Tank Q

[BA]

i'm going to have my new tank running tommorrow w/ salt water....i already have all the sand "live", it has been sitting in rubbermaid tubs w/ air tubes and powerheads....still has critters crawling around...i already have a temp. tank set-up w/ a little macro algae, and a little caulerpa(looking for some...any donations???...), also have another tank w/ xenia, and mangroves... all these will go into my refugium..... now should i put the sand in there... and put the skimmer on and leave it for a couple of days...or should i put the sand in, then all the refugium stuff to start cycling the tank of levels....i'm sure the sand will have an effect on ammonia...so put sand in and wait?or put sand in,then fill refugium. and wait???i also will put some liverock in there to help, but still need a lot more of live rock too....
thx in advance for your help
Bobby

[wkopplin]

Load the sand and live rock into the tank, but do not hook up the fuge to it yet as an ammonia spike in the tank while it is cycling will hurt the critters in the fuge. I would probably get as many of the live critters as you can and just put them in the fuge. I used a turkey baster when I did that and I have tons of pods. I used my skimmer when I cycled the tank, but there are some who say you do not need to.

I have tons of macros, but I would not add any more to your system. The macro growth will settle in to your nutrient load. If you put too much in, it will just die off to the level it can be supported. That stuff I gave you will grow very rapidly. Trust me.

[BA]

thx for the info Blake, yea the macro/caulerpa is doing great in the temp. refugium

[NaCl_H2O]

What purpose does Xenia serve in a fuge? :?

[wkopplin]

Xenia is kind of like a macro. It removes nutrients from the water column and you can then prune it back and give it away, or sell it if you can find someone to pay for it.

I have a separate xenia tank in my system rather than putting it in the fuge.

[BA]

yea i have two refugiums, one alagae of different types and the othert xenia, and mangroves at the top....i thought it was a crazy idea when i heard it the first time too

[NaCl_H2O]

Oh ... I bought a small patch of Xenia containing two small "clumps" (Normal, and silver pom-pom) about 6 months ago. I now have a mixed Xenia metropolitan complex of about 18-24 clumps covering about a one square foot area. It has literally gone wild :-D

I was considering a Xenia section in my grow out tank when I get my new tanks going.

[wkopplin]

Well, if you need to get rid of any, I am always looking for some........