# Newbie needs help on new saltwater aquarium



## jimmylam009

Hello guys! I need your help!.

im new to saltwater tank and i just need to ask if you could give me steps on what i should do first. imma list things that i know i need but could you advise me on what i should do first, i know you cant rush on cycling the tank. so what i know i need is.


Tank (Im thinking about using a 55g)
Powerhead ( what brand is good?)
filter ( I have emperor 400 but the fish store told me its a good filter but i was thinking about getting a canister. more quiet)
Protein skimmer ( What brand is good? and what is cheap ? i notice online it cost alot for one)
Light ( im thinking about doing coral and fish, so what kind of light i should look for? )
live sands ( does it have to be anything particular? )
cured rock ( i want to make the rock look like a mountain from down to up. ) 

well this is basically what i think i need. if you could add anymore please help me! 

i was advise that if my water evaporate i should just add RO water. um where do i get that? lol

well honestly that's all i know that i need, could you please add more to what i have to do! your help is very appreciated


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## Reefing Madness

jimmylam009 said:


> Hello guys! I need your help!.
> 
> im new to saltwater tank and i just need to ask if you could give me steps on what i should do first. imma list things that i know i need but could you advise me on what i should do first, i know you cant rush on cycling the tank. so what i know i need is.
> 
> 
> Tank (Im thinking about using a 55g)
> Good starter tank.
> Powerhead ( what brand is good?)
> Hydor Koralia. Or Vortex if you have the $$
> 
> filter ( I have emperor 400 but the fish store told me its a good filter but i was thinking about getting a canister. more quiet)
> Ditch the filter, its not needed. Yoiu could run carbon in it later if need be, but thats all.
> Protein skimmer ( What brand is good? and what is cheap ? i notice online it cost alot for one)
> Reef Octopus, Deltec, E-Shopps, Bubble Magus. Get one rated at twice your water volume.
> 
> Light ( im thinking about doing coral and fish, so what kind of light i should look for? )
> LED if you have the $$. T-5 6 lamp unit if you don't
> 
> live sands ( does it have to be anything particular? )
> Nope, your choice.
> cured rock ( i want to make the rock look like a mountain from down to up. )
> Cured Live ROck will cut your cycle to nothing, maybe a week. You could also use Macro Rock, as this will be cheaper. Up to you.
> well this is basically what i think i need. if you could add anymore please help me!
> 
> i was advise that if my water evaporate i should just add RO water. um where do i get that? lol
> Walmart, or get a RO/DI unit.
> 
> well honestly that's all i know that i need, could you please add more to what i have to do! your help is very appreciated


Your also going to need a Refractometer to measure salt. Dgital thermometer. Powerheads (2) that would add up to at least 1200gph, as Reef tanks require alot of water movement.


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## jimmylam009

first question:
How do i know when my tank is fully cycled?

Second :
wouldn't it be best to use at least a canister?

Third: 
What does carbon do to the salt water tank?


im sorry for all these first time questions lol 

i just dont wanna put fish knowing it will die cause i didnt do it right.
so wanna do it right the first time


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## Reefing Madness

jimmylam009 said:


> first question:
> How do i know when my tank is fully cycled?
> When Ammonia & Nitrites are 0 and your Nitrates are under 40.
> 
> Second :
> wouldn't it be best to use at least a canister?
> Nope. 1-2lbs of Live Rock per gallon. This is your filter, trust me, it does work. I have a 240g tank, no filter.
> 
> Third:
> What does carbon do to the salt water tank?
> About Using Granular Activated Carbon in Saltwater Aquarium Systems - What GAC Is - What It Does - How Much To Use - How Often to Change and More
> 
> 
> im sorry for all these first time questions lol
> 
> i just dont wanna put fish knowing it will die cause i didnt do it right.
> so wanna do it right the first time


Thats why we are here to help. I would not try to get you going in the wrong direction. With the correct amount of Live Rock and a big enough Skimmer, you w'nt go wrong.
What Is Live Rock - Why Is It Used In Saltwater Aquariums?


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## Amphibious

First:
Many people are ill informed about the cycle and therefore give erroneous answers. I suggest you not only continue asking questions but go here - *The Making of a Reef Tank* and read the best explanation of the cycle I’ve ever read. The truth is the cycle is continuous throughout the life of your system. To give a short answer to your first question - When you get consistent readings on your Ammonia and Nitrite test kits of ZERO. You do have the test kits don’t you? If not, get them. DO NOT rely on your LFS to do your testing. This teaches you nothing and allows you to push the blame of failure to someone who doesn’t have a vested interest in your tank. It’s YOUR tank, do what it takes to learn how to maintain it properly.

Second:
NO! OR only as Reefing Madness states, "You could run carbon in it later if need be, but thats all”. This is not a freshwater tank. While the basics are similar there are important differences. Canister filters on SW systems lead to high Nitrates that you do not want.

Third:
Carbon is an excellent way to remove contaminants and improve clarity of water, whether SW or FW. While a good idea, I have not seen a need to run carbon filtration on my aquaculture facility. Frequent and consistent water changes are what I rely on.

Don’t worry about too many questions. We learn best by asking questions and doing follow up research, like the article linked above. There is MUCH to learn and remember we are dealing with living creatures yanked from there home and enclosed in a closet of water in our home. Some are going to die despite our best interests and knowledge level. I’m glad you already are concerned about that issue.

Dick


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## iadubber

subscribed! This thread is going to help me out alot too. I've been starting to lay plans out to get a 75 gallon FOWLR tank setup. 

I seem to get more confused the more I research. I like the clarification on the canister setup vs liverock/sump/skimmer.


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## Amphibious

Thanks. The three most important rules in SW aquarium keeping are: Research, Research, Research. You can’t do enough of it and it never ends. I’ve been in the “hobby” for 65 years! Saltwater exclusively for the last 44 years. I don’t know it all but I’ve done a lot! *I still research!!!*

With that in mind here are two more links. The first to my 135 mixed reef build thread - *Amphibious’ 135 gal Reef Build*. This is bulging with good information on how I do things. I continue to receive very favorable peer reviews.

The other is a short article I wrote - *Nine Simple Rules*. Nine simple rules to buying and keeping your fish and corals healthy and happy. Plus this article ends with the add-on of my concept of a quarantine tank/system. I’ll bet it’s different than anything you’ve heard or read before.

Dick


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## jimmylam009

hello guys thanks for all the good info.

first question:
What are sump?

second :
Is there many different kinds of cured rocks? ( i have seen nice ones and some are just black and ugly..)

third:
what cured rocks are mostly used?


so from what i have been researching ..
all i need is a 
-tank
-skimmer
-2 powerhead 
-cured rocks
-lights
and live sands
so is this all i need to start my cycle on my tank?

im still not sure what is sump.


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## Reefing Madness

Melevsreef.com | Acrylic Sumps & Refugiums
WHat you have down is what you need to start. You still need a Refractometer to measure salinity.
Live ROck has die off if its not fully cured, and that appears black on the rock, unitl it is removed.
Fiji Live Rock
Tonga Live Rock
How To Cure Live Rock in a New Saltwater Aquarium


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## archer772

I wouldnt waste my money on live sand just get dry sand as it will become live soon enough. I will also suggest useing dry rock or just some of the cheaper (bulkier) live rock for your base rock then top it off with some nice fiji or tonga as someone else suggested. When you get your LR do your best to keep it wet and preferably in water to help reduce die off and speed up the cycle because IMO you will still have 4 weeks cycle if everything goes very good. I think a 55 is as small as you want to go on your fist SW and if you can go with a 75 do it because the extra 6 inches of depth makes things easier and much nicer IMO. I will also say this try to think about what you want you tank to look like a year from now and buy the correct equipment the fist time around instead of buying things twice as it will be cheaper doing it once. Amphibious is correct RESEARCH EVERYTHING, ask lots of questions before buying and have lots of Patience because nothing good happens fast.


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## beaslbob

FWIW To me one of the most overlooked yet necessary aspects of any aquarium including reef tanks is the plant life. So I always start a tank with thriving plant life then do the rest.

In a reef tank that usually means a refugium with macro algaes. That will balance out and stabilize operation while providing pods and macros for the fish and corals.

my .02


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## AquaticDigest

jimmylam009 gives some good advice. However, I would suggest avoiding Walmart water as it is much dirtier than RO/DI water. A good lfs will have RO/DI available and can show you a TDS test to prove the purity of their water. RO/DI water is lab grade pure, and it makes a difference.

Good luck

_______________
Aquatic Digest
Aquatic Digest - The Best Reference on the Web for Aquariums and Ponds


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## LegitFish

Reefing Madness said:


> Your also going to need a Refractometer to measure salt. Dgital thermometer. Powerheads (2) that would add up to at least 1200gph, as Reef tanks require alot of water movement.


a Mini-G skimmer would work as well...


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## Reefing Madness

LegitFish said:


> a Mini-G skimmer would work as well...


Second post in thread. ASM in my opinion are not all that good. Not bad mind you, bu tnot great, compared to say the Reef Octopus and Bubble Magus.


•Protein skimmer ( What brand is good? and what is cheap ? i notice online it cost alot for one)
Reef Octopus, Deltec, E-Shopps, Bubble Magus. Get one rated at twice your water volume.


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