Basics setups of Saltwater tanks

Alright IMO this is the basics of saltwater tank setups. REMEMBER THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO DO THIS but after lots of research and doing it the hard way myself this seems to be the most effective way.

1. most people rush things way to fast in this field you need to be PATIENT. first when looking to start find a tank that is the right size for you that you can afford (bigger is better). do research on what you plan to buy and what will be able to be in the same tank. a rule for space is normally 1 inch of fish per 10 gallons of water. so if you plan on 12 large fish or alot of fish you might want to consider a 200 gallon or larger tank.
2. what i did and this varies from person to person is i bought my live sand i also rinsed it very well in water to help get rid of sediments. after the rinse i put it in my tank while empty. from research i found 1 to 2 lbs of sand per gallon is fine.
3. next i added my saltwater which should be between 1.021-1.025 this also varies such as fish only or corals and fish and what not i have heard of it being as high as 1.027 or 1.028.
4. i then added my heater at 76 degrees and my filter and skimmer down the road once i got it. once again i have heard of temps being as high as 82-84 degrees. (my corals and fish all seem to be happy at 76) also remember if you use the heat during the winter or the heat from the summer air tempature the temp will rise!!! keep an eye on that same goes for a/c and temp drop as you play with your heater settings for the tank to adjust.
5. i added my R/O water after i placed a plate to keep the water from directly landing on the sand and stiring it up causing the water to be cloudy. (this helped a bit but not as much as i would have liked)
6. i bought my LR fully cured from someone off craigslist and placed it in my tank after the temp got to where i wanted it. typically you want 1-2lbs per gallon. so example a 40 gallon can have up to 80lbs of LR. (once again this is an opinion if you choose to have more go for it LR will help to act as a filter for the tank as well just remember your fish will need room to swim ).
7. after i did all that i checked all levels on my tank using the API liquid test master reef kit. the ammonia nitrites nitrates ph and hardness. typically once again IMO wait a couple weeks to make sure the rock is fully cured before adding livestock so you dont get a nice little shock of ammonia rise or high nitrites like i did.
8. most lfs will suggest cycle your tank if not already done with live rock and damsels or some type of hardy fish. (IMO DONT DO THIS it is crule to the fish just give it time and things will even out on its own and they are hard as heck to catch after they are in the tank without having to move the liverock).

that is the basics remember be patient dont rush it could take up to 2 months or longer to fully cycle your tank. tap water is not a good source of water to start or even change your water with it contains many chemicals that will or could kill your livestock and corals. use R/O water or distalled water it will pay off in the long run. if you have questions feel free to ask i will answer the best i can if i dont know the answer i will find it!

 

Very nice.

Should assist those just getting started that need some direction.

Good job, fishless cycles I really like that.;D

 

Hey man, great post with some good information, but there are some things I will add to what you have.

Good job though. nice and detailed. I would also add to it that stability is the key . the more stable you can keep all of your levels the better for the tank as a whole. Slow and Steady will win the reef race.

 

thanks for the input i know that rinsing the sand might not have been the best idea but i didnt want my tank to stay cloudy which for the most part worked. also i figured over time the bacteria would regrow so i didnt feel it was much of a loss.

 

If you want a functioning deep sand bed, do not rinse the sand, its the fines that support the most colonizing bacteria. Remember, all good things take time so toughing out the sandstorm is worthwhile if you want a flourishing system.

If you are going to rinse sand, don't waste money on live sand, use dry, otherwise you just kill whatever bacteria the sand contained.