im new & need help plz

im new to all this process & have killed some of my live sand already (not cheap)... any ways i started a 55 gal saltwater tank... i first put my live sand in.. (didn't rinse, didn't want to kill.) yeah then i added sum water with mixed old moist salt(didn't test salinity) & dumped it in... oops :-[... that cause me to be extremely cloudy & a bunch of foam... well then without talking to any one i decided it was all jacked up & i needed to get rid of the water & start over...oops :-[... so i took out water & filled with tap water..(that's all Ive used) (filter wrapped on the end) no salt @ all... that's when i found out i killed the sand... well now i have added 8 cups of salt to it & it was cloudy & has cleared up a lot....i have a SKILTER 400 (will permanently use) & PENGUIN 330 (temporary for water circulation) on the back of tank to circulate... i also have two little pumps on the corners helping to circulate water...
Now for the questions....
How many cups of salt for a 55 gallon tank? (i did 8) (heard 12) is that why its still cloudy (not as cloudy) & not reading salinity? why do i have salt stuck on everything inside my tank? (filter tubes,heater,little pumps, & all glass) Is that normal during this process? I know not ideal to do this way but i heard i can still save what i got going now... help plz... thank you....;D

 

Well it is perfectly normal for your tank to be extremely cloudy when first filled and the foam was normal. You will also see some residues forming on pumps and powerheads. You really have to slow down a little and don't panic so much. In this hobby nothing good happens fast. It is normal for it to take days for a tank to completely clear up on startup. You will want to get yourself a good refractometer to measure salinity but a hydrometer will work for now. Because you added freshwater to the LS it is now dead sand. This will mean your tank will take longer to cycle.The ammount of salt you will need depends on the brand you are using. It should be written on the packaging how much you will need to add.If not let us know what brand you are using and we can help you out.Welcome to 3reef!!

 

Welcome to 3reef.

You need not worry about killing the live sand, " Live Sand" is mostly just a gimmick unless you directly take it from one established tank and put in another.

You first need a hydrometer, better yet a refractometer, but a hydrometer will get you started.

Not uncommon for tanks to stay cloudy for a number of days once sand and salt are mixed within the tank.

My salt mixes usually say 1/2 cup of salt per gallon of water, but I do not know what salt mix you are using.

First and foremost get something to measure the specific gravity (SG).

 

Thank you for the greetings... it is awesome to have people like u guys @ 3reef...
Thank you for quick responses...

i figured i was getting a little ahead of my self but i wanted to explain it all, so everyone understood from start to now...

I'm using instant ocean salt..with 55 gallon tank...
Is SKILTER 400 fine for what i got or do i need diff equip.. have live rock & more live sand I'm going to put in as soon as salinity was right...

So residue on pumps & stuff is normal & looks like salt? just didn't want salt not dissolving... or having to start over...thanks again to all

 

Yes residue to glass and pumps is normal.

I have had Skilters and loved them. They take a while to break in but for the price I find them to be pretty efficient compared to higher priced HOB skimmers.

 

Heres a good link to Instant Oceans website. I don't use that brand so am unsure on how much salt you will need. Make sure when mixing the salt you do it slowly and make sure you have good circulation to help dissolve it.Also after adding livestock you never want to mix salt inside the tank. Always use a seperate container with a pump or PH to mix and aerate it before adding it to the tank.Good luck and feel free to ask. There is no such thing as a dumb question here as we have all been there.The fact that you found this site leads me to believe that you are on your way to becoming a successful reefer.Lots of friendly knowledgable people here always willing to help.

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OK so i don't know if my math is right... it says 1/2 cup per 1 gallon... so that's 1 cup per 2 gallons??

so that means 27 1/2 cups per 55 gallons??? wow...
if so no wonder i don't read any salinity...lol..

 

IO is 1/2 cup per gallon (it's what we used to use).
Depending on your bioload, the skilter may or may not work well on a 55. If you have a lot of livestock you're going to want something better (I also used to use skilters LOL).

 

Like vinnyboombatz said you can never panic in this hobby because can and will go wrong.

Considering you had just established the tank you could have asked around and do some research nothing was going to die because of the turbidity and foam.

This hobby requires research and time nothing comes quick.

First off you need to get a hydrometer and measure your salinity as you add the salt mixture your using.

 

Are you mixing your salt directly in your tank?