Starting a new tank

I would just go with the sand instead of the Chips.


Do you live near the coast in Australia? This might not be possible, but maybe you can get a permit to go off shore a ways and scuba for some sand. Might be worth looking into.

Sounds like you should the skimmer now and save for the halides...

 

I just got a jager 200W heater and a second hand 402 power head from the reef shop, and put 20Kg of sand on order. It should be in by next saturday. I am so excited. I filled the tank up, and the 402 certainly puts out a bit of a current. ;D

 

you should be good for life with that 200w jager!
sand and a 402! sweet! :thumbsup1:

 

Yeah! ;D

Can't wait to get that sand.  But how do you recon i should get it into the tank?.  Can i do it and keep the water in there?   What about keeping the live rock and the fish and shrimps in there? ???

Any ideas will be apreciated.

 

sorry didnt respond sooner computer probs again. did you order ls or dry sand? if the sand if dry soak it in some water for a couple a days 2-3 make sure its good and soaked. if you take a cup dip it in the sand get it as close to the bottom of the tank and pour slowly. turn off you filters, pwr heads while u do this. this will help with the cloudiness. i did this with ls and had no cloudiness but with the dry sd it still clouded a bit. with the sd i put sand in until it was a milky color then stopped after it cleared up then added more but it was clear over night. dont worry about your damsel or shrimp it wont hurt them. ls you wont have to much of a problem seems like when it has bacteria is sinks a lot faster. after your sand is added dont forget to turn your filters or pwr heads on. and if there is settlement on the rock or anything else where you dont want it just use a turkey baster to clear it off. its cheap but one of the best investments you could make

 

Thanks Karla! ;D

When i get the sand, i will soak it for 3-4 days in fresh water. I am saving for a stand and to get the tank plumbed. So while the sand is soaking, i will put as much tank water as i can in buckets and boxes, then take the LR and fish and shrimp and put that in a box. Then i will empty the rest of the water. I will then get the marble chips and put some in a stocking and put the rest in the bin. When the tank is plumbed, i will put it in the stand, put the sand in it, put the stocking with the mable chips in, fill the tank with water and put my heater power head etc.. in, then turn everything on. THe stocking should hopefully transfer some bacteria into the sand as it is dry sand. I might also put some of the marble chips in my media compartment of my bio wheel filter. Let the water clear up, then put the LR and fish etc.. back in. Simple. Hope nothing dies. :

 

Long time since i last posted anything!  Haven't had the internet running, something wrong with the modem.  Anyways, my tank has really progressed!  I've got the twenty KG of sand in now, and it really looks good.  Also put a twin tube NO 3foot light over, with one 6500K bulb, and one 18000K actinic.  Im gonna put another 6500K bulb in my 2 foot ballast. Ive taken off my penguin bio filter. it doesn't really do anything.  I got the lights for christmas, and i can already see the difference.  There is this coral which i don't know what it is, but it seem to be coming back.  It is some form of polyps.  My live stock now includes a tomato clown, yellow tailed damsel, and four green chromis.  I also have a trochus snail, who really keeps the algae down. The chromis swim in a school, and they like the open water.  The tomato clown is really dark, and its white stripe has a florescent blue tinge.  My caulerpa is starting to take of too, im having to take some out.  I discovered a couple of crabs on the live rock, and i have quite a few new tube worms and some feather dusters.  It really seems to be taking off with the new lights.  Anyways, g2g.

Catch ya later guys. ;D

 

By the way, the site is looking really awsome! Good job Matt!

 

Hey it's Shrimp_Man! [smiley=thumbs_up.gif]

I was wondering what happened to you. I thought you turned into the grasshopper! Now grasshopper is having trouble logging in and you come back! [smiley=sombrero.gif]

hmmm... I don't know..

hahahaha. welcome back! your tank sounds great! ;D

 

No im not grasshopper.

U recon i should go with MH. I recon maybe so, but the reef shop recon that fluros are good enough, and anyway, we don't seem to have SPS anywhere. I would like MH, but the $$$! If i got a MH, should i have 2 actinics, or keep the one actinic, 1 daylight tubes? anyways, it'll b a while before i got MH, and thats if i do. The anenomes in the Reef store cope fine under they're lights, they have the same as me.

cya