# 37g supplies



## fishman81 (Jan 12, 2011)

This is my list of supplies to buy, i have the tank already and stand but that's it.
Anything missing? I'm assuming w/a protein skimmer and a tank this size i wouldn't need a sump/refugium? Let me know if my thinking is wrong, new to salt water.

LIVE ROCK 45 lbs.
PROTEIN SKIMMER
POWERHEADS x 2
SALT
ro/di H20
HEATER
SAND 70 lbs
HYDROMETER


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## Noochy12 (May 27, 2011)

You need test kits, ammonia, phosphates...is it going to be fish only? reef you would calcium, alkalinity. 

You also need lights. Fish only doesn't matter....reef - T5 HO, MH or LED

You could get a HOB protein skimmer and skip the sump on that size.


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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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## fishman81 (Jan 12, 2011)

thanks guys fo rthe info. i will shortly have all of this except a skimmer, Calcium, ALK and Magnesium tests. I just ordered my live rock from livequaria, and have slowly been buying some of this gear. I figure i'll get my cycling started, then go get the rest of the test kits and the skimmer. Live aquaria had a sale on standard rock, way cheaper even with shipping than anyhwere local. They charge like $8/lb for live rock here in bozeman, mt. If i want something fancy it's insanely expensive (like over $20/lb)


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Aw, man. Did not get a chance to throw this in. 
You only need a few lbs of actual Live Rock, the other 2/3 of the Rock can be Base Rock or Macro Rock. Sorry.
MarcoRocks Aquarium Products


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## fishman81 (Jan 12, 2011)

Reefing Madness said:


> Aw, man. Did not get a chance to throw this in.
> You only need a few lbs of actual Live Rock, the other 2/3 of the Rock can be Base Rock or Macro Rock. Sorry.
> MarcoRocks Aquarium Products



I knew that, it's OK, the base rock isn't available at live aquaria or anywhere here locally, unless i used something like lava rock which i hear is controversial. I also have some T5-HO lights forgot to mention, i think in total it's roughly 100 watts, 2 actinic, and 2 10k bulbs. Just bought me a hydrometer and i already have test kits for amonia, nitrates, nitrites, gh/kh. I'm doing FOWLR for now, so do i really need calcium, etc.? I've read it's good to also use a protein skimmer while cycling but haven't read anything convincing me i have to, so i'll probably wait to get it closer to the time i put a fish in it, which will be a little bit yet from what i understand. I'm so stoked though.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Live rock die off is one reason to run a skimmer during a cycle.


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## fishman81 (Jan 12, 2011)

Good point, that does make sense, knowing that i'll spring for a good protein skimmer as soon as i can afford it, will probably be after i start cycling though since i've ordered the live rock already. Any reccomondations for an HOB skimmer for a 37g? 

Just thought of something may be a big deal may not. My 37g was a freshwater tank at one time, i did occasionally use Flourish which has a miniscule amount of Copper in it. I've read copper is bad for Live Rock and Reef tanks, i've of course rinsed and scrubbed the tank with tap water (hot), and the tank has been sitting empty and dry for weeks now. Do i have much to worry about here?


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Coper gets into the glass. Not an easy thing to get out. But, you were not putting copper in whole sale, like in medication style. If in doubt, you can run carbon in you rsystem for a few months, this will leach the copper from the tank, if there is any left.

Skimmer:
Reef Octopus Hang-on-the-Back Skimmer OCT-BH100 - English
SWC Mini HOT Protein Skimmer SWC BH 100F [Mini HOT] - $169.99 : SWC - Salt Water Connection, Protein Skimmers, Calcium Reactors, Filters & Lights
Bubble Magus Skimmers : Bubble Magus Skimmer NAC5E [383] - $159.99

Choice is yours.


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## fishman81 (Jan 12, 2011)

OK i'm going to feel a little better about the copper as i didn't use much flourish and it was quite some time ago and i've already ran plenty of carbon through it when it was freshwater.

Here it is now with saltwater, is my salt dissolved enough for live rock? Salinity is 1.024 measured with a coralife hydrometer (yes i let it soak in the saltwater overnight before trusting it). 








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The black stuff is left over sand from when it was freshwater, it was the little bit i couldn't get out easily.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Water should be mixed and let stand for 24hrs, then I'd throw in the Live Rock. But in this new build, your safe throwing it in there now. Its probably not cured rock.
Let the Hydrometer soak over night? Just make sure you rinse it out really good, those things tend to throw random crazy numbers here and there. Measure with those about 3 times. They should all come out the same.


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## fishman81 (Jan 12, 2011)

i don't know i read somewhere you have to "season the hydrometer and let it soak in saltwater", sounded a little hokey to me too, just don't want to waste $150 on live rock only to have some rocks! Water and salt have been mixed for about 24 hrs. as of now. Might throw in another powerhead to mix it up better.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

It mixes fast enough. You just want to give the gasess time to exchange. IO salt will dissolve almost immediately in the water, that part I would not worrry about. The 24hr thing is for future water changes, thats the time frame you should allow the salt to mix and air out before using it.


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## fishman81 (Jan 12, 2011)

Thanks for all the advice, been on this site a little more lately than i have in a while and been reading about people unsatisfied with getting responses. i can honestly appreciate people spending their time unpaid helping. i have experience with freshwater, but saltwater is like starting over all again. anywhere here's a pic of my 37g saltwater with the live rock curing, just go tit in a few hours ago from live aquaria. temp is at 79 F currently, SG was at 1.025 last i checked. Will add sand closer to time live rock is cured so it's easier to clean up all the organic crap on the bottom, is this a good way to do it, or should i just dump the sand in (it's live sand).


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

You'll want the Live Sand in there now, along with the Live Rock, let them both grow the bacteria at the same time. Seperate them, and you'll end up with mini cycles when you add them.


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