New Tank Setup - What would u do?

OldandNew · 12-02-2004, 11:33 PM

I have been surfing while waiting for supplies to arrive in the post from the States. Yes, I'm overseas. In Indonesia, Jakarta to be exact.

I had a salt water fish tank years ago (28?) when I was in college. Back then it was UGF and believe it or not, there were Skimmers. They worked too.

I have confidence in doing the UGF thing, but reading has me believing that that is no longer the way to do things. Ok, fine, someday I will have to move (2.5 years) and where I go may not have salts. UGF is a good thing in fresh water tanks.

Anyway, my approx 110 gal 60"x18"x24"deep is setting atop its new coconut wood stand wanting starting. My salt has not arrived. Not an issue, the locals use NSW. And it seems to be good. Not that I'm going that route, but ...

Anyway, cured ready for use immediately live rock is inexpensive. Crushed Coral or various grades and sand to sugar is also cheep, natural. They will deliver the NSW to the house, cheep.

I have three power heads, two that sweep back and forth, and one Magnum 350 canister at the waiting. Various and sundry air pumps, line and stones as well.
If someone wants to suggest, I have a UGF for this tank as well.

Since money for the live rock and gravel and NSW is not an issue, what would you do?

I have 160 gals worth of salt on order somewhere between the US and here. I would change out most of the water before adding fish and corals. I just figure cycling on the NSW.

Matt Rogers · 12-03-2004, 10:47 AM

I would use the NSW all the time and get sand locally too. That's what I did here in Northern California. It works fine. If I can find a good spot here, I'm sure you can find one in Indonesia!

WIth your NSW you may not need to buffer it as much as the stuff out here either. I need to raise the calcium and alkalinity.

Personally I'd probably ditch the UGF and just put 4" of sand on the bottom, but I have seen it work.

Definitely get a skimmer.

Welcome to 3reef.

Birdlady · 12-03-2004, 06:05 PM

Hi and welcome to 3Reef!

Would you believe, I have friends in Jakarta!!!

Tony Inverso (The Inverso Baglivo Foundation)

They tell me, Indonesia (esp Bali) is the most beautiful place on earth! How lucky you are to be there! Tony is from America but his wife is Indonesian and they live there most of the year!

If I lived coastally, I would use NSW too! Let us know how everything goes with the setup!

OldandNew · 12-04-2004, 07:34 PM

I looked around and instead of using the Indonesian market, I went to this expat Brit who has been quality tanks for about 5 years now. 1) He speaks English. 2) WOW was all I could say when I walked into his place.

I looked at his display tanks and they are immaculate. And all the different kinds of coral!!!

So he is delivering 110 lbs of live sand. He has a particular place that he sends a wholesaler to for his sand. There is a bit of iron in it, so once back at the shop he stirs it around and takes a magnet to it. Kind of hard to avoid the iron, these islands were made from volcanos.

Then since I want the run the live rock down the middle of the tank, it being a room divider, but only 18 inches wide itself, he figured all we could get into the tank would be about 40 Kilos (88 lbs) of live rock. He is hand picking it, guarenteeing that it will be at least 50% coraline. We also picked up 4 pieces of coral which he said we could put in right away. The wife then saw a Regal Angel from the Red Sea and had to have it. He is holding it till he is comfortable that the tank is stable.

He says when everything going into the tank is live and freshly live, there is no cycling. It is already cycled.

He has all kinds of coral in growing tanks for sale. Most $4-5 each. I did pay $10 for what he calls a green metalic donut coral. The three brains were $5 each. All were about 4 inches.

He has all kinds of clams in his display tanks, one probably 18 inches across.

While he is more expensive than the locals, he only works with ethical collectors and is a member of CITES. A lot of the local collectors for the trade use cyanide to collect the fish. I guess that is one way to ensure there are no paracites, inside or our.

Anyway, he is delivering the sand, rocks and NSW this evening and has a crew to help set it up. I'm hyped.

Hew, if NSW is the way to go, then I'll probably just have to go that way.

I'll update my profile and take some pics once the dust settles.

Cheers,
Ray

Birdlady · 12-05-2004, 06:10 PM

Yay! sounds very exciting! 5 and 10 dollars for coral! Ha!

We pay about 40 to 80 here in the states! LOL!

I cannot wait to see pics!

reiple · 12-06-2004, 03:46 AM

OldandNew - Nice and good luck!

BL thats not too bad (40 to 80 dollars!) since you guys earn better. Incidentally corals here (LPS) cost $1 to $3 only....

Matt Rogers · 12-06-2004, 07:49 PM

Sounds like you found a good connection with that guy.
I like the magnet trick. Gresham told me about that one.

Keep us posted.

OldandNew · 12-07-2004, 01:07 AM

BirdLady, Thanks for the Karma. Needing it of late. hings are getting kind of rushed.

But the tank is doing well. The Donut isn't as open today as it was yesterday, but everybody else seems happy. No measurable ammonia. I have found one very tiny tube worm on the live rock. About a quarter inch long. Other than that, no other crawling life.

Right now the take is kept circulating with a pair of 285 ga/hr powerheads and a small one stuck in the middle just for good luck. I have a sump on order but figure with all I have read on DSB, what I have going is good for what is in the tank.

I've some invert food that I am giving about 1.5 ccs every other day. That is what it suggests on the bottle. Am keeping fish out of the tank till I have the sump running, and will dose the tank well with bacteria when I do start the sump.

OK, well, gotta find my relax and see what other news you have in the forums. Good reading.

Cheers,
Ray