I am a newbie

[Teeka01]

Hi,
I am totally new to this hobby. My sweet hubby is buying me a 120 gallon aquarium for christmas. As I haven't bought anything yet For the filter I was thinking of going with the wet/dry filter. I was going to get one that is for the 200 gallon tank. I am going to start off with 120 pounds of Marshall Island live rock and live sand. I also want to keep hard and soft coral and a few anemones.

Now for the stuff I am not sure about. What lights are best? I keep my house temp at about 76 degrees. Do you think i will need a chiller? Thank you

[D12monkey]

First off

http://www.smiliegenerator.de/s27/smilies-23998.png

OK now to answer the questions.

I lot of people go with a wet/dry filter for their tanks. So the line of think that you have in that perspective is correct. And the size is good but I prob would like for myself one that could handle a 300 gal tank. Now for the lighting issue: If you want to keep hard corals then I would definately consider Metal Halides (MH) though a little more expensive to set up and run than the other lights out there. I would also run some sort of auxiliary lighting but that's optional. Usually the majority of people running MH bulbs run some sort of actinic color lighting to make the tank more appealling to the eye. For this light I would purchase the new current usa NOVA light it's a T5 that runs extremely cool and put outs more light than a vast majority of lights. As for the chiller you may or may not need it. It depends on how much lighting you and how much heat you have in the tank. The idea water temp would be around 78 degrees. I personally had ran my reef tank in the low 80s where it would reach 84 degrees for a year. I reacently purchased a chilller and have noticed a large difference on the hard corals. So the chiller is really up to you.

[FragOutpost]

Hello Teeka01. Let me start by saying welcome to Frag Outpost! :)

You should really only run a wet/dry filter if you are keeping a fish only tank. The reason for this is that wet/dry filters do a very good job a promoting the growth of the areobic bacteria that produces nitrates. People often refer to wet/dry filters as "nitrate factories" for this reason.

When keeping a hard/soft coral reef you should consider the use of either a sump or a refugium or both, and a powerful oversized protein skimmer instead of a wet/dry filter. When it comes to purchasing equipment, it is best to do as much research as possible so that you do not find yourself needing to upgrade in the future. If you make the right purchases to begin with you can save yourself some headaches later on.

Live rock is an important part of your filtration process too. Living deep within the live rock is anaerobic bacteria which has the ability to process nitrates. Hard corals especially will have a difficult time surviving in a high nitrate environment. You can save yourself some $$$ by purchasing dry base rock to use as the foundation of your rockwork and then placing the nice decorator rock on top. Keep in mind that it will all become "live" rock within due time and within a year you probably will no longer be able to tell what was the dry base rock and what wasn't.

If you are planning to keep hard corals then you will probably need halides. Not to say that you can not grow sps corals without them because I've seen successful sps tanks lit by vho's and T5's. Metal halides will give you the most bang for your buck and the most lumens per watt.

If you do decide to purchase metal halides then your wattage options include:


175 watt single ended
250 watt single ended
250 watt double ended
400 watt single ended
The 250's are a good choice because they will be able to sustain most any high light requirment hard corals and the initial/replacements costs are only a few dollars more than the 175's.

When choosing halides you will have many options when it comes to kelvin rating or color output of the lamp. Most halides designed for reef keeping are rated between 10,000 and 20,000 on the Kelvin rating scale. A basic rule of thumb is that the lower the kelvin rating the whiter/yellower the light output but the higher the PAR. The opposite is true with higher kelvin rating lamps. As a rule of thumb, the higher the kelvin rating the bluer the light output but the PAR becomes lower. In case you are unfamiliar with PAR, it stands for photosynthetically active radiation. This is a basic measurment of the light output that is usable to the photosynthetic process, the process of turning light into nutrients.

If you choose lower kelvin halides then you might want to consider the use of actinics to increase the visual appeal of your tank.

Here are some links for comparison purposes -
http://metricksystem.com/chris/250wcolour/
http://www.cnidarianreef.com/lamps.cfm
http://www.coralreefecosystems.com/ltg_bulb_color.htm
http://www.diyreef.com/lcomp.htm

Other factors to consider when planning a sps reef tank is calcium and alkalinity supplements. You have a wide array of options here.

Are you familiar with the process of cycling a new tank?

I would not worry about a chiller right now. Make your decision about your lighting first and then check your temps. There are many ways to lower your temps without the use of a chiller.


Make sure to have ample air flow within your canopy to exhaust the heat produced by your lights
Increase air flow at the water's surface to increase evaporation
Point a powerhead at the water's surface to create agitation which will increase evaporation
Include a sump in your tank setup. This will increase the water's surface area which will increase evaporation
If you try all of these suggestions and are still battling high temps then you might want to look into a chiller

SPS corals can be difficult to keep, especially for a beginner. Please read as much as possible on the subject before rushing out to buy a bunch of expensive corals. Hard corals can be finicky and require more precise water parameters than soft corals. Patience is a virtue in this hobby. Be sure to take it slow. Start with some easy to keep soft corals and work your way up and make sure to learn as much as you can along the way.

I hope this helps. Please feel free to ask any other questions you might have. Or if you need some links to resources of good reading then I'm sure we can point you in the right direction.

- FragOutpost

[FragOutpost]

Oops. Let me restate my comments about wet/dry filters.
What makes a wet/dry produce high nitrate levels are the bioballs that are usually included with them. Remove the bioballs and you will remove the capacity to process nitrates at such a high level.

[Teeka01]

Thank You so much. You guys or gals have been very helpful. I posted this and more questions on another forum and their advice was bassically do the research. God only knows I have been. I have not bought anything as of yet. But I am starting to get ready to. how big of a sump or a refugium do I need. I would rather have it on the large side then on the small. I tried to set up a saltwater tank many years ago and flopped miserably. I was too young and had no patience. I want to do this right this time so I am going to be real patient. What is the difference between a sump and a refugium?
Teeka

[FragOutpost]

When it comes to a sump I would recommend that you get the largest that you can fit under your stand (if that is indeed where you plan to keep it).

A sump is basically another tank or container of water that is plumbed into your display tank that is used for housing things like your return pump, skimmer, and other hardware. Using a sump will also effectively increase your total water volume as well as the square inches of water surface. A sump is a good place to hide all of the hardware so that it is not cluttering up your tank. A sump is also a good place to store extra live rock for improved filtration.

A refugium is a place where you can grow macroalgae, pods, and other critters that would normally be eaten by the fish in your display tank. This is why it is called a refugium, because it provides a place of refuge for these critters.

[FragOutpost]

Also, many people, including myself, use a cheap rubbermaid container for their sump. I found the perfect size container at Target for like seven dollars.
I chose this route because I had tried various glass aquariums before and always had the problems of it being too tall and was a pia to get the skimmer in and out, or not fitting underneath the stand. The rubbermaid container was a lot faster to implement and much cheaper to buy than building a sump from scratch out of glass or acrylic. Plus when the doors to the stand are closed you can't tell anyways. ;)

[FragOutpost]

Have you decided yet on the types of hard or soft corals you plan to keep?

[D12monkey]

LOL thanks for the indepth answer I was running short on time. Had to leave for work. :D

[Teeka01]

Are far as what type of corals I am planning on getting. The one I know for sure is the bubble coral, I think those are so nice. Right now I am looking at all the different ones.

[FragOutpost]

Well, I've never kept a bubble coral so I can't comment on that but I wish you the best of luck with your new tank. Please post some photos of your progress after you get the tank set up. Thanks.
-FragOutpost

[D12monkey]

My friend has and had kept bubble coral under PC lighting up high on the tank but I have noticed that it has strived better with metal Halides.

[Teeka01]

Hi,
I am looking at this for my skimmer http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_protein_skimmers_aquac_ev.asp?CartId= has anybody heard any feed back about this skimmer. I am looking at getting the 240 model. I am ordering my tank today. Yeah. Thank You

[FragOutpost]

That skimmer should work well for you. It must be used in a sump though, and I do not think that it can be ran externally.

Quote from Marine Depot site
The new EV Series skimmers are designed to run in sumps WITHOUT BEING RAISED. The output gate valve has been increased to a height of 9" (EV-120/180 models), which means that as long as your sump level is 9" or lower you will not need to worry about fluctuations having an impact on skimming consistency. The powerful EV-240 can sit in water as deep as 10".

Just off of the top of my head here are some links to some protein skimmer manufacturers -
http://www.myreefcreations.com/
http://www.deltecusa.us/
http://www.euro-reef.com/index.shtml

[Teeka01]

Hi,
I got to order my tank, stand and canopy today. I ordered a predrilled 120 gallon tank, 24 H X 48 L. I also got the glass top for it. Finally the equipment buying has started. It will be here in about 2 weeks. Now the wait until the next piece can be bought.

[D12monkey]

Great... Getting the ball rolling on this is the toughest... Once you start then it'll all start to move quicker. The wait is always the hardest.

[Teeka01]

As I have been doing my research on how to get the tank set up. I do have a question, do you put the live sand in with uncured rock to get it started or do you put the rock in by it self then once it is cured put the sand in? I have read conflicting reports. I don't want to kill the benefits of live sand.

[D12monkey]

hmm good question. On my 55 gal reef tank that crashed on me about 2 months ago I added the uncured live rock in with the existing live sand (not the cause of the crash). This was done after the crash. I had moved the live rock that was in it to another tank. Well my tank cycled again and when I had enough money to buy another batch of live rock I had to cycle the tank again. Which is why the setup of my tank is tanking so long.

If you truely have live sand and are going to be purchasing uncured live rock then my suggestion to you is to have the live sand in the tank and get yourself some rubbermaid tubs and use an extra pump and an extra cheapy light and put the uncured live rock into it. As long as you have circulation and light then you will be able to cure the live rock.

If you are buying the "live sand" and live rock at the same time then I prob would just place everything in at the same time. As you "live sand" in a bag will also cycle.

[Teeka01]

Thank you. After reading the other thread on the new tank, I have another question. What does cooking the hirock means? How long do you cook it? I was planning on adding about 60-90 pounds of this hirock. I have a few months as I only have the tank so far. the rock can be my next purchase so that it has time to cook.

[Teeka01]

Also to let you know I was planning on 105 pounds of Marshall Island live rock and about 90 pounds of hirock. the live rock is uncured. Another question, how much live sand do I need? Is the live sand in the bags really "alive"? I don't understand how stuff can survive in a sealed bag.

[Teeka01]

Oh what i would give to have my tank set up right now and cycled, Check this out. http://cgi.ebay.com/LIVE-CORAL-DENDROPHYLLIA-SUN-POLYP_W0QQitemZ7723404237QQcategoryZ46308QQssPageN ameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItemI am going to own these one day. How hard are they to keep?

[FragOutpost]

What does cooking the hirock means? How long do you cook it? I was planning on adding about 60-90 pounds of this hirock.
Hello Teeka,
The hirock is dry base rock and will not need to be "cooked". It will just need a good rinsing before it goes into your tank.

Cooking live rock will kill off any undesirables that may be living on the live rock. This process allows you to contol exactly what goes into your tank and limits it to basically the bacteria and the coraline algae, as most everything else will die off. This prevents the die off from happening inside your tank and allows you to effectively remove most organic matter before putting it in your tank.

[FragOutpost]

Another question, how much live sand do I need? Is the live sand in the bags really "alive"? I don't understand how stuff can survive in a sealed bag.
Supposedly the live sand can stay alive for up to a year, according to some of the manufacturers. All bags of live sand should be dated, so the fresher the sand the more alive it will be. Save your money and buy mostly dry sand. It will take a little longer, but in due time all of your sand will be "live". If you know someone who has a healthy established tank then see if you can get a handful of sand from their tank as a seed for your sand. If you can get a handful of sand from a few different healthy established tanks then this will improve the biodiversity in your tank.

[FragOutpost]

Oh what i would give to have my tank set up right now and cycled, Check this out. http://cgi.ebay.com/LIVE-CORAL-DENDROPHYLLIA-SUN-POLYP_W0QQitemZ7723404237QQcategoryZ46308QQssPageN ameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItemI am going to own these one day. How hard are they to keep?
I have never kept sun polyps before, but from what I have read they are dependant on regular feedings instead of being photosynthetic. This coral will probably prefer a shady spot in the tank and will usually extend their polyps at night for feeding. Maybe someone who has experience keeping these will chime in with more advice for keeping these.

[Teeka01]

If I am starting a new tank should I do this or should I start the uncured rock in the tank? If so how long do I cook it? I am sorry to be a pest but I am trying to figure out how I should get everything. Yes I am doing my research.The problem I am finding is that everyone has a different way, I am so new that it just boggs me down. Should I just put the live sand and the live rock in the tank and forget about it for 2-3 months.

[FragOutpost]

If I am starting a new tank should I do this or should I start the uncured rock in the tank? If so how long do I cook it? I am sorry to be a pest but I am trying to figure out how I should get everything. Yes I am doing my research.The problem I am finding is that everyone has a different way, I am so new that it just boggs me down. Should I just put the live sand and the live rock in the tank and forget about it for 2-3 months.
Everyone has their own opinion as to what works best. Here is my experience with uncured rock. -

When I set up my tank I bought uncured live rock that was aquacultured in the Gulf of Mexico. It was teaming with life which I thought was great at the time. It was packed full of undesirables including crabs, urchins, mantis shrimps, algae, etc. The crabs eventually battled it out killing each other until there was only on big one left, which I was finally able to remove. I was always pulling out dead crabs that had been killed by other crabs. I had probably 15-20 small black urchins which kept growing and competing for space and food until most had died and a few grew really big. The mantis were a pain to remove. I had to dig through the rocks numerous times trying to pull them out and then rebuild the rock work. I went through many different algae blooms before the rock finally stabilized. Not to mention the number big fireworms I had killed in the process.
So when these critters died in the tank they would pollute the water increasing the nitrate and phosphate levels, not to mention the number of times I had to rearrange the rocks to manually remove one thing or another.

So I would suggest that you save yourself some headache and cook your rock. You can't be sure exactly what you are putting in your tank with uncured live rock. By cooking the rock you have more control over what goes into your tank, plus the majority of the die off happens outside of the tank.

Either way you choose you can still have a successful tank. You just might have more headaches and aggravation depending on which route you take.

so...To cook your rock you will need a large container of some sort with a lid, a $10 rubbermaid trash can will work well, some fresh saltwater, and a powerhead. Some people will also add a heater to keep the temp slightly elevated.

Fill the trash can with the saltwater and add your rock. Drop in a powerhead and cover it with the lid and let it sit in the dark for 4-6 weeks. Change 50-80% of the water weekly making sure to siphon off the deterous that builds up on the bottom. Make sure to use the powerhead to blow off any decaying material from the rock periodically. After each water change you should notice less and less deterious build up. Letting it sit in the dark will also kill off any undesirable algae along the way. Coraline algae is tough and should survive this process and bouce back when you do add the rock to your tank.

Either way, I wish you the best of luck. Keep us updated on your progress.

[Teeka01]

What a fine morning it is. Today I am suppose to get my tank. Let's hope it is there and waiting when hubby gets off to pick it up. Now the wait starts for the next piece.

[FragOutpost]

Excellent! Let the fun begin!:)
Keep us updated on your progress.

[Teeka01]

Yes, I finally got my stand. It was 3 weeks late getting here. This new hobby already is reminding me about patience. LOL Sometime next week my tank is being drilled for a cls. So I am making progress as slow as it is. Again The hobby is teaching me about patience.

[D12monkey]

Great looks like you will be up and running shortly.

[FragOutpost]

Great! I'm glad to hear that you are one step closer to getting your tank set up. Patience is definitely a virtue in this hobby.

Have you decided on a skimmer and your lighting yet?

[Teeka01]

Pretty much yes
skimmer a Euro Reef CS8-3, it is rate for 175 but i think it will be okay.
for lights that is what I am not 100% about. I need low to moderate. I am on some of Steve Tyree's waiting list. So I need enough light to match his. He said 2x 250 Hqi 14,000 and 2x T5 Acentics would be good. But he has 2x 400 single ended 20,000. would this amount to about the same? Or should I go with 2x250 20,000 and 2X 10,000 T5's?
Thank You
Teeka

[FragOutpost]

Most of the Tyree waiting lists are very looong. What are you on the waiting list for and how long do you have to wait, just out of curiosity?

The 250 watt HQI's should be plenty for pretty much any high light requirement corals you decide to keep. I would go actinic on the supplemental lighting and between 10-15K on the halides. This has a lot to due with personal preference, if you want a really blue tank then you might want to consider 20K's.

[Teeka01]

I am on the list for:
1) Oxypora lacera December 2008
2) Echinopora mammiformis December 2008
3) Favia matthai May 2009
4) Echinophyllia sp. Shu Tin Brick Red April 2010
I know the list are long, but I haven't got my tank set up yet. Plus I want to have the tank at least a year before I start to add the rare coral. After my tank is a year there are a couple of the auction editions that I want. I want to take it slow and learn all that I can before I get my special corals. But I am setting my tank up for them from the start. I will down the road add a calcium reactor. Right now I am just trying to pull my tank together.

[Teeka01]

. You just reinforced what I was leaning towards on the lights. Thank You for the help that you have provided

[Teeka01]

Christmas threw my plans off a bit. I finally got to order my lights last friday. I ordered 2x 250w HQI MH (15,000) 2x 56w T5 Actinic. I am suppose to get my tank drilled soon. Having a hard time getting the guy here. He is very busy. Just wanted to update this. This month I get to order my Chiller. Pacific Coast CL-280 1/10 HP Inline Chiller. Feb will be my skimmer. Then it is down hill from there. The rest will be bought when the taxes comes in. It is taking a while as we are paying for the stuff and not charging it.

[FragOutpost]

Sounds like you will be well on your way to having your tank set up soon.
I think you made a great choice on the lighting. Soon I will be upgrading my vho's to t-5's. I am really impressed with the t-5's when comparing to the lumen output vs. the electricity consumption.

So how long until you actually get to fill the tank with water?

[Teeka01]

Hopefully by the end of Feb or march depending on how long it takse to get the taxes. By the I hope to only need the small stuff, pumps and LR.

[Teeka01]

Well tax time is here. Still waiting on a couple W-2's from the move and having to switch jobs. Since the last time I posted, I ordered my sump. It is a 40L x 19W x 18 H from Reef Mania.

I have:
120 AGA Megaflow
2 x 250watt MH 2 x 56 wat T5 Ancetic
sump/refuge being made (reef mania)

want list for tax:
Pacific Coast CL-280 1/10 HP Inline Chiller
Iwaki MD 100RLT - 2000gph - Japan
EuroReef CS135 Skimmer w/pump
60 lbs base rock from Hirock
live rock
test, meters, and all the rest of the small stuff.

I would say a little over a month and I will be up and Running.

[FragOutpost]

All of the research you did before hand will definitely pay off once you are up and running. Then once your tank is set up the real spending will begin:D

I'll send you some chaeto for your fuge and a frag or two after your tank cycles.

[Teeka01]

Thank You. I want to tell you that you have been a big help. I am so pumped about being this close to beening able to start. I will post some pictures when I get things moving.

[FragOutpost]

I will post some pictures when I get things moving.Great! Can't wait to see the pics.

[D12monkey]

Me too

[FragOutpost]

How is the tank coming along?

[Teeka01]

There has be a couple of problems. First I made a mistake with the tax return and still haven't got it. Then my mother in law passed away on the 20th of feb. My sump came in broke. I still don't have the replacement since I had someone make it for me.

Good news is that I did get my chiller and skimmer. And on March 10th I get to order my pump.

[FragOutpost]

I'm very sorry to hear about your bad luck lately.
Hopefully things will improve for you.

[Teeka01]

Here is a couple pictures of my first sump as Reef Mania was making it. The next one will be just like it.

[D12monkey]

That's a good looking sump... How much did you pay for it?

[Teeka01]

It was 410.00 plus 100. for shipping. Oh and the size is 40 L x 18 W x 18 H

[Teeka01]

I do have a couple questions. I have decided to do what frag suggested when I first started posting. I am going to have 120 pds of base hirock. To this I plan on adding 40 lbs of Marshall live rock. Do you think that is enough live rock? Now for the sand if I have 100- 120 lbs of base sand how much live sand do I need?

[FragOutpost]

All you really need is a seed for your live sand. Your best option is to find a couple of people with well established systems and get a pound or two of sand from them as a seed. The more people the better because this will add to the biodiversity of yout sand bed. In my opinion this is better than buying a bag of live sand that was bagged up months ago. If you must use bagged live sand then just one bag would be enough to get you started.

Here is a good article by Dr. Ron on deep sand bed particle size and the critters that live in them. - http://www.ronshimek.com/Deep%20Sand%20Beds.htm

Since the base rock is essentially a clean, uncolonized surface remember to add plenty of grazers like various snails and crabs to help keep the algae in check until the tank becomes established.

[FragOutpost]

Right now you have 120 lbs of base rock and 40 lbs of live rock. That means 25% of your initial rock is live. I would say the 30-40% live rock is a good ratio to start with. But don't worry, as it will all become live eventually.

[D12monkey]

Only time will turn those base rocks into live rock... It's all part of the cycle that you will go through.

[Teeka01]

Here is a couple of the tank and stand. When we got the stand it was unfinished. My Hubby did the work for me.The Bottum picture is of the door on the canopy that would not corprate with him on the staining. So we decided to do it this way with wall border.

[Peterock]

Very nice i like that look

So how is the tank doing now as they said earlier 30-40% of your rock should be live to help with the bacteria load and all that stuff. When you are ready to put water and sand in your tank what i did is put all the sand in then rock places 6 paper cups of GTG (good to go) sand in each corner of the tank and 2 in the middle those critters will start going nuts over night trying to find a new home. Then take 2-3 medium to large shrimp for the food store and drop them n the tank run some lights for about 3-4 hours and you will be ready to join club of I NEED FISH AND CORALS...........

good luck...

[FragOutpost]

Glad to see that your tank is coming along nicely. Your patience and research should start to pay off soon. :)

[Teeka01]

Thank you guys. I am very pleased that the canopy turned out so well. This was one of those case we got a lemon and made lemonade out of it.

[Teeka01]

Okay, Here's a couple more questions. How Long after the cyclecan I add a bubble coral, frogspawn, and a hammer coral? I got it narrowed down to those and alot of zoos. I found a real pretty pink hammer that I am dieing to get. I know patience but I can still drool. I am thinking about 3 months after I get it started before I even consider getting a coral. I know I should have softies first but I am hoping to be able to sneak at least the hammer in. The others I can wait for if needed

[FragOutpost]

You can start adding livestock as soon as your tank has cycled. When ammonia and nitrites have hit zero start checking your nitrates. I would suggest doing a water change or two at this point to help lower the level of nitrates produced during the cycle. Usually around 6-8 weeks after setting up your tank and adding liverock and sand you should be ready to start adding livestock. It is only recommended that you start with softies because they are generally easier to keep as compared to other corals. Softies are a great starting point to gain a better understanding for keeping corals and softies usually have a larger margin of error than other corals. Really you can start with almost anything, including a frogspawn, zoanthids, etc.

[Teeka01]

I got the Fedex notice. My sump will be here Monday. I am suppose to go to Gainesville to see my daughter and granddaughter. I will be home on Wednesday. Thank goodness hubby will be home.

[Teeka01]

Yes, Just got thru ordering my pump.
PanWorld 250PS-MD100R External Water Pump - 1900gph (http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=PW-250PS&Category_Code=Panworld)

[FragOutpost]

Looks like you are one step closer! :D

[FragOutpost]

Did the sump arrive yet?

[Teeka01]

No the sump will arrive on Monday and the pump will arrive on Wednesday.

[Teeka01]

Hi all, I just got back from Gainesville, My sump arrived perfectlly, Thank goodness. My pump should be here later today. The rest of the good news is the taxes also arrived while I was gone. That means in the morning I get to order everything else I need. The plumbing will be done this weekend. First thing Monday morning I will be ordering the live rock. So in 1 week I will be starting the cycle. I am so pumped everything finally is coming together for me.

[FragOutpost]

Congratulations Teeka!
:wav:

[FragOutpost]

Have you been to Ocean Encounters or AquaTropics in Gainesville?
Anytime I am there I always try to stop in those two stores.

[Teeka01]

Okay now a silly question exactly which test should I order? I want to order all that I need but not the ones I don't.
Thank You Frag.

[FragOutpost]

When first setting up a tank the 3 most important things to test for are Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate. The problem with purchasing Ammonia and Nitrite test kits is that you will most likely not need them again after your tank has cycled. So it is up to you as to whether or not to purchase these tests. Most LFS will test water for Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate for you for free. As soon as Ammonia and Nitrite has hit 0 and Nitrates start to rise then your cycle is nearing the very end. At this point I would do a 10-20% water change and you should be ready to start stocking. This process will take around 4-8 weeks.

After the cycle the important things that you will want to test for are PH, Alkalinity, and Calcium. (Nitrates too if you are having algae issues, phosphates are tricky to test for as there are organic and inorganic phosphates and different tests read differently, but I would not worry about this unless you are overwhelmed with algae)

I don't remember but I think you said you are going to use RO/DI water right? What salt mix are you planning to use?

[Teeka01]

No I haven't benn to either but next time I am in the area I will make sure to stop and check them out.

[Teeka01]

The ph I was planning on getting the pinpoint meter for, would this do? The reason behind the meter is in Aug I plan on adding the calcium reactor,

[FragOutpost]

A PH meter is not completely necessary at this point but if you have the extra money then yes it is a great thing to purchase.

[FragOutpost]

Too bad they don't make affordable alkalinity and calcium monitors, yet. :)

[Teeka01]

Would it take the place of a ph test kit?

[FragOutpost]

Would it take the place of a ph test kit?
Yes. Sorry if my previous post was not clear.

[Teeka01]

Oh I Know I would rather have the meters then all the test kits.

[FragOutpost]

It will be nice when the day comes that all water parameters can be checked and displayed digitally. Color changing test kits can be a pain to read.

[Teeka01]

What is the best kind of salt to use? I know I am playing 100 questions today but I want to get my order together. I am very nervous about this.

[FragOutpost]

What is the best kind of salt to use?

That is all a matter of opinion. If you were to ask 100 different people that question you would probably get 100 different answers.
I have used Coralife which I didn't care for, Instant Ocean which is what I have been using for years, and Tropic Marin which I bought a bucket because someone recommended it to me and said it was great and I wasn't impressed when other people swear by it. I have been thinking about trying the SeaChem salt which has elevated levels of borate to stabilize alkalinity.

Here is an article on "The Composition of Several Synthetic Seawater Mixes (http://web.archive.org/web/20001215070800/http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/aqfm/1999/mar/features/1/default.asp)"

Some people swear by oceanic, but some instability in a few batches a while back has scared off a lot of people, which is one reason I have not tried it. I know someone who has had success mixing Instant Ocean with Oceanic to get the best of both worlds. Certain levels that Instant Ocean are low in Oceanic has plenty of and vice versa.

It is difficult to make a wrong choice in which salt mix to use. Try a few of the major brands and see which one you like best. Sometimes the PetsMart website and Dr. Foster's will have good deals on salt. Just remember that if you order salt online then usually you will have extra shipping surcharges.

[FragOutpost]

I have started a poll here (http://www.fragoutpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=311) to see what salt mix everyone else uses. Maybe the feedback from others will help you make up your mind on which to use.

[Teeka01]

Thank you again!!!
So far this is on the list:

PinPoint ph meter
Test Kits Nitrate, Alkalinity, Calcium
Refractometer
4 Maxijets 1200
Red Sea Wavemaster Pro
120 lbs base rock from Hirock

Then on Monday I plan on ordering 60 lbs marshall live rock
Is there anything I am missing?

So you don't have to look back. What I have is:
120 aga Megaflow
sump
PanWorld 250PS-MD100R External Water Pump - 1900gph (http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=PW-250PS&Category_Code=Panworld)
Euroreef CS135
Pacfic Coast 1/10hp chiller
2 x 250 hqi MH and 2 x T5 54 watt acentics

[FragOutpost]

Did you decide on refugium lighting?
So far the list looks good. At the moment I can't think of anything you are missing. What about RO/DI?

[Teeka01]

Yes I have a ro/di system on the whole house. That reminds me I need a tds meter. ( think that is the right name). Light for the refuge will probaly be got at home depot not sure which yet. I will probaly be going either sat. morning or friday night after hubby gets off.

[FragOutpost]

TDS - Stands for Total Dissolved Solids

If you are going to home depot be sure to check out the LOA (Lights Of America) 65 watt floodlight. It is a popular choice for refugiums. Some people have reported problems with a few of the fixtures but Home Depot is good about exchanges if there is a problem.

http://www.lightsofamerica.com/floods.htm

[Teeka01]

We are going to check that light out. Thank You.

[Teeka01]

I am going to start a build thread. This thread is already long with all my questions. I am sure I will have alot more to add to this thread.

[FragOutpost]

Excellent Teeka! I look forward to your new build thread! :)

[Teeka01]

I did get that LOA light Frome Home Depot. I sure hope it is one of the working ones as it was the last one.

[FragOutpost]

You will probably not have any problems but be sure to keep your receipt and packaging for a little while just in case.

[Teeka01]

Do you ever feel like things are going against you? I do at this point. As my husband was doing the plumbing he noticed the end case of the pump has a major crack in it. The store isn't opened until Monday. I just got the pump on Wednesday, So I am hoping they don't give me any problems taking it back and giving me another,

[FragOutpost]

Do you ever feel like things are going against you? I do at this point. As my husband was doing the plumbing he noticed the end case of the pump has a major crack in it. The store isn't opened until Monday. I just got the pump on Wednesday, So I am hoping they don't give me any problems taking it back and giving me another,

I have those type of days all of the time! :)
I hope that they take the pump back. Did you purchase it from a large chain store or a LFS?

[FragOutpost]

Doh! You got it from premium aquatics right? I would think that they would take it back.

[Teeka01]

Yeap that is where I got it and most of my other equipment.

[FragOutpost]

Just give them a call and explain how you just opened the box and found that it was cracked. I don't think you will have any problems other than the inconvenience of having to ship that one back and wait for a new one.

Let us know how their customer service handles this one.

[Teeka01]

I was looking so forward to it being set up this weekend. First the sump, now the pump, this is the bad thing about ordering thru the mail. But I took the chance instead of paying double the prices as it is in this area.

[FragOutpost]

I was looking so forward to it being set up this weekend. First the sump, now the pump, this is the bad thing about ordering thru the mail. But I took the chance instead of paying double the prices as it is in this area.

Yeah that is the downside to ordering online. Hopefully you will have no problems getting the situation corrected though. Good luck. :)

[Teeka01]

Okay I just got off the phone with customer service. They would of taken it back, which would of taken 2 weeks with round trip UPS. We had plug the pump in a very quick second to see if it worked. It did. So whaat we agreed on was that he would send another cap out today to replace that one and I will be back in business by this weekend when hubby can finish the plumbing.

[FragOutpost]

That's cool that they provided you with a quick solution to the problem and did not try to hassle you about it. Thumbs up for PA. :)

[Teeka01]

I was very impressed with how this was handled. I am so glad that I bought 3/4 of my stuff from them. At least I know they liked my business. Hey Frag, How about a forum for post our reviews on the different online vendors we deal with? There is nothin better then word of mouth.

[FragOutpost]

Thanks for the suggestion Teeka. The Vendor Feedback forum has been created. :)

[Teeka01]

Thank you and I was the first to use it.:) :D

[Teeka01]

I have to tell you about something that happened last night. Up until last night the tank was always my tank. Well to my delight the tank has become "our tank". With each shipment, each project I asked him to help with my husband interest in the tank has increased. But to my surprise my hubby wants to be in this hobby too. This is so cool. I have red many place where people have problems with their SO is not supportive. He is studying up on things now too.

[FragOutpost]

It is great when you can share something like this with your significant other and it definitely relieves a lot of pressure when it comes to purchasing for the tank and worring about the significant other being upset at the cost. My soon to be wife will sometimes spend more than me at the LFS but I still can't get her to clean the glass or change any water. :) Maybe someday! :D