Lights? Live Rock? Need Some Help Please..

Hey, im totally new to the salt water game and i had some questions with the lighting, how bright should i go? I was just going to start of with fish and rock but eventually wanted to keep adding right so should i just start with a dim light? One last thing my tank is 50G so how many pounds of live rock and sand do i need? How long should i filter before adding anything into it (fish)

 

Amount of time it takes for your tank to cycle can very from 2 weeks to a few months, every tank is different. You will need to monitor water parameters to tell where you are in the cycle. You will need a test kit to test for amonia, nitrites, and nitrates. You will see each spike in succession and when they reach 0, your tank is cycled. There are verious ways to "jump start" your cycle-- 1 damsel (probably most popular), raw shrimp, and with just live rock.

That brings us to How much live rock??

Most here on this site will suggest 1-2 pounds per gallon. So between 50 and 100 pounds. This can be very expensive at $5+/pound. So alot of people will go with an initial amount of "live rock" and then the rest in "dead rock" which will become seeded by the live rock.

You will also want 1-2 pounds of sand per gallon depending on the depth of sandbed you want. there are alot of different theories on this from 2-4 inches or some (not many) go with none at all.

There is lots of research on all of these subjects, but you are in the right spot. There are many experts here that will be more than happy to help you out. Don't be afraid to ask questions (even ones you feel are dumb), everyone here is very understanding, respectful, and was once new to this also.


W

 

Forgot lights. If Fish Only With Live Rock (FOWLR) you can go with just about any lights. If you plan on keeping coral in the future, this is were lights will become important. You will need to think ahead carefully on this one because you can spend as little as 100-200 dollars for fish only or upwards of 800-1200 for keeping corals (3-5 watts per gallon or more). Most people suggest only buying lights once to avoid buying lights that you end up using for only a short time, but most people are limited by funds.


W

P.S. Check out the "How to set up a saltwater tank in 6 pages" at the very bottom of the home page and this will get you well on your way.