Almost ready to add water - advise please!
 

My wife and I are setting up our first SW tank - 90G with approx 23g in the sump. The plumbing is done and we have tested for leaks. We have purchased 70lbs of dry rock so far and have 60 lbs of dry sand. We are planning on buying 20-30 lbs of live rock.

Are we on the right track with this?

Our plan was to put in the dry rock and sand and start adding water directly from the RO/DI unit (yes, we realize that this will take a long time!). As I understand it, this will eliminate the sand storm that some people have told us about. Once the tank is full, I was going to turn on the pump and add salt to the sump. Once the salinity is right we plan to head to the LFS to get the 20-30 lbs of live rock and begin the let the tank cycle.

Are we on the right track with this?

Thanks in advance!

starting
 

you are ,but you will still have a small sand storm which will leave your water cloudy for a few days.if you can,rinse your sand before using(waste a pail of r/o)

An easy way to avoid a huge sandstorm from pouring water into the tank with sand in it, is to place a plate or a bowl on the sand. Pour the water onto the plate or into the bowl.

I wouldn't worry too much about any cloudy water from the sand. It will clear itself up within a day or so if you don't have any flow and depending on the size of the sand. By the time your cycle is done, the sand would have easily have cleared.

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you can always post here see if anyone is shutting down a tank and is trying to get rid of live rock. You can save almost 50% that way.

Hey! I hadn't thought about that - thanks!!

Just be sure you trust that it hasn't seen any copper treatment, that could ruin everything. But I agree, used live rock can be cheaper and nicer that LFS stock.

Used rock is just that, used. It is likely plugged up with detritus, full of PO4 and just a problem waiting to happen. Unless you know the person and they're shutting down unexpectedly, and you know the rock is nearly new, I'd avoid buying somebody else's used rock. It's really not the area of a reef to scrimp on..

Thank you very much for the cautions re: the used rock. I really appreciate it.

I started my system exactly the same way; I had all my aquascaping done with dry rock (BRS Reef Saver in my case) and the sand in the tank then filled with RODI over a couple days. Started the pumps, set the salinity (SG), then waited for the cloudiness to clear which took a few days for me. Once cleared up I seeded with a few choice pieces of live rock.

You didn't talk about cycling but I'll pass on a tip that you might not have heard; you don't need actual fish making poop to cycle a tank, just nutrients. Throw in some shrimp meat or fish food or whatever you have handy, let that break down and that will feed the ammonia cycle. Once the bacteria population gets this start the cycle with real fish will be reduced and not nearly as stressfull for them. I find the whole idea of buying hardy fish and subjecting them to poor conditions to cycle a tank to be somewhat cruel.

Happy reefing!