few days, also whilst I have you, how much rock and sand would you recommend for a 75 gallon unit?

 

[dbowman5]

Yea he probably means Seachem Prime. Probably to remove any left Chloramines.

I like to use 5 gallon buckets for water changes. With sand you need to siphon clean it to prevent nutrient build up. I take 5 gallons out and put 5 gallons back. Makes it easier.You could do it out of the sump for a quick change.

yes seachem prime. as to the detritus in the DT i have a lot of amphipods and worms. i use my feeding pipette (24") to blow the rocks and sand daily during the day. i have a hole in the floor behind the stand that i am going to use to siphon the DT as needed to clean the sand, but i have not used it yet.

 

[ilott]

Yea he probably means Seachem Prime. Probably to remove any left Chloramines.

I like to use 5 gallon buckets for water changes. With sand you need to siphon clean it to prevent nutrient build up. I take 5 gallons out and put 5 gallons back. Makes it easier.You could do it out of the sump for a quick change.

How often do you clean the sand to remove the nutrients or do you do a little section of the sand bed every water change?

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

The BRS/WWC Hybrid 4-month SPS tank cycle - The BRS/WWC System Ep12 - BRStv

Today Ryan explains how we plan to cycle our BRS/WWC Hybrid System tanks and, as much as it hurts to wait, why a 4-month cycle is probably the most stable and simple way to create a stunning SPS dominant tank! #BRSWWC #reefingmethods Need a tank cycle starter kit? This week you can WIN one...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

This has some great info in it. I’m old school. I would use rock of choice and tropic eden flakes for sand. I’d also cycle with a raw shrimp, and a small rock, and hand full of sand from a nice tank in the area. Once this cycle happens slowly add in some quarantined fish. You don’t want to start off with issues.

 

[Mattiejay6]

How often do you clean the sand to remove the nutrients or do you do a little section of the sand bed every water change?

every water change choose a new section to clean. WWC is pretty Avid in their cleaning and they have rocking tanks. So I follow them

 

[dbowman5]

I have all the time in the world I'm just worried the live sand will be pointless if I'm slowly adding water over a few days, also whilst I have you, how much rock and sand would you recommend for a 75 gallon unit?

the way i did it was to leak test my system with FW. no rock no sand. fill both sump and tank and run the equipment for a day. once that was done, (previously i had filled both of my 30 gallons drums with rodi water and mixed salt into one.) i emptied the FW from the system and bucketed the sw into the tank. i transferred the RODI into the mix drum and started filling the RODI drum with RODI water. mix the salt into the mixing drum and next day put that water into the DT through the sump.
thus i had some salt water in the tank and sump. at that point i put the egg crate in the DT, (cushion under the big rocks) put the bottom layer of rocks in, added the sand around the base rocks. added the other rocks and filled the tank. , turned the equipment on ,tested the water, added bacteria and waited.

 

[ilott]

The BRS/WWC Hybrid 4-month SPS tank cycle - The BRS/WWC System Ep12 - BRStv

Today Ryan explains how we plan to cycle our BRS/WWC Hybrid System tanks and, as much as it hurts to wait, why a 4-month cycle is probably the most stable and simple way to create a stunning SPS dominant tank! #BRSWWC #reefingmethods Need a tank cycle starter kit? This week you can WIN one...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

This has some great info in it. I’m old school. I would use rock of choice and tropic eden flakes for sand. I’d also cycle with a raw shrimp, and a small rock, and hand full of sand from a nice tank in the area. Once this cycle happens slowly add in some quarantined fish. You don’t want to start off with issues.

Thank you! I use Red Sea Reef Pink in my current tank and it's perfect for my liking, however, I already have two fish in my EVO can I add those to the tank after it cycles a little or should I add those after?

 

[Spieg]

I have all the time in the world I'm just worried the live sand will be pointless if I'm slowly adding water over a few days, also whilst I have you, how much rock and sand would you recommend for a 75 gallon unit?

I'd add water/salt first followed by rock and add live sand last.

 

[ilott]

the way i did it was to leak test my system with FW. no rock no sand. fill both sump and tank and run the equipment for a day. once that was done, (previously i had filled both of my 30 gallons drums with rodi water and mixed salt into one.) i emptied the FW from the system and bucketed the sw into the tank. i transferred the RODI into the mix drum and started filling the RODI drum with RODI water. mix the salt into the mixing drum and next day put that water into the DT through the sump.
thus i had some salt water in the tank and sump. at that point i put the egg crate in the DT, (cushion under the big rocks) put the bottom layer of rocks in, added the sand around the base rocks. added the other rocks and filled the tank. , turned the equipment on ,tested the water, added bacteria and waited.

Can you get ammonia to dose online for the cycling period or do you get that from the LFS? I've never cycled it this way before with ammonia and bacteria

 

[dbowman5]

i added about 1.5 inches of sand maybe 4 bags. i think between the refugium and DT there might be 80 to 100 lbs. of mixed rock, some dry, some "Real Reef" rock, some LR from my LFS that customers traded in.