Oh god! Another.......

[Rob129]

Hi everyone,
I am totally new to saltwater but not to aquariums per se. I have a 100 gallon which I kept Discus in for a number of years. I am looking to make the swap to saltwater...mainly a reef with just a few fish. I figure saltwater has to be easier than changing 75 gallons of water daily....maybe I am wrong?


I first got hooked when I saw a friends reef tank. I was amazed that...everything was alive...even in the sand. I sat there fixated for hours in fascination. I know its a slow process and that is fine. I will have lots of new guys questions and even the dreaded........this was just answered two days ago. I'll do some searching but please bear with me.

One question I have is what are the benefits of Garfs Grunge versus regular sand and live rock? Can you tell I had a barebottom discus tank? Oh yeah, I hail from Tacoma, Washington. I just moved here from Palmdale in SoCal. I am in the Air Force.

[geekdafied]

GARF's grunge comes with critters, as where as livesand is just bacteria.

[Otty]

Welcome to 3reef, glad you have decited to make the plunge in saltwater. You will not be disappointed in the results of your labor. Agra-Alive sand will help you get some of the bacteria you need to start your tank. That and live rock is what I would be looking at to use.

[Rob129]

Thanks for the inputs. I have done a little reading the past hour or so. It seems the general consensus is to let nature run its course and be patient. Especially with the curing of live rock. Thanks Otty, I will look into Agra-Alive sand. Anyone know of a about how much sand and live rock to add to a 100 gallon without over doing it?

[dlaclo]

well it depends... IMO if you want a 4" DSB i would use 2 inches of regualr white sugar fine sand and then put 2" of the agra-alive on top of that as it will be cheaper, and the organismns will eventually move into the non-alive sand. there is a formula that you can use to determ the exact amount of sand to use but i do not know it. I took a total of 80lbs of sand for my aquarium which is a 60 gal.. 40lbs of non-alive and 40 lbs of agra-alive sand... hope this helps a little...

[RAVEN]

You will still be changing water with a reef tank so your not off the hook!
Welcome to 3Reef!

[Reef Man]

Originally Posted by Rob129

Thanks for the inputs. I have done a little reading the past hour or so. It seems the general consensus is to let nature run its course and be patient. Especially with the curing of live rock. Thanks Otty, I will look into Agra-Alive sand. Anyone know of a about how much sand and live rock to add to a 100 gallon without over doing it?

Welcome, Friend,
The sand OTTY pointed out here is actually Arag-Alive Sand. Arag stands for aragonite and it is live. Meaning it has living bacteria that will be part of your Biological Filter. By adding Live rock you will have more of a "Bio-Filter". Here is a link to a great site to get started About Saltwater Aquariums - Reef Tanks. This is where I started. There are many others but this is a good starting point. But let me tell you this- There is a certain point of no return. Once you're in you may realize you're in to deep. Welcome To Our Wonderful World Of Reef Keeping

[JasonC]

I agree totaly. You will never turn back... Live sand and rock is the way to go... Take the time and care and you will be fine. Good luck with it all... Being from Australia, I used all live sand in my tank, about 2" cause it is fairly cheap here. $25 for 1kg or coral sand... Water changes are easy so don't stress... Have fun and if your like me, your tank will start to replace the TV in terms of viewing...

[glampka]

Welcome to 3Reef!! Get yourself some of the grunge. It has all sorts of little worms & stuff to help stir up the sand bed. It can at times be a lttle dark in color so put it in & the put some sand over it.