Brian builds a tank! Megan posts the thread!

[wolfe4372]

Originally Posted by OneDummHikk

She's complaining about whether she was complaining or not! I told you, I was .

i think tony was right. i will want to kill you by the end of this thread!

[shaggy52282]

Tony...Thanks...I am reading through your build thread...all 24 pages.

Randy...Would you suggest I leave out the skimmer in the initial setup as well? Is it fairly easy to add things after the fact?

Thanks again to everyone who has assisted so far.

[Hop]

Adding some things is easy and other things take a fair amount of tear-down. Don't worry, you'll be tearing down and rebuilding plenty! It gets addicting.

[Fat Tony]

Originally Posted by Hop

Adding some things is easy and other things take a fair amount of tear-down. Don't worry, you'll be tearing down and rebuilding plenty! It gets addicting.

+1... take this from a guy that has done it at least three times this year

Shaggy, if you have any q's, feel free to ask

[shaggy52282]

OK...I guess my next question for setting up a basic tank is...I inherited 200 pounds of slowly dying liverock (it has been out of water for 3 weeks or so)...getting to the really sticky stage. What do I do with this "dying" live rock to prepare it to be used again?

[OneDummHikk]

Originally Posted by wolfe4372

i think tony was right. i will want to kill you by the end of this thread!

Nah, you will end up just wanting to torture me. If you kill me, its over. But if you torture me, its never ending. But, its all in good fun.

Originally Posted by shaggy52282

Randy...Would you suggest I leave out the skimmer in the initial setup as well? Is it fairly easy to add things after the fact?

I would. Not so much to skim the tank but to give the skimmer time to break in again and give you time to tinker with it and figure out how it works so that when its needed, you will have it. And, if there is a problem with it, give you time to get it straightened out.

As Hop and Tony said, it depends on the equipment. Some is easy to add later, some isn't. That is why I suggested the bare bones minimum setup to get the cycle started. That will give you time to move things around, figure out the best arrangement for everything while its all dry and the tank isn't depending on it. Then, after you get a final layout, you can install it and put it online before the tank finishes cycling.

[jenglish]

You can either deal with it in the tank or you can deal with it in tubs or trash cans. Trash cans is generally better if its an option IMO. You will want them submersed in saltwater with a heater and waterflow. You may want to scrub them every few days to dislodge the stuff on the outside that has died or is dying. You will change the water every week until it stops smelling horrible and if you have test kits you can test the water to see that it is free of nitrites. This is the abbreviated version, if you want better dire3ctions you can search curing live rock or there is another longer method called cooking live rock.

[OneDummHikk]

Originally Posted by shaggy52282

OK...I guess my next question for setting up a basic tank is...I inherited 200 pounds of slowly dying liverock (it has been out of water for 3 weeks or so)...getting to the really sticky stage. What do I do with this "dying" live rock to prepare it to be used again?

The best thing to do with it would be to cook it. Get enough containers to hold the rocks, keep them in the dark, and let the "nasties" get out of the rock.

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/f1...t=rock+cooking

Good thread on the entire process. If you cook it, it gives you the best case scenario for the rock and minimizes potential problems down the road. Since you have time while the tank starts cycling and such, now would be a perfect time to cook it.

[Fat Tony]

yep.. as stated above cook it, you'll be glad. You will have time to do it as by the looks of things it's going to take a while to figure what exactly is in all the stuff you got from the guy

[shaggy52282]

Is there a minimum temperature for "cooking" the rock? My garage is attached, but not heated...so it gets down to 40 or so degress at night right now being the middle of winter.

The rock is currently in a pitch black rubbermade tub in the garage.

Edit: most of the cooking thread talks about killing off algae. The rock has been out of water for 3+ weeks so I have my doubts that algae is an issue. Would it still be the same process if I am just looking to remove dead stuff?

[jenglish]

well, just like food lasts longer in the fridge low temp is going to slow the process down. I would think you would want to be at least 70 but IDK that for sure

[OneDummHikk]

Originally Posted by shaggy52282

Is there a minimum temperature for "cooking" the rock? My garage is attached, but not heated...so it gets down to 40 or so degress at night right now being the middle of winter.

Many people cook it at tank temperature (80 or so). A simple heater in the container to heat the water. It doesn't have to be in a heated room. Although a heated room would make it more comfortable on you when it was time to swish it around and do water changes on the containers the rocks are in.

You can cook it at cooler temperatures but it takes longer because the metabolism of the bacteria slows down. There is a limit to the heat though. At a certain point (I don't remember exactly but its around 90 degrees or so), the metabolism of the bacteria starts slowing down again. Its part of why most recommendations are to cook at tank temperature.

Originally Posted by shaggy52282

The rock is currently in a pitch black rubbermade tub in the garage.

Edit: most of the cooking thread talks about killing off algae. The rock has been out of water for 3+ weeks so I have my doubts that algae is an issue. Would it still be the same process if I am just looking to remove dead stuff?

Algae on the rocks isn't so much the issue. Its removing the food source for the algae that is within the rock itself and not just on the surface. Part of why you cook it in the dark is that algae (which needs the ligh) will outcompete the bacteria for food and defeat the purpose of cooking it.

The idea of cooking is to convert the system (on the rocks and cycling process) from an algae driven system to a bacteria driven system. It helps remove the laden phosphates out of the rocks as well. You could try simply rinsing it and curing it but within 6 months or so, you will start having problems with it. You will be way better off to simply cook it from the start and not have to worry about it.

[wolfe4372]

i think this has te potential to be the longest build thread ever!

[OneDummHikk]

Hops build thread is almost 1800 posts and still going. Lets catch him
The longer the build thread, the more information ends up in it and keeps it all in one thread for easier finding

[wolfe4372]

Originally Posted by OneDummHikk

Hops build thread is almost 1800 posts and still going. Lets catch him
The longer the build thread, the more information ends up in it and keeps it all in one thread for easier finding

true it also helps people who come into the hobby much like brian did.

and im learning stuff to if i ever have to go bigger