Red Deer Reefer

[yeahitsgotahemi]

Hey Everyone, Im new to reefkeeping and just wanted to say im incredibly excited to get started with it. I am purchasing all my equipment thru my LFS!!! There the only guys selling salt water in red deer!!!! Anyone have any advice on live Rock? I have a 90 gallon, reef rdy tank, with a 30 gallon sump!

[Leah]

Have fun! I will let the EXPERTS answer the rest for you. Yippee another one!
And welcome, sounds like a nice size tank to start with!

[yeahitsgotahemi]

Thanks!!! I have purchased 4 books and read them from cover to cover. They are 500 ways to be a better salt water keeper, Idiots guide to salt water fish, The complete reef aquarium, and The New Encylopedia of marine reef. These are all fascinating books. I have got a very good understanding of what needs to be done. My biggest questions still arise with the brand new live rock and starting out. If anyone can answer this for me it would be very helpful. this is whats happening.

I am going to buy approx 100 pounds of Live Rock, This rock has been cycled in a tank now for maybe a month or more. The substrate i plan on using is going to be about 3 inches deep. Will be crushed coral and argonite, the stuff out of the bag with no biological bacteria in it. The water i want to use is going to be roughly 50-60 percent water change water from my LFS. Is this going to work? I dont really understand if im supposed to put all 100 pounds in the water at once, or build my way up to like 150 pounds? Im a little confused about the initial startup. From what i have been reading if i put the water in the tank, put the rock in the tank, and dump the sand in. Within a few days it should be ready to test run a chromis?

[Leah]

Ohh! Word of caution about the water, I would seriously ? it. It may have its own problems. Wait till you hear from someone with experience. Yikes! I am a chicken
though so what do I know. Slow is best, I think

[MikeP]

Welcome to Canreef,

It sounds like your on the right track for a quicker cycle but still your tank will cycle and the bottom line is to not add anything until your water parameters are all in check. No point in sentencing a chromis to his death if your ammonia is sky high. Test your water with test kits not fish. You might want to stay away from crushed coral for substrate, it can lead to problems down the road. Look into sand instead if you want that type of look. You could add all your rock at once and do the aquascaping the way you want it. If 100 pounds doesn't leave much room for fish to swim and coral placement you can put some of it in the sump. Does your sump have more than one compartment, could you have a refugium down there?

These are just my opinions,

HTH

Mike

[yeahitsgotahemi]

Heres the pic of my tank, and Sump. I would really like as much advice on what people think. This is going to be my first attempt. and i dont want to be doomed to failure. i would only every put a chromis in there after i tested water parametres to make sure ammonia and nitrates and nitrites were low :)

[Leah]

Mike, quick question what if the water has been treated with meds etc. Is it still okay
to use? Has the water, maybe been sitting around for awhile.

[yeahitsgotahemi]

The water will be freshly pumped out of the show tank into buckets then transported to my house. I dont think the water has been treated because there is live coral, and lots of finnicky star fish and other hard to keep marine life in the tank. Sea Slugs, Starfish, cobberband butterflys, etc

[Leah]

Sounds Great. Nice tank love pictures is this happening today?

[yeahitsgotahemi]

Not today, Hopefully very soon, Im waiting for my Coral Life Light to show up that i ordered, 2 x 250 metal halide, i think it was 96 watt actinic, and 4 watt moonlight. After this shows up i can move it in and plug the tank in.

[Trigger Man]

Mike, quick question what if the water has been treated with meds etc. Is it still okay
to use? Has the water, maybe been sitting around for awhile.

I know you asked Mike the question but to answer if the water was treated with meds then you should not use it to try to quicken your cycle, as the meds would probably be detrimental to the bacteria you are trying to grow.

[MikeP]

I know you asked Mike the question but to answer if the water was treated with meds then you should not use it to try to quicken your cycle, as the meds would probably be detrimental to the bacteria you are trying to grow.

I agree with Ellis, it's sounds like the water is good to go though. Looks like a nice set up from the pictures.

[yeahitsgotahemi]

im a little bit concerned with the no hood, i have heard people having problems and not having problems with the no lid. i think at night i will have a styrofoam hood just to place over the top, but durning the day i dont know if i should leave it just the way it sits, or have some wrap around piece for the top to prevent fish jumping out of the tank.

[MikeP]

I wouldn't put styro on top just in case you ever forget to take it off or your light timer malfunctions. Fish type will tell you if they're prone to jumping so research before you buy. You could put eggcrate on top as a lid or build something that sits on your trim. I can post pics of mine if you want to see what I did.

[yeahitsgotahemi]

ya i would appreciate that mike! i am a little unsure of what i should do withought a top.

[MMAX]

Remember the rule "at least a month before adding fish". Don't let anybody push you into rushing your system... all I'm going to say.

[Ian]

Dang ....\dan finally moved that tank...it is a beaut. Go slow and have fun....I am starting a 90 gal build myself..picked up the tank today...next to build a stand and then a custom sump....you will have yours looking great before I have water in mine:neutral:

[yeahitsgotahemi]

Ya im really excited to get that tank home. i have an electrician coming to wire my basement seperate breakers off the box for all the equipment. I am really happy with the setup they gave me for a sump and stuff to i think its gonna work out really nice. I cant wait to have tons of photos on this sight. If everything goes the way i hope, you will all have great advice for me and with the help of all the people on this sight the tank will flourish

[yeahitsgotahemi]

Heres a pic of my overflow

just wondering what everyones oppinions are on the powerheads? i was debating a pair of the tunze streams with a multicontroller that can control just 2 to run the pair of them?

[Mrfish55]

Heres a pic of my overflow

just wondering what everyones oppinions are on the powerheads? i was debating a pair of the tunze streams with a multicontroller that can control just 2 to run the pair of them?

Take a look at the Vortech MP40, cleaner install(no wires in tank and smaller footprint) and has multiple controll options. If you are looking at the Tunze stuff I think you will find there is not that great a price difference.

[MikeP]

Pm'd you some pics of what I did.

[yeahitsgotahemi]

Hey that vortech is an awesome looking powerhead, no wires in the tank, eternal motor, and big blades to push water. Where can a person buy these? I cant find any sights that carry them. Another question to, anyone know what the best heater is? I was thinkin ill get 2 250 watt heaters, but i prefer really nice ones.

[Rbacchiega]

J&L Carries them, check out their site on the vendor forums.

I run 2 250s in my 90, but they are hardly ever on because of the heat coming from the internal return pump, metal halides and other powerheads in the tank. I maintain a temp of 78.5 plus or minus a degree