used 125g need help with set-up

T

tmkx3

:D Howdie!!! I just bought a used 125g from a neighbor that is moving. The tank was a cichlid tank so the hob will have to be replaced. The lfs in my area insist that I need a wet/dry. From everything that I have researched in the reef forums they say to go with the sump,lr.skimmer and dsb theory. I asked the lfs about this and they look at me like I am crazy. I have read about how the wet/dry works and know that they trap nitrates but my question is if you have lr and let say a 3 inches of live sand won't this take care of the nitrates? I won't be able to completely stock the tank with all the rock I need right away. I will add it gradually, so won't I need the wet/dry to filter until I can complete my rock? If my thinking is correct, the skimmer has no biological function to it, so if you don't have enough rock to filter out your ammonia and nitrites, won't you get a spike? If I need the wet/dry which one do you recommend? One of the lfs said to go with the tide pool ll. The sump in this system is made of plastic. I have never actually seen one but have been told. Now that I have written a novel, let me thank you for any help you can give me. Oh! One more question. Is there a society forum some where for Houston?
Thanxs again, Tinia
 
If my thinking is correct, the skimmer has no biological function to it,....
its main function is biological hence the name Protein Skimmer the thought is to get rid of the organics before they can break down into toxic compounds, extremely important.. check out Marc's website
Robert


@tmkx3 wrote:
 
Get a new LFS. Seriously!

The wet/dry is totally unneccessary. Your sand will take care of nitrfication and denitrification (if it's deep enough)

You will however want to get a skimmer before anything else! It is more important then ever when live rock is fresh as some dieoff will occur and you need to pull that decaying mess out. Also the first couple months of the tank will be very unstable and when a skimmer is of the most value in my opinion.

Here is the houston society's website:

http://www.marshreef.com/
 
Tinia,

Unless you are planning to set up a Fish Only tank, you don't need nor want a wet-dry sump.

Have you read this page yet? http://www.melevsreef.com/what_sump.html

Or this one? http://www.melevsreef.com/overview.htm

If you set up the tank with a sump, a good skimmer (Euro-Reef, ASM or Aqua C), a DSB (4" of sand or more), and gradually add live rock, you won't have any problems. The only reason you would is if you started adding a lot of livestock prematurely. If you added one rock, and one small fish, all is well. If you bought 10 fish, now there is a biological imbalance and water quality would suffer. So you'd need more live rock. It is recommended you have 1 to 1.5 lbs of LR (live rock) per gallon of water in the main tank. You can buy it slowly over time, but always buy clean-looking / fresh-smelling pieces to avoid cycling the tank again. It should be put in your system within the hour. Ideally, bring it home fully submerged in water even if you have to bring your own bucket filled 50% full of saltwater to the place where you get some rock.

MARSH is a good club, and I'm sure they'll have more suggestions for you. If you have more questions and would like our help, just post your questions here.
 
I am sorry I am going to set-up a fowlr tank for now and maybe get into a full reef later. I want to make sure I know what I am doing first. Thank you for your help. If I only add 50lbs of rock to begin with how many fish can that handle after the tank has cycled? Does the protien skimmer eliminate the ammonia? How does the tank cycle if there is no ammonia? Do I need to cycle before I add the skimmer? I want to cycle with lr, not a fish. The lfs also told me that fishless cycling isn't really possible. I need A new lfs. Tinia
 
Yes you do need a new LFS if they say fishless cycle isn't possible.

To do a fishless cycle, add in your substrate, LR, and saltwater.

It isn't necessary to run the protein skimmer during the ammonia cycle. Once you have your substrate, LR, and water set up with your pumps/powerheads for circulation, you can begin the cycle.

A common way is to use a piece of raw shrimp. just throw it into the tank and let it "marinate" for about a month. Check your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels. Once ammonia is 0, nitrite 0, and nitrate goes up some, then the tank has been cycled. Now is a time to do a water change and then add your fishy.

SOrry i'm being brief.
got to run.
 
Actually, if you'll drop that piece of raw shrimp in your tank for just three or four days, that is enough to kick-start the cycle. Pull it out and dispose of it, and then just wait for the cycle to finish. This can take as long as 21 days, but usually less. Just test for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. You want the first two to be 0, and the last one should be 20 or less.

A few fish will be okay, if they are small. If you opt for something big that is a messy eater, you may only be able to get one with 50lbs of LR. It would be best if you listed what fish you want to keep.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top