Newbie 125 Oceanic Reef Tank....

[Intermingl]

Hi my name is Dustin,
I have been breeding african cichlids for 5-7 years...but now am ready to make the switch to the salty side.....

and im tired of all my expensive fish eating each other, so i decided to do a friendly reef tank...and i decided to get rid of all my 50's, 55's, and 75's and just keep my 125 for this endeavor........*plug*have like 5 tanks for sale in Selma/San Antonio Area *plug*..

i cleaned it out real good and put 120lbs of CaribSea ARAG-ALIVE! live aragonite reef sand ( fuji pink )

tap water(i know) & whole bunch Kent sea salt....haha

and thats where i stand so far.....i knwo i got a long way to go.....but im restrained at this time by my lack of cash......i broke my foot a month ago and been out of work since collecting short-term disability till i can go back.....fun times

filtration at the moment:
magnum 350 canister filter

mag 7 just running in tank to help mix salt for now...maybe used in sump later???

and some 300gph powerhead

still pretty cloudy but i did only do it like an hour ago.......


dechlorinated with prime and some tetra stuff

SSSSOOOOoooooo.....now

im thinkin i just need to find me some live rock? correct?

i really cant afford 5-8 dollars a lb so im up for any suggestions....i also have tanks to trade for live rock if someone is overfolowing wiht it or somehtin.....i need live rock bad....but let me know if im missing anything else, im pretty good with keeping fish but this is my first saltwater tank....and im tryin to do a coral heavy reef tank with lots of reef cleaners......im goin to need you guys help...:bigsmile:

i have been a long time member/Follower of the HCCC (Hill Country Cichlid Club) so im sure there are some of you out here too...Hi guys!!......but now i guess im making my way over here to you maast guys......



First of all let me say that my tank is NOT DRILLED/ NO BUILT-IN OVERFLOWS
I do plan on using a sump or wet dry system of some sort...preferrably with a protien skimmer

I do not have a HOB overflow box or anyhting like that yet....but i guess thats my only option without drilling..because remember i do plan on haveig a sump of some sort...Opinions?


i will add onto this for a while to come im sure....all opinions, hints, tricks, secret mystical wisdoms and warnings are welcome at all time...thanks guys

P.S. I need live rock.....:shades:

[tebstan]

Welcome to MAAST :)

Can't help with the rock... but when you're ready to add critters check out ReefCleaners.org. They're a sponsor with some cool stuff, and I predict that by the time you're ready, there may be a group buy in the works. :ph34r:

[Intermingl]

ill definately be on teh look out

[mikeb1409]

try buying dry rock instead of live rock or do half and half, or even if possible buying live rock from someone who is selling their tank system can save alot of money. if you do get dry rock though you will need to cycle your tank longer, no biggie though.

sounds like you mixed the salt water in your tank, if that is the case and just to make sure you know, dont do that any more. mix it in a seperate container 24hrs prior to adding to the tank.

not sure how handy you are but if your trying to save money you can always do a DIY overflow to save some cash. there are tons of places online to show you how to build one. google is your friend lol

hope that helps some and good luck with your new money pit lol

[Mr Cob]

welcome to MAAST. You'll find a lot of us came from the cichlid hobby....I also was a breeder for awhile. Actually my many broods funded my first SW tank. Funny thing is...after some time in all the complications of the saltwater reef aquarium addiction we find ourselves entertaining the thought of setting a cichlid tank up again.

Anyways...sounds like you are off to a good start. You are in the right place too. Ask lots of questions, get lots of opinions and make the best decision that you think will work best for your scenario.

You definitely need to get some liverock and start cycling that before getting any livestock. A good solid cycle on "live" rock or "dead" rock will be 4-6 weeks once you add it to the tank.

[Intermingl]

yea thast my task today is to find some cheap live or dead rock....i tihnk im goin to scour craigslist

what would i need to transport.....big vat of salt water.....air? filtration?

how long can the rock go without eihter?

[profntbtr]

just put the rock in a bucket and cover it with a wet towel. worst case scenario there is some die off which will help the cycle along. remember rock is shipped in waxed cardboard boxes wrapped in newspaper and it is out of the water for a coupla days before it gets to your LFS. think of it like a sponge you pull it outta the water but it is still wet in the center for a long time.
oh yeah and i may have a hang on the back overflow i'd be willing to part with for 25 or so

[bryancb]

I might have missed in reading but what kind of lighting are you using?

im still new to this but this site has been my encyclopedia, if you cant find it on a page just ask and someone will know
be careful with tap water. I didnt think it would be bad but after algae and cyano outbreak i quickly switched to RO/DI and now tank is clearing
of course my tap water comes out @ over 100 ppm so i had to switch

[alton]

If you are going to have a sump please drill the tank. I know it is a gamble, but so is HOB overflows. Been there, done that, and only once!

[Intermingl]

i don't have any lighting at this time.....if i was goin to take a guess....ill prolly end up going led...but i do have a metal halide lamp in my garage that i could do a diy project with......but i was thinkin maybe just using that for my hospital tank

[mikeb1409]

my tap water comes out @ over 100 ppm so i had to switch

over 400 ppm here in corpus. of course I have a RO/DI corpus water is terrible.

[Intermingl]

everyone at reef central is railing me for using tap water

i want to knwo you guys opinion.......from actually being from my area and knowing how our tap water is

im in selma btw.....and we just recently stopped using the edwards aquifer...we get it pumoped in from somewhere else now

[BSJF]

I used tap water in Utah for like 8 years, then poof - entire tank wiped out after a WC. RO/DI now 100% of the time. Too much invested to risk it again.

[mikeb1409]

dont trust your local water company get a RO/DI. they produce good clean water with consitent results.