Degener8
Active Member
Starting Your Aquarium
Ok so now that you have chosen the
aquarium its time to start things up.. or is it?
Yes its definitely time but you need a
little more than just saltwater to start the aquarium. You will need
some rock or other bio media and a heater at a minimum.
I am going to try and steer away from
the how to cycle end of this as there are MANY walk throughs on
cycling your tank that explain the nitrogen cycle and all the various
stages.
There are many options when it comes to
rock in general...
Dry rock is exactly that... dry and dead.
Photo from Marco Rocks
There are inland mines for rock which
used to be wild reefs. This rock is harvest from these dry reef lines
inland sometimes far from the ocean but where the ocean once was.
This is a good option to ensure that your tank starts off pest free.
It is generally stark white in color and you get a bit more for your
money vs using live rock from the ocean.
Live rock is rock that has been cycled
and comes equipt with at least the beneficial bacteria that we need
for our aquariums to thrive. Live rock can be either farmed from the
ocean or cultured in aquariums for resale. Rock from the ocean can be
weighted down with water in its pores at a minimum but that live rock
could also be compacted with sand, mud, coral, plants and on occasion
fish and shrimp with hitch hike in on the rock as well. Sometimes
these things can be desirable but all to often they are pests. These
unplanned hitch hikers can really throw a monkey wrench in your
overall vision for your tank.
Cultured live rock yes will weigh a
little more than dry rock due to the water but if cultured in a pest
free environment can be a great thing cutting down your cycle time
and giving you some nice colored rocks to look at vs the white of dry
rock.
Photo from garf.org
Eco rock is a 3rd option.
This is a rock that is man made. There is a whole article that could
be written on this (and has been google it) Without getting into the
how to lets just say it uses non oceanic based materials mixed with
calcareous sand and shell or coral skeleton to make a rock material
that looks natural and in some cases more natural than real rocks.
Photo from ecorock.us
Personal Experience:
I once thought that the benefits of
ocean live rock were amazing. The diversity straight from the sea set
my mind in a spin of what could be. My first delivery was filled with
nervous anticipation. Once I got the rock I was sad that the
diversity wasn't the greatest. I set my rock to curing (the process
of getting the rock to become biologically active to the point that
the micro organisms and macro organisms stop dieing off and the
bacteria colonies re establish to manage the waste of the die off.).
This process depends on the rock and its densities of dead material
both outside and inside the rocks. It can take a very short time for
this or occure but often takes twice as long as cycling dry rock.
The heater is determined on the size of
aquarium. Just research heaters to determine if you want a
submersible heater or not and choose the wattage that will fit your
aquariums total water volume.
So now you have rocks water and a
heater... If you have not picked out pumps, lighting, a skimmer or
what ever other various equipment you want or need now is the time to
start making those decisions.
You do not need lights or a skimmer to
cycle an aquarium. You do however need them to move beyond the setup
stage.
This is also the time to start planning
your inhabitants for your aquarium, also referred to as a stocking
list. If your doing a normal cycling process on dry rock you have
anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks to sit around test your water and plan
until your eyes bleed. So do the research make your plan and finalize
it. This is an important part of the setup as you should already have
a good idea of fish types you want, coral types you want and now you
need to nail it all down and stick to it. Yes plans change over time
and as situations dictate but don't lose sight of your vision.
This is also the time to get the lights
and other equipment ordered if you have not and get it all mounted
and hooked up as necessary.
So basically at this point the initial
setup should be complete. Water, rocks, heater, pumps, lighting and
any other equipment you deemed necessary should be installed.
Good Luck may your cycle be quick and
your stocking go smoothly.
Ok so now that you have chosen the
aquarium its time to start things up.. or is it?
Yes its definitely time but you need a
little more than just saltwater to start the aquarium. You will need
some rock or other bio media and a heater at a minimum.
I am going to try and steer away from
the how to cycle end of this as there are MANY walk throughs on
cycling your tank that explain the nitrogen cycle and all the various
stages.
There are many options when it comes to
rock in general...
Dry rock is exactly that... dry and dead.
Photo from Marco Rocks
There are inland mines for rock which
used to be wild reefs. This rock is harvest from these dry reef lines
inland sometimes far from the ocean but where the ocean once was.
This is a good option to ensure that your tank starts off pest free.
It is generally stark white in color and you get a bit more for your
money vs using live rock from the ocean.
Live rock is rock that has been cycled
and comes equipt with at least the beneficial bacteria that we need
for our aquariums to thrive. Live rock can be either farmed from the
ocean or cultured in aquariums for resale. Rock from the ocean can be
weighted down with water in its pores at a minimum but that live rock
could also be compacted with sand, mud, coral, plants and on occasion
fish and shrimp with hitch hike in on the rock as well. Sometimes
these things can be desirable but all to often they are pests. These
unplanned hitch hikers can really throw a monkey wrench in your
overall vision for your tank.
Cultured live rock yes will weigh a
little more than dry rock due to the water but if cultured in a pest
free environment can be a great thing cutting down your cycle time
and giving you some nice colored rocks to look at vs the white of dry
rock.
Photo from garf.org
Eco rock is a 3rd option.
This is a rock that is man made. There is a whole article that could
be written on this (and has been google it) Without getting into the
how to lets just say it uses non oceanic based materials mixed with
calcareous sand and shell or coral skeleton to make a rock material
that looks natural and in some cases more natural than real rocks.
Photo from ecorock.us
Personal Experience:
I once thought that the benefits of
ocean live rock were amazing. The diversity straight from the sea set
my mind in a spin of what could be. My first delivery was filled with
nervous anticipation. Once I got the rock I was sad that the
diversity wasn't the greatest. I set my rock to curing (the process
of getting the rock to become biologically active to the point that
the micro organisms and macro organisms stop dieing off and the
bacteria colonies re establish to manage the waste of the die off.).
This process depends on the rock and its densities of dead material
both outside and inside the rocks. It can take a very short time for
this or occure but often takes twice as long as cycling dry rock.
The heater is determined on the size of
aquarium. Just research heaters to determine if you want a
submersible heater or not and choose the wattage that will fit your
aquariums total water volume.
So now you have rocks water and a
heater... If you have not picked out pumps, lighting, a skimmer or
what ever other various equipment you want or need now is the time to
start making those decisions.
You do not need lights or a skimmer to
cycle an aquarium. You do however need them to move beyond the setup
stage.
This is also the time to start planning
your inhabitants for your aquarium, also referred to as a stocking
list. If your doing a normal cycling process on dry rock you have
anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks to sit around test your water and plan
until your eyes bleed. So do the research make your plan and finalize
it. This is an important part of the setup as you should already have
a good idea of fish types you want, coral types you want and now you
need to nail it all down and stick to it. Yes plans change over time
and as situations dictate but don't lose sight of your vision.
This is also the time to get the lights
and other equipment ordered if you have not and get it all mounted
and hooked up as necessary.
So basically at this point the initial
setup should be complete. Water, rocks, heater, pumps, lighting and
any other equipment you deemed necessary should be installed.
Good Luck may your cycle be quick and
your stocking go smoothly.
