# newbie ? lighting and old live rock ? and sand cloud ???



## marmstrong2009 (Jan 4, 2012)

well I attempted a 5 gallon nano aquarium a few years ago. With great success but lost my job and then the coralline algae took over my tank and as I tried scraping it off the acrylic scratched. along with all the bristle worms took over . Well I guess my questions are I setup a new 29 gallon tank marine land filter emperor 280 hang on with extra carbon cartridge. Don’t think they even make this filter anymore it’s like over a decade old. Well going to try deep sand bed so have 4 inches of sugar fine sand with 1\8 inch small shell layer on top of bio active pack. protein skimmer on order will be here in 2 days. Added prepared saltwater and fired everything off 3 mollies and a crab wow what a sand cloud well now I can see in the aquarium but glass has a film on it of sand any suggestions there??

Temp 80 Deg F salinity and all other parameters in check. 
Guess my questions are about lighting looking at the zoomed aqua sun T5 HO fixture any thoughts on it? Thinking 10 K and an antic any thoughts there as well?
and the old live rock I have well now dead rock now I assume has a green color to it assuming algae how do I get that off and should I add like 29 lbs live rock to the aquarium as well in addition to the old rock or should I just toss the old and start over? I probably have 10 lbs of old rock.
:fish-in-bowl:


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## Scottyb442 (Dec 30, 2011)

I had the same issue with mine last week. i just wiped it down with my hand. looks great now


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## marmstrong2009 (Jan 4, 2012)

actually just tried that just now and poof all white again lol maby it will settle or filter out


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

marmstrong2009 said:


> well I attempted a 5 gallon nano aquarium a few years ago. With great success but lost my job and then the coralline algae took over my tank and as I tried scraping it off the acrylic scratched. along with all the bristle worms took over . Well I guess my questions are I setup a new 29 gallon tank marine land filter emperor 280 hang on with extra carbon cartridge. Don’t think they even make this filter anymore it’s like over a decade old. Well going to try deep sand bed so have 4 inches of sugar fine sand with 1\8 inch small shell layer on top of bio active pack. protein skimmer on order will be here in 2 days. Added prepared saltwater and fired everything off 3 mollies and a crab wow what a sand cloud well now I can see in the aquarium but glass has a film on it of sand any suggestions there??
> 
> Temp 80 Deg F salinity and all other parameters in check.
> Guess my questions are about lighting looking at the zoomed aqua sun T5 HO fixture any thoughts on it? Thinking 10 K and an antic any thoughts there as well?
> ...


Just using the 280 as water mover also? SHould use a powerhead inthe tank besides that. The sand will settle. Scrub off the dry rock you have, you can use that, its perfectly fine and 29lbs would be ok to start, should put in 1.5lbs per gallon. Choice of lighting is also good. So, you just started this tank, and added an invert and a fish, without the tank being cycled?


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## marmstrong2009 (Jan 4, 2012)

that is correct added bio active sand that was suposta cary live nitrifiers and such in the sand and my local peco said to add the mollys until it cycled in a few weeks then add live rock and slowly add to tank inhabitants giving tank time to adapt in between additions will i be able to have hard corals in that tank with a 10k bulb and an antic bulb or will i need to add higher spectrum or higher in watts it is 2 24w bulbs in the fixture


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## tut_blimey (Jan 4, 2012)

wait a couple of days so the filter can sort it out?


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Live Rock - About Live Rock - Cycling, Buying, Grades, Curing, aquascaping live rock
Water Changes in the Cycling Aquarium - The First Tank Guide - Don't Water Changes Keep the Biological Filter from Maturing?
You need to add all the Live Rock and Sand to the tank during the cycle, once cycled these hold the bilogicals that filter your water, thats why you don't need a filter. Powerheads move the water over these, and keep dead spots out of the tank. You should not add anything to a cycling tank, Ammonia will kill inverts and fish alike. Corals should not be added for at least 3 months.


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