# help! new tank



## jimmylam009 (Dec 14, 2011)

Today im suppose to bring a tank home from someone house but im lagging because im not sure i am suppose to bring over to take over his tank! 

he said he is selling me his tank fully stocked and been cycled. but transporting it is a problem does anyone know what i should do ? 

i was thinking getting some buckets from home depot to carry the water home.. but the tank has been cycled and everything wouldn't i kill the algae;s by emptying the tank

Or could anyone help me on what i should do to transport the tank to my house?
the drive is at least 50 min home..


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## Summer (Oct 3, 2011)

leave the water there, the bacteria doesnt live in it. drain it down to just over the substrate, and make sure the filter media stays wet. Bring it home, fill it up, and you should be good to go.


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## madtyke (Sep 26, 2011)

Make sure you treat the water you fill the tank with


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## SuckMyCichlids (Nov 5, 2011)

fill up some of the buckets with the old tank water to carry your new fish in then dump the rest, it doesnt hold enough of the bacteria to make a difference really, if you want you could put the filter media in one of the buckets with an airstone to help keep the bacteria.


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## jimmylam009 (Dec 14, 2011)

Thanks for you guys help! but this guy sold it to someone else! jerk... oh well imma look for something else. thanks!


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

To be honest I think you may be better off buying a tank without fish. It's not that hard to move a tank that has fish but fully stocked tanks often come with as many problems as fish. If you start from scratch you can choose exactly the fish you want and find out how big they grow and what they are compatible with. That way you get to make your own mistakes instead of spending your life trying to sort out some one else's .


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

madtyke said:


> Make sure you treat the water you fill the tank with


Skimmers hate water treatments. RO/DI water would be best.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Just a side note. Bacteria grows in the sand and the rock, not in the water per say. There isn't enough to worry about. Making up a new batch of water 24hrs before the move would be best, if you can't save all the water. Using totes from Walmart ie. 20g plastic containers with wheels on them is the easiest way to do a tank move, or the 5g bucket move. Your technically not going to have all this stuff in buckets long enough to kill everything. The fish and corals would need the air stones, after you move from one house to the other, before you set the tank up, while they are waiting.


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## SuckMyCichlids (Nov 5, 2011)

snail said:


> To be honest I think you may be better off buying a tank without fish. It's not that hard to move a tank that has fish but fully stocked tanks often come with as many problems as fish. If you start from scratch you can choose exactly the fish you want and find out how big they grow and what they are compatible with. That way you get to make your own mistakes instead of spending your life trying to sort out some one else's .


definetly the best option to do, you have alot more freedom because your not getting someone elses project


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## jimmylam009 (Dec 14, 2011)

What is a air stone and what does it do? I'm deciding on doing my own tank and it seems difficult since knowing me.. I'm impatient lmao! But I'm keep having second thoughts on wether I should make a new tank or buy one that is provided with everything ..


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## jimmylam009 (Dec 14, 2011)

What I was thinking is doing a tank with
powerhead
Live rock 
Live sand 

And let it sit for a couple of weeks.. What else do I need to do please guide me I'm new and it is sad knowing nothing and keep asking lol bare with me please


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## SuckMyCichlids (Nov 5, 2011)

jimmylam009 said:


> What is a air stone and what does it do? I'm deciding on doing my own tank and it seems difficult since knowing me.. I'm impatient lmao! But I'm keep having second thoughts on wether I should make a new tank or buy one that is provided with everything ..


an air stone is a device you hook up using some kind of silicone tubing and an air pump and an air stone, the pump pushes air through the tube and out the air stone making little (or big, depending on the airstone) bubbles come out and add more oxygen to the tank


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Dry Rock, there are a few hitchhickers onLive Rock that people want to stay away from, so they opt for using Dry Rock, or Dead Rock. Macro Rock is a good place to start looking for that. Either way oyu go you will need a minimum of 1lb per gallon.

Replacement filter media like filter floss and activated carbon (if you get a filter)

Multiple Powerheads (2 or 3) 10x your water volume for just a Fish Only With Live Rock, and at least 20x your water volume for a Reef Tank. So lets say your going reef, and you have a 100g tank, you would need flow in that tank at minimum of 2000gph, or 2 1000gph powerheads.

Protein Skimmer, rated at 2 times your water volume

Saltwater Test Kits. Reef Test Kit. Tets for Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, PH, Phosphates, Calcium, ALK and Magnesium.

Saltwater fish food. Mysis Shrimp, Squid, Cyclopease, Algae Sheets, Romaine . Flake food is not really a good food to feed your marine fish.

Aquarium vacuum. This one is iffy. Most don't use one, if you have enough flow in the tank you won’t need one

Rubber kitchen gloves

Fish net

Two, clean, never used before, 5-gallon buckets

Aquarium thermometer, digital being the best.

Brush with plastic bristles (old tooth brush) - needed for cleaning the live rock if you don't get Fully Cured Live Rock.

Power Strip, possibly GFCI outlets by the tank.

Optional but definitely recommend getting a Reverse Osmosis or RO/Deionization filter for the make-up water, and a barrel for storing the water.

Possibly a Quarantine Tank for your new fish. They sit in here for a few weeks to kill off parasites and bacteria, to keep it from getting in your main tank

Heater rated for your size tank.

Saltwater Mix. Marine Salt

Saltwater Hydrometer or even better a Refractometer, which is more accurate

Aquarium filter (not absolutely necessary if running with adequate amounts of live rock, but nice to have if you need to use a mechanical filter or activated carbon, etc.)

Aquarium substrate such as live sand or crushed cora. Some go bare Bottom, others choose the 2-3" bottom, others, more advanced will try the Deep Sand Bed, which is over 6" deep.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

jimmylam009 said:


> What I was thinking is doing a tank with
> powerhead
> Live rock
> Live sand
> ...


If you want the tank to cycle faster, you must use Fully Cured Live Rock. If you don't care how long it takes (4-6weeks), then just use a 5lb piece of Live Rock and the rest Macro Rock.


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## jimmylam009 (Dec 14, 2011)

First question : 
Let's say I don't have the ro filter where could I possibly get ro water? (people tell me walmart but I don't know where ?lol)

Second
How would I recognize the different kinds of live rocks? 

What is macro rock?


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## jimmylam009 (Dec 14, 2011)

Super thanks that was reallly helpful!!! You guys just made my life easier... 

And btw would I need a air pump in my reef tank if I'm going in that direction?


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## SuckMyCichlids (Nov 5, 2011)

jimmylam009 said:


> Super thanks that was reallly helpful!!! You guys just made my life easier...
> 
> And btw would I need a air pump in my reef tank if I'm going in that direction?


i couldnt even begin to tell you what you should do with a salt water tank as i have absolutly no idea lol, im guessing it wouldnt hurt? givin atleast that all the products are saltwater safe..


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## jimmylam009 (Dec 14, 2011)

Since I'm at it.. Could you guys tell me what s protein skimmer does? Does it speed up the cycling process? I was told it helps me but in what way?


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

What Is Protein Skimming, and How Does It Work


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

jimmylam009 said:


> First question :
> Let's say I don't have the ro filter where could I possibly get ro water? (people tell me walmart but I don't know where ?lol)
> 
> Second
> ...


At a Water & Ice place. Or Distilled water at Walmart. 
What Is Live Rock - Why Is It Used In Saltwater Aquariums?
primo deco live rock,live rock n reef
MarcoRocks Aquarium Products


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