nEW TO SALWATER a FEW QUESTIONS

[Guest RICKY1066]

Hello first off hello to everyone I am from Ny and cannot find a forum there so hopefully you don't mind me being here?

 

I have had a 75 gallon freshwater tank for 4 years and have decided to switch to salt .I got my new nice homes and went to my fish store Adventure Aquarium.They were hel[pful and gave me what I hope I needed

Blue box of salt Natural sea salt mix(oceanic)

Hydrometer

and two bags of live sand

fluval 405 filter

 

I added what the man is th estore said for the salt for 75 gallons 35 cups Well the hydrometer went through the roof and stayed there al night So after two removals of water and adding water i got it to put just about where the red is ok.

 

i then added the two bags of live sand welll it went through the roof again IS THAT OK?

 

I have no choice but to let it filter right now because it is totaly unseable in the water. I do keep hearing the pump make a noise like it is sucking air then then come back on anyone knwo why?

 

 

I guess my first few questions would be is it ok to have the hydro up here after adding the live sand ? or should I drain water again?

it is all the way up

 

second what doI have to do next ?

How long before I add fish?The store said 6 weeks but the live sand bag said right away..

 

Thank you in advance

Rick

[dtfleming]

Next time look at the saltmix to see what the recommended amount is to mix salt. Need to to add some Live Rock. Your tank will go through a cycle process. Get a saltwater test kit also to make sure your water parameters are in check. DO NOT ADD anything yet. You should do some research also on saltwater tanks and the cycling process.

[dhoch]

Rick,

 

Where in NY are you... You can definitly find a couple of clubs up there that will be more than willing to help you out.

 

That being said I think individuals would have had you start a little differently...

 

For future:

1) Mix salt water in 5-10 gallon buckets (get salinity correct)

2) Place the sand in tank (empty other than the sand)

3) Pump/Pour the mixed and tested water into the tank... Using a plate to pour the water on will reduce the cloud of sand

4) Continue to tank is full.

 

From where you are now do 2 things:

 

1) Let things stabelize

2) Ditch the hydrometer (tend to be harder to use and understand temp differential) and get a refractometer

 

Start thinking about what you want to keep... fish only? Corals? (what kind of each).

 

Make the plan and then we can recommend equipment you will need.

 

Also read a lot... ReefCentral.com is a REALLY good place to check out... And if you shout out in the newbie forums there where in NY you are someone will be sure to help.

 

Dave

[dtfleming]

I just noticed that your using Oceanic, 1 cup to 2gal of RO water.

[Guest RICKY1066]

Thanks on the oceanic it says on the boc 1/2 cup for every gallon that is why I used the 35 cups ..I had to tak water out and put water in twice ..I had it just right and then I added the live sand (Carib sea Arag alive Live aragon reef sand .The man in the store said if the numbers on the hydrometer were not in the middle the sand would die .. So after getting the number right I added the sand Well the numbers went through the roof again I just took out about 1/4 water and refilled I will let filter now.. They never mentioned in the store if the number would shoot up after adding sand. So I wasnot sure what to do.

 

I am not sure yet about the live rock I hear they are excellent for keeping tanks but alot of work and could be a pin I am looking into some colorful fish and live plants maybe..Nothing fancy right now I figure I could let it circulate now Even though the numbers are high now after adding sancd shold I let it circualte or keep doing water changes until the number stabilize? or wil lthey do that on their own after a few days

[zotzer]

If you are going to use a swing arm when testing salinity, make sure there are NO bubbles on the arm when you have filled it up with water.

 

First rinse the hydrometer out with fresh water. Dunk it down deep in the saltwater, bring it up, and thwack it with your fingernail to get the bubbles to release. Put the bottom of the hydrometer on a level surface to read it.

 

After you are finished, rinse right away again with fresh/tap water.

 

You don't need to keep emptying your whole tank. Take some out at a time and replace with fresh water until the salinity is correct.

 

You're going to have a hard time finding anyone here to tell you that Live rock is a pain in the neck. It is integral to the success of any reef tank.

 

Tracy

Edited January 13, 2008 by zotzer

[Guest RICKY1066]

Ok please don't think I meant that in an nasty way that is why i am here the store peopel are not as knowledgabel as one might think..

 

When I went to the stor ehe said Oh no you don't want a rock reef setup it will take you 25 years to learn it and can be thousands.

[YBeNormal]

Rick,

 

You are welcome to continue participating in the WAMAS forums and I'm sure people will be more than happy to offer assistance and advice. There are several reef clubs in the NY area though. Check out this link if you'd like to locate a club that is a little closer to you: http://reefcentral.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?forumid=534

[skipperawe]

you should get some live rock in about a week and let that sit for a while before you get anything that moves...

[rsarvis]

I'm not sure why adding live sand would affect your salinity measurement. I do second the suggestion above about making sure there are no tiny bubbles on the swing arm, that will make it swing up quite a bit, so maybe it was an erroneous measurement??

 

Re the refractometer suggestion, although more reliable, they're a little expensive, so I wouldn't rush out and invest money in one to start out with. I still use a hydrometer (i'll prob get excoriated for admitting it, though).

 

As noted by others, be cognizant of the weeks-long cycling process; you'll definitely need testing kits to watch that process to know when the cycling process is complete.

 

Where in NY are you? I get up to NYC fairly frequently (probably be there in a couple weekends); if you're in the city, we could meet up and talk fish.

 

As for what the store told you, re reef set-ups taking years and lots of $$, it does get expensive, but hopefully you can buy stuff used from other hobbyists. It definitely doesn't take years, though, to get to a nice satisfying set-up. I started out in the hobby just about a year ago and I have what I think is a pretty nice system for a newbie. (My plumbing was all done for me, though.)

 

But you do have to take time, several months for set-up, cycling, aquascaping, etc. It's a great hobby, but it takes patience. My cardinal rule: don't do anything with your tank when you have to go to the bathroom!

[YBeNormal]

I still use a hydrometer (i'll prob get excoriated for admitting it, though).

 

What? You still use a hydrometer? Are you kidding?

 

ADMINS: Please reset his post count to 5!

 

[treesprite]

As long as you know that the specific swingarm hydrometer you are using is reading correctly and consistently, there is absolutely nothing wrong with using it. Even refractometers measure off if they aren't calibrated correctly, and all you have to do to calibrate a hydrometer is compare it to something you know is accurate then mark it with a permanent marker if it is off by anything. The one at my job reads up high, so when the arm is at 1.027 I know that the sg is really only 1.0255.

[dbartco]

Welcome to WAMAS! LIke Bob said, ask many questions, here or elsewhere. But if you you find someone in the area, see their tanks in person and ask a lot of questions. The reef community is very helpful and willing to show off their tanks and share the knowledge.

 

Other listing of clubs in the area.

 

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