Red Sea Max 130d / Newbie coral advice...

I have sand that is about 1.5 inches deep. What do you mean by "Bin it"? Get new sand? Could you explain the benefits of getting new sand as opposed to keeping the old sand please? Thanks for your quick replies, I really appreciate it!

 

Bin it is UK slang for throwing it away
sorry dirtyroastbeef for not being clear

sand beds that are established can contain all sorts of nasties that you dont want to stir up and release into the water column

in your case its a shallow sand bed and not very old so many might suggest that a quick rinse and your good to go

Steve

 

the rsm 130 doesnt have the option to have the antincs come on first. the bulbs are 50/50's and both are on the same circuit.

 

Thanks for all the replies everyone, I really appreciate it. Once I have the tank up and running should I run the lights even though I dont have any corals yet? I read that having the lights on would be beneficial to growing Coralline. Thoughts?

 

if your transferring stock from an old tank to a new tank, then running the same lighting scheme as you did before in terms of timing is a good idea IMO

its only when you set up a brand new tank, with uncured live rock that running lights out is often a good idea ( high nutrients while tank cycles, and algae spores on the new live rock , combined with lighting can = problem algae plagues)

but with your existing cured rock, then I dont believe you need to worry about lighting issues provided your on top with your nutrient export/ managing

Steve

 

Ok, I have the new tank all set up and switched my LR and fish over. Do I need to wait before adding coral or am I good to go?

 

I would test the water for at least a couple of weeks to confirm that the transfer went OK and your not going to get any ammonia or nitrite spikes as a result of the move

if you test these 2 for a couple of weeks and both remain at 0
and that your nitrates are staying below 20ppm - then thats the time to try one of the easier coral species and see how it adapts to your set up

Steve