salt to start?

following many peoples advice on how to set up a tank should i trust the directions on mt salt manufacturers table. what if i mis salt to those guidelines and it isnt correct. will it effect my LR.

I read that i was to add my rock then water then sand. ????

do i need to make sure water is at right gravity first before adding LR.

 

IMO, rock, then sand, then water That is if the water is already mixed though. If it isn't mixed; water, sand, rock. The reason for this is to reduce the amount of sand that gets on the rocks. Make sure to put down some egg crate to keep your rocks off of the glass. If anything, make sure your rock is touching the bottom. Don't have any sand under the rocks (for stability).

I always mix on the conservative side and then add salt as needed. It's a lot easier to add than it is to substract. Being at the right gravity isn't as important than if you had fish and coral, but try to be as close as possible.

 

if i premix, add rock then water. then just dump sand in. dont worry about it collecting on rocks? how to avoid?

 

Keep the sand in the bag, place on bottom and gently and slowly empty the bag. This should keep the sand from blowing around as much.

 

Yep or just use some saran wrap after you put the sand down and then pour the water on top of the plastic. That way you're already aquascaped.

Another smart member suggested that you place a bowl on top of the sand and pour the water in.


Stick with us, we'll show you the ropes

 

Do i need to worry about spreqading the sand around evenly. will it eventually make it around itself. not planning on making one pile but how precise do i need to be.

 

CJ, if you're mixing the salt and water in your tank, you'll probably want to go water, sand, rock. I wouldn't worry about getting the salt mix exact. I put in 1/2 cup for every gallon of instant ocean and ended up with a 1.020 SG or so first shot. So you'll be in a close enough range to add the LR. Just check it with a hydrometer or refractometer and add more salt/ or RO water, depending on where it falls.

If you're mixing the water outside of the tank, I'd put the sand, water, then rock using the bowl technique mentioned above, or saran wrap over the top. This should Ensure minimal settling of the LR once it's in the tank. With air in between the sand that fills with water if you put the LR in first, your pile may shift and topple/fall during the filling process.

I would also wash the sand first from my experience. You can do this by putting it into a pillow case and then using RO/DI water to rinse it. Sand will stay in, dust/silt will come out. I've heard it's not good for the LR to have dust settle on it, if it's already been cured. But, It really can't hurt it that much IMO.

-Hope this helps.

edit: and spread the sand around if you want. No sense in having it look anyway less than how you want it.