New Tank Quandry

[Lorna]

Okay here is my quandry

The basics:

75 gallon glass previously used for fw
Aqua C Remora PRo hob skimmer with Mag3 pump
2 SEIO 820 powerheads
Current USA Outer Orbit MH light system

I will initally set this up with 80lbs of live Carib-Sea sand and a few pieces of locally obtained cured live rock of about 15/bs just to get the cylcle going (possibly add the cocktail shrimp method)

once cycled I will order a "package" from Tampa Bay Saltwater *any experiences anyone?* (150 lbs live rock and assorted cleanup crew)

Once this is all set I will then add my very few fishes I plan namely
2 percula clowns
3 bangaii cardinals
3 firefish blennies
1 royal gramma
1 flame angel


These will be added in the order above over the period of a year?

Am I on the right track here, any opinions would be greatly appreciated. I have been reading this forum and others for almost a year now anticipating this venture so input is always needed........and wanted.....

 

[OCCFan023]

yea your plan looks solid. Looks like you got the cycling down, just add the live rock you have and test for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates. the 95 pounds of live rock you have is plenty for a 75, no reason to order another 100+, just order a clean up crew to add to the tank once all the params are in order (I reccomend looking into some sailfert test kits such as phosphate and other common tests, but thats on the side of caution).

The skimmer you have is a greta one and should work extremly well on your tank.

Stockling list looks good but we can go more in deapth on that when the time comes.


Glad to have ya aboard and its awsome to see that youve odne research before you decided to go into the salt realm

 

[Lorna]

Maybe what I will do is rather than order a package from Tampa Bay I should make a journey to Premium Aquatics in Indianapolis as I hear that they are really good there and they have really nice live rock. I could save on the shipping and hand pick my rock that way....I could also pick up a cleaning crew at the same time. Is it possible to keep the cleanup crew in a QT tank while the live rock cycles in the main tank so they are not subjected to wild param swings? Also if I were to purchase say 100 lbs cured live rock how long could I keep it out of water while I transport it home from Indy....

 

[FroggyFox]

usually you transport it wet, or wrapped in soaked newspaper...the rock is shipped to them remember...so it shouldn't be too big a problem driving it home as long as it doesn't get really hot or really cold or dry out.

you could get the cleaning crew at the same time I suppose...but why? I'd just get your LR...let it cycle (dont need any thing to start the cycle except your LR) and then add the cleaning crew. You'll start seeing pods and other cool stuff pop out of the LR and that way you're not in a rush to get the crew into the tank...let it sit for two weeks, a month...however long it takes to get your parameters where they need to be and practice some water changes.

 

[S.Reef]

All looks good.

 

[dbacksrat]

is the Carib-Sea "live" sand bagged? if so, don't even bother...it's just dead sand in water...just get some normally priced dead sand and some good LR and you will have excellent LS in a couple of months

other than that, like everyone says, it's looking good

 

[wayne]

Don't bother with the live sand. Just get clean fine sand from another source. It doesn't actually matter if it's silica or aragonite based - silica won't cause algae blooms, and aragonite will barely afect your buffering.

The main issue round TBS seeded live rock is that it is limestone, like ref rock, but it has been quarried, and at some point it has been fully diageneticised, meaning turned to real rock, and is like old bricks in terms of internal porosity, permeability, so you will ned aa lot , lot more of than you would recently formed fiji rock for example.

Other than that, sounds fine.

 

[Lorna]

Sounds great thanks for your input.

As for getting the cleanup crew later, I just didn't want to make the trip a second time. What type of success has anyone had in mail ordering live stock? I am leary as it is winter and I am not sure I can be there for the delivery and wouldn't want it sitting outside on my doorstep for a few hours. The local LFS here are a bunch of yahoos who really don't know squat or if they do know anything they are unwilling to part with their info in a discussion about the merits of various methods. Their way is the only way they know......cycle with fish, period. No sand bed and buy our rock at 8.99/lb. I have seen better looking rock in my driveway. Okay one other small question in the actual setting up......

set up the stand etc......fill with regular water, check for leaks.......empty and at this point do I add the sand then the water or water then the sand? Also, someone said at the initial set up I could mix the salt in the water in the tank? Can I do this if the sand is already in there?

 

[wayne]

I would mix up the water then add the sand after I'd got the live rock cured out.

Have you done the usual rec. reading - Palettas New Marine Aquarium has a step by step guide - borrow it from the library

 

[Lorna]

no need as I already own it and the Concientious Marine Aquarium. Both are dog eared from reading. I just seem to get conflicting advice from the LFS (who really don't seem to know much or up on new methodology) They are not a source of info I have learned more from forums and other people's hands on experience. Any idea how to find out if there is a local marine club in my area? I suppose the lfs may know......

 

[FroggyFox]

best place someone pointed me to was reef-central. Found my local club there. http://www.reefcentral.com/

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Kind of off the topic... but do you mean firefish gobies? I thought they did best in pairs...

 

[wayne]

One comment around stocking - the bangaii cardinals can be surprisiingly mean between males when they become sexually mature. Don't expect ot keep 2 adult males in a 75. A male and 2 females would be ideal, but they are NOT easy to sex, despite what some say.
You might consider, if you can get them small, like an inch, inch and a half, trying to pair 2 flame angels. At that size both should be female, one will become dominant and become a male

 

[Lorna]

Wayne do the flame angels sex themselves similarily to clownfish? I really like the cardinals though and there is a local store that has captive bred ones that are really small at this point. If I did end up with two males will they fight each other? I had read somewhere that when buying captive tank raised fish that their territorialisms and possesiveness are reduced?

Okay onward, I set up the tank today my question is> do I run the powerheads and skimmer while I wait for the dust to settle so to speak or should I leave everything off until the water clears?

 

[RockingCricket]

No harm in running them now.

 

[wayne]

Centropye are the opposite of clowns - all Centropyge start sex as female, dominnat becomes male. Clowns are all male till one turns female.

Get them small, and see how they get on in QT? As long as they are small you should be able to see how it's going in a day or two, though the final sex change should take some weeks.

This is a good time to point out QT - lets put it this way, if you do get a pair of flames, you really don't want to introduce something with a new fish and killthem do you?