Set up Questions

Okay so here is what I have done so far:

set up 75g tank filled it with r/o water and appropriate amount of salt. Once 2/3 full put in 90 lbs of fine Carib-Sea aragonite reef sand. Needless to say it was one cloudy mess of water. Started both SEIO 820 powerheads place in the corners directing the flow to mid front center. SEt up Aqua Remora Pro protein skimmer and ran all this together for 2 days. I set the heater to heat the water to 78. Today measured the sg and it was 1.023 ...temp steady. The water remains very cloudy but is gradually clearing. I turned off the pumps and the skimmer........hoping this will help settle the sandstorm in my expensive glass box of water. I added two cocktal shrimp to the stew and I have left the pumps etc off. Should these be turned on? When should I start looking for ammonia? I am prepared and know that it will take a while to get this all settled down but at this point I am curious.......

 

The sand will settle down with time. You can run a filter to help clear it faster. It will also help to stop the powerheads, as this will not let the sand settle and the cloudiness will last longer.

As for the ammonia, get yourself a test kit and test it every 3 days until it reaches 0, once the amm and nitrite is 0, your good to go on fish. It will also help to add LR to the tank already if you haven't already done so. It will take atleast some weeks with additives to get things going. I recommend Tropical Science NitroMax.

 

thanks for the input.......I did turn off all but one powerhead *some circulation to maintain level heat etc.... but everything else is off. I will head out and purchase some live rock and sand, then a huge bucket to make water for water changes....thanks again....

 

Adnuces,
Sounds like your on the right track. Live rock would defiantly help. As the shrimp are now producing ammonia and you have nothing to eat it. Those things come in the LR.

It is always nicer to be able to see were you place the rock so odds are by the time you get some LR the sand will have settled. I would pull out the shrimp for now. Get your LR and clean it well, then place it in your tank and add new shrimp.
I've always run all my pumps during the sand settling process this way the sand settles as per the pumps and there are no new sand storms when I finally do turn on the pumps

Keep us posted
J

 

Jason thanks for the input. I see you are from Vancouver,.....that is funny as I am now in Indiana relocated from Vancouver Island.......it is a small world indeed

 

So were abouts on the Island are you from?

J

 

I lived in Port Alberni for 25 years before pulling up stakes and moving to Fort Wayne Indiana....only about 3000 miles east. I still have a lot of family in Vancouver and in BCin general......I try to get back at least once a year as it is still my home