help seting up salt water

zuzes20011 · #1 02-21-2009, 02:07 PM

Hi guys i have decided to set up a salt water tank but its going the wroung way lol so i have one 72 gallon bow front tank 300 gph filter 2 power heads 1 heater 1 big air pump to t5s

so i started out by laying the crushed coral at the bttm then layed 2 begs of sand then added the salt mixed water then added base rock my tank is cloudy my gravity is at 1.021 my ph is at 8.0 to 8.5 i dont no whats wroung i had no problem setting up my small 3 gallon tank did it all in a day all my fish are fine in it besides one clown fish but i think he was dead at the pet store if you no what i mean

vazgor · #2 02-21-2009, 02:35 PM

ok to start with now that you have the rock and the water going wait 8 weeks with the lights on and the pumps running see if you can find any life on the new rock
you see the biggest thing with a salt tank is patients with bigger tanks it takes longer to cycle so now you have to wait or you will have lots of expencif problems

zuzes20011 · #3 02-21-2009, 02:51 PM

ok will do thxs mr vazgor

Doug · #4 02-21-2009, 02:53 PM

Moving to the reefing forum

Welcome
to
Canreef

Myka · #5 02-21-2009, 02:55 PM

Turn your lights off during the cycle to prevent excess algae blooms. Take a peek at the Guide in my signature for gettign started.

Doug · #6 02-21-2009, 03:00 PM

Try here for lots of great info

http://216.187.96.54/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=40

zuzes20011 · #7 02-21-2009, 08:58 PM

thxs guys added more filter media and it is takeing care of the milky water

BlueAbyss · #8 02-22-2009, 07:47 AM

IMO if you keep the lights off while cycling you will lose a lot of interesting encrusting growth. At least if the rock is fresh, if it's 'cured' then chances are there won't be any interesting encrusting growth. Other than coralline

awa1979 · #9 02-22-2009, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueAbyss

IMO if you keep the lights off while cycling you will lose a lot of interesting encrusting growth. At least if the rock is fresh, if it's 'cured' then chances are there won't be any interesting encrusting growth. Other than coralline

I left my lights on and glad that I did. I got several types of corals that survived and have been growing ever since, nothing major, but I think they would have likely died had the lights been kept off.

Never had a massive algae bloom either, had a brief diatom outbreak that lasted about a week, followed by a small hair algae outbreak that lasted 2-3 weeks, nothing major and it all went away.