newbie salt setup

i have plenty of experienc in fresh, so i figured it was time to step up and really create something nice

I am planning on a reef tank with a few fish.

Tank 125 gallon with drilled overflows at each end.

Live rock will be 156lbs.

argonite live sand

refugium is 30 gallon with bio balls

pumps exterior to sump one 1800gph at 0 elevation
one 1200gph at 0 elevation

charts indicate these pumps will come in at around 1700 gph after a five foot lift.

on 800 gph in sump running the protein skimmer

corallife 6x sterilizer fed by the same pump as the skimmer inline prior to skimmer

light is 800w with all bulbs on and will be mounted about 1 foot above water (not a metal hylide)

sump light is 30w


my plan is to set up the ref mud according to the manufaturer (place in ref with uncirculated water for two days with a one inch sand over lay and plants.)

i will then scape my rock and add sand and water (store bought at 1.024spg)

the rock will be curing (even tho the store says it won't need to) for as long as it takes to get good water readings.

i have read alot of posts and some are leading me to beleive i have planned this ok, others seem to lead me the other way.

questions

1. do i need to add shrimp and snails and such right away or wait for good water. i ask because i am not sure how the cycle can start with no bio load at all.

2. does the rock die off provide the bio load?

3. i have read some posts about two much flow thru the ref. Should i plumb one of the pumps to the bio ball side. (seems like a waste to recycle that water b-4 it ever gets to the ref, but i can see the point of so much flow nothing settles out)

4. charcoal?

thanks for any help

 

a photo of the stand i built for the tank i am asking about

 

The live rock will start your cycle, You don't have to add snails right away but eventually you will for a cleanup crew.

.

Some think charcoal is bad and others think it's great to use .
IMO I use charcoal as it removes any toxins in the water you might have or get.
I wouldn't go with bioballs because down the wrong they have to be cleaned or they will create
nitrates.

 

Nice DIY cabinet!

 

thank you

 

yes very nice setup..../

 

thank you as well

 

I've read about carbon and i think it is a good idea as it will remove the organics from the water. It could, unless it is changed regularly, start to leech the same stuff it absorbed once it is saturated.

 

i'm actually running a skimmer and the outflow from the skimmer will go over the carbon so hopefully most of the organics are gone and i can catch the chems that i don't want.
i plan to look at it about twice as much as i did for my fresh water till i get more comfortable and figure out it's life cycle as compared to load on the system.

 

Very nice work! :clapping:
My fist tank I cycled, I used damsels to start my bio-load after the initial 3 week rock die-off cycle. I only had one die in that process. Now I use pure ammonia to start my cycle, then I wait 4 weeks until my nitrates drop to 10ppm and go from there. I agree with the other suggestion of removing the bioballs, or at least some of them. I removed 1/2 of the bio-bale in my sump to remove the nitrates that were building up. I have also removed the carbon in my tanks, but not because I don't like it. I'm too lazy to change it and grew tired of it leaching the contaminants back into the tank. I am also too cheap to keep spending $30 every month for a bag of it. Honestly, my tank that is stocked right now seems healthier without it.