Getting ready to set-up?!

93solsi/gsr · 05-08-2003, 06:19 PM

Ok I am allmost ready to set-up my new 180G tank, I have 50 pounds of base rock, and I am gonna get 20-30 Live rock, I have the bucket of salt, I have the base sand, and I have 3 bags of live sand, what is the best way to put it all in, should I put the water and salt in first then add the sand and stuff or what??

Prismaco · 05-08-2003, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mr. Ono
Jay,
a few words of warning, first add your dry sand to your tank, add enough to get a (#) inch height, then add another bag. The sand will compress when it gets wet so the extra sand will keep the height the same. You don't need to rinse your sand if you follow the instructions below.

Next when you add your saltwater, DO NOT just pour it in!!!!

Place a plastic tarp over the sand bed before you start to fill your tank. Make sure that when you fill the tank, and fill it slowly, don't dump in a bucket at a time, that the saltwater lands on the tarp and not the sand. Let the water finds its way to the sand.

This may seem like a lot of work but when the tank is filled this way you will not have a cloudy mess for three days.

I have set up 5 tanks this way and they all were completely clear within an hour or two. Two 20 gallon tanks were never cloudy even from the start.

That was from Mr. Ono...

Add your water and then mix your salt in. Add you LR about half way through...Hope this helps and keeps us informed and some pictures would be great...

-Paul

thefatman · 05-08-2003, 06:26 PM

we were jsut discussing this in the "how many bags of sand" thread

Quote:

posted by mr ono
use a tarp
Jay,
a few words of warning, first add your dry sand to your tank, add enough to get a 5 inch height, then add another bag. The sand will compress when it gets wet so the extra sand will keep the height the same. You don't need to rinse your sand if you follow the instructions below.

Next when you add your saltwater, DO NOT just pour it in!!!!

Place a plastic tarp over the sand bed before you start to fill your tank. Make sure that when you fill the tank, and fill it slowly, don't dump in a bucket at a time, that the saltwater lands on the tarp and not the sand. Let the water finds its way to the sand.

This may seem like a lot of work but when the tank is filled this way you will not have a cloudy mess for three days.

I have set up 5 tanks this way and they all were completely clear within an hour or two. Two 20 gallon tanks were never cloudy even from the start.

Quote:

posted by buzz hog

If you use wax paper or plastic, put some rocks on the corners and around the perimeter...

If you can.... Prepare some water about a week beforehand and put some LR in the bucket with the water... With this sand, it is bacteria adhering to the particles that keeps it on the bottom... The more bacteria you have int he water, the quicker it will settle and STAY settled...

Prismaco · 05-08-2003, 06:27 PM

Whoa...

-Paul

thefatman · 05-08-2003, 06:27 PM

ahahahahhaahha

93solsi/gsr · 05-08-2003, 07:18 PM

thanks everyone

icebear · 05-08-2003, 07:40 PM

OR, take back the bags of live sand and buy some cheap regular sand instead.... i'm told that the LS won't do anything that the LR isn't already doing and since you already have LR and the bacteria that comes with it...well....you don't really need the LS, the extra price of it isn't getting you anything more....

FWIW IMHO

Casey · 05-08-2003, 07:50 PM

I think you need more rock

icebear · 05-08-2003, 07:54 PM

true....maybe trade in that LS for more LR...?

93solsi/gsr · 05-08-2003, 07:57 PM

yea I need more rock, but I am short on cash right now so I am gonna have to wait, the only reason I went w/ some LR and some LS, is to hopefully have a great start w/ my tank, I think i am gonna put about 3 bags of regular "sand box" sand then the 3 LS bags, but I have heard that if you put just straight water on LS or LR it kills a lot of the bacteria that you want off of it, not sure if this is true or not, my tank is so deep it is gonna be hard to reach the bottom of it

Casey · 05-08-2003, 07:59 PM

Im setting up a 180 and im adding 200 lbs of live rock.

93solsi/gsr · 05-08-2003, 08:04 PM

yea thats about what I want to add but I can't afford that much, I think I might and 50-60 more pounds of base rock then another 30-40 LR, Jay and I were chatting and he was telling me that, thats a cheaper route and after a while the base rock will become LR. LR is just so much per pound, the cheapest I have seen in a local LFS is $5.99, and on the net it is about the same price once you add shipping

Geoff · 05-08-2003, 10:15 PM

since you have the LS keep it. there are usually some different critters in the sand than in the LR. besides the LS is usually cheaper.

word of warning: when filling up the tank. if you put the FW in first then add the salt. ADD THE SALT SLOWLY. if you do not you can get this very hard salt precip on the glass where the salt sit before it disolved.

make sure the water is up to temp and salinity correct before adding the LR or LS. you do not want to kill everything off due to shock. the LR can stay out for several hours as long as it is kept moist.

G~

mikeMersot · 05-08-2003, 11:23 PM

I would definately not add FW and mix in the salt, it will be too hard to dissolve thouroughly while trying to not disturb the sand. Plus you wont be able to put in the LR or LS until you are done mixing, so you are going to stir up the sand bed anyway. I would get a few garbage cans and pre-mix some water in there so you can be sure the salinity is correct when you put in the LR/LS. I like to put a small bucket or something ontop of plastic on the sand, then use a pump to get the water into the bucket with some tubing, the bucket overflows onto the plastic and makes its way into the sand. This way you dont have to keep tossing in buckets.