What to look for when buyin LR

zoalover34

zoalover34

Superstar Fish
#1
Jun 5, 2006
1,269
2
0
43
Kent, OH
#1
as you know im getting ready to start a Sw tank and i was wondering if there was anything that i should be looking for when i buy my LR.. is there 1 kind that is better than the next? i found a guy near me selling 25lbs for like 20 bucks he says he had it in his tank for 3 yrs w/ clown fish so there should be pleanty of micro's on them still.. also how much LR do you suggest i put in my tank ( 55 Gal. ) i found a place that sells live sand also for .99 a lb. its supposed to have lots of zoos and pods in it.. do you think 15-20 lbs of sand should be enough? i figure after i get the sand and the LR i will leave it set for a week or so then ill start buying the fish.. what should i get besides shrimp to help keep the tank clean? i really like the fire shrimp and the Camelback Shrimp.. probablly a few Turbo snails? i have well water that shouldn't be a problem right? well thanks for any input you guys have to offer! *thumbsups
 

Dr.Gonzo

Dr.Gonzo

Large Fish
#2
May 21, 2006
287
1
0
43
Omaha Ne
#2
From what I can tell that is a great deal. They suggest 1-1.5 lbs of live rock per gallon. I think sand is like 1-2 lbs per gallon but I'm not sure what that is with live rock, I'm willing to bet 1 per gallon would be fine on the sand if you get at least 1 per gallon on the LR. Get snails for the glass and crabs for the rocks and sand, you'll probably want some conch to dig through the sand too. I'm not sure what kind it is so do some research. Do you have a skimmer? If not you'll want one. I don't know what is in your well water but I wouldn't chance it. What size is your tank?
 

zoalover34

zoalover34

Superstar Fish
#3
Jun 5, 2006
1,269
2
0
43
Kent, OH
#3
55 gallon.. i can't help i have well water lol im not going to go buy 55 1gallon jugs of water!! as for a skimmer i don't think im gonna get one.. ive been reading stuff for a few days now and there are alot of people who don't use them and their tanks are doing fine.. i guess if it boils down to it where i really need to get one then i will but untill that time comes ill just wait! thanks for the info on the poundage to gallon ratio! *thumbsups
 

A

amd

Large Fish
#4
Jun 4, 2006
301
0
0
40
north carolina asheville area
#4
get an r/o machine for like 150 bucks. omg it will make you so f#$$@%# happy u did, holy %$$^% i use well water in a small salty a while back. that #%$ looked like that black tar poop that babys have as newborn theere was soooooo *%^&% much browm diatom and silacate algae all over the place omg it was sooo nasty. im not trying to be a jerk and push ya off your proverbial bike , but if you use well water you might just get run over by the proverbial/literal ditaom algae bus!
 

Lorna

Lorna

Elite Fish
#11
Mar 3, 2005
3,082
4
0
NE Indiana
#11
yeah get one on ebay and what ever you do, do not fill your tank with well water. I have a well and went and got 15 5g water jugs from Culligan to fill my tank. I then go faithfully to the grocery store and fill 2 10g jugs a week for water changes. My dear loving husband decided to throw out our r/o unit when I tore down my fw tank a couple of years ago. Unless you are doing 2lbs/gallon of live rock with a dsb you should really have a skimmer. Get an Aqua Remora and you won't look back. Those people who have tanks that don't skim are doing 15% waterchanges weekly at minimum I would think. You would be better set up saving money and getting the equipment you need now than going in half baked and rushed. Do it right the first time and you will save yourself money and heartache over the long run.
 

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