# my new salt water tank



## piranha_guy_dan (Oct 4, 2004)

I am just starting my very first salt water tank. 
65 gallon tall tank 
lighting is orbit 2x96watt lights including lunar lights. retails for $479.99CDN i paid $125CDN 
filter for now is an AC500. 
2 powerheads, an aquaclear 802 and also an aqua clear 30. 
200 watt submersible heater

i am cycling the salt (Red Sea) into the water as we speak and will be adding sand in about an hour. 40lbs of live sand Caribsea. 
tomorrow i am going to be getting some live rock from an importer friend of mine bringing in 3000lbs of haiti live rock.

I dont have a protien skimmer yet and am looking into an RO unit for water top ups/changes

I cant wait until i get the rock because im meeting him at the airport and its still in boxes and will probably come with some living things on the rock (hitchhikers) and maybe some featherdusters etc.

I will take pics of my progress as i go

Dan


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## Inflade (Mar 24, 2006)

Good luck man, Before you know it you will be getting in a 125 gallon Starting up.

Post pics and keep us up to date./


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## piranha_guy_dan (Oct 4, 2004)

just added the live sand................... what a f*cking mess!!!!!!

although there is quite a few little coral and shell pieces.

my tank is set up in my kitchen and my kitchen is seperated by my sunk in living room and the tank is right along the railing so i can see it from both rooms and i am leaving the tank see thru althought i made a thin wooden background painted black that i can put up for a few pics and then take back down lol

man i cant wait to get that live rock!!!!!!!!!


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## thePACK (Jan 3, 2003)

you need that rock to die out some what...if not you tank and house will smell like sulfur.when live rocks arrives straight from dealers its rip and fresh.. lfs give it a period ..usually a couple of weeks to sit for certain organisms to die out..during this period the rock..*STINKS*..becareful on what ya pick..and search for bristleworms..

btw-what kind of tank are you setting up fish or coral????

if fish only go with instant ocean...no need to waste on expensive salts when not needed..


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## piranha_guy_dan (Oct 4, 2004)

for the start its gonna be just fish but later in a few months might try some easy corals.

the salt i have used to red sea.


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## piranha_guy_dan (Oct 4, 2004)

here is my step by step pics of my tank

adding and mixing the salt








adding the sand 








starting to clear up







with 1 AC500








added a second AC500 and 24 hours after adding the sand its crystal clear


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## welsher7 (Jul 29, 2005)

Looks good I love that size tank. What are you going to run in the AC110s? Have you thought about making them fuge?


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## piranha_guy_dan (Oct 4, 2004)

welsher7 said:


> Looks good I love that size tank. What are you going to run in the AC110s? Have you thought about making them fuge?


i have no idea what that is or how. im gonna run only 1 on the tank im just running 2 to make the tank clear from all of the sand


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## welsher7 (Jul 29, 2005)

a refuge is what i meant. Its place to export nutirents from the main tank usually using macro algea. running power filters and canisters with bio media on sw tanks usually will lead to very high nitrate levels. there is a really cool DIY to make the AC110 in to a HOB refuge. let me see if i can dig it up. found it http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...21&hl=ac500


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## jasert39 (May 1, 2003)

good advice welsher, you could eventually run into some issues in the future running filters (nitrates and algea for example), and changing your filter over to a refugium will actually help absorb some of the excess nutrient in your tank. In saltwater tanks the flow through your live rock is actually your best filter. I saw on the other thread that you are getting about eighty pounds of live rock, thats great! Just make sure you have plently of flow around them to keep you water clear and free of nutrients that can cause algea.

Are you planning on running a protien skimmer? Might at least want to consider it, there are some nice hang on back (HOB) skimmes available that you can keep your eye out for in for sale thread and get a nice one used at a good price. Once you see what skimmers pull from your tank I think you will never consider running a tank without one.

Great start! keep us updated, and remember PATIENCE is very important in SW, adding things slowly believe me i knwo how tempting it is to start adding beautiful fish but just leads to problems.


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## piranha_guy_dan (Oct 4, 2004)

im picking up a aqua c remora skimmer tonight for $100 and 30lbs of base rock since i cannot find any live rock being sold from peoples tanks just yet. but i will add it to the base rock once i get

the skimmer has a maxijet 1200 pump on it but i will later convert it to a mag 3 or 5 to make it a more efficient skimmer.

i think i might try that refuge DIY idea. but i would like maybe some more advice as to what goes in it? ive got the AC500 already and can easily make what was shown in the link i just need to know what the use of it is for and also what to put in it.

thanks everyone for your helpful tips. anyway to save a buck right now is a good thing LOL

Dan


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## jasert39 (May 1, 2003)

As far as the refugium goes, people put a macroalgea (generally cheatomorpha) in there and a small light on top of it. The macroalgea with absorb some of the excess nutreinents that are present in your tank that could or would otherwise cause some sort of algea in your display.

Just as a disclaimer, i dont think it will ever eliminate all that algea that could happen in a marine aquarium, just reduce the chances. Post some pictures when you get are to modding the filter, im intrested in seeing how it turns out.


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## CorGravey (Feb 13, 2007)

Looking good PGD. I wish i knew more about sw setuo so i could give you advice, but im trying to learn something too.


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## piranha_guy_dan (Oct 4, 2004)

i didnt get any LIVE rock yet but i did get some base rock which is basically live rock that has died. this rock was live 2 weeks ago until the guy i bought it from took it out of his tank. i paid $1 per lbs and bought 30-35lbs for $30. this rock will come back to life once it is seeded with bacteria again from the LIVE rock i am going to be adding.

im adding 50lbs of live sometime this week that i am getting from someone for $215 and this live rock has been in the guys tank for about 10 years!!!!!!!!!

no living creatures will dawn this tank until i get back from my 3 week vacation which i am leaving saturday july 21. so at least by the time i get back i am hoping the tank will be cycled.

i am also going to be making a DIY refuge out of my AC500 filter.

here are some quick pics of the baserock i got so far


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## jasert39 (May 1, 2003)

nice looking rock and a perfectly schedule vacation, is someone going to be around to topoff while you are away?


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## piranha_guy_dan (Oct 4, 2004)

jasert39 said:


> nice looking rock and a perfectly schedule vacation, is someone going to be around to topoff while you are away?


yeah my parents will be here. im gonna hook up the skimmer once i add the live rock

i heard a rumor abouyt putting apiece of shrimp or 2 in the tank so that the bacteria on the rock have something to feed on and produce alot faster and help seed the base rock even faster.

any opinions on this???


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## jasert39 (May 1, 2003)

i did the shrimp thing on my first tank, might have worked, might have not hard to tell. Since you have the time it wouldnt hurt.


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## welsher7 (Jul 29, 2005)

its just like cycling a fw tank. you can put the shrimp in until you see the ammonia spike then remove it. the base rock looks good. You are going to have a nice tank setup.


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## piranha_guy_dan (Oct 4, 2004)

thanks a ton guys!!!! i really hope it turns out good. what do you suggest for a filter? i dont want to drill the tank so thats not an option.

do i need one or no? im going to be making a DIY refuge out of my AC500........ will that do anything filter wise still?

i will have 80lbs of rock that will act as a filter good enough???


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## welsher7 (Jul 29, 2005)

your rock and protien skimmer will be your filter. As long as you have good water movement around the rock you will be ok.


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## piranha_guy_dan (Oct 4, 2004)

thanks for the advice!!!!!! i have 1 AC802 powerhead running and also an ac30 but im gonna add another 802.


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## piranha_guy_dan (Oct 4, 2004)

OUCH

i just did my total cost so far and MAN its costly but im buying alot of my stuff used.

my totals are

live Sand $69.99 plus tax 
Stand $50 
paint to redo the stand $15 
AC 802 power head FREE 
Tank $99.99 plus tax 
orbit PC light retails for $479.99 plus tax paid $130 
AC500 filter turned into Refugium $65 
AC30 powerhead (already owned) 
aqua C remora protein skimmer with maxijet 1200 (used) $100 
30-35lbs of Base rock $30 
powerbar (2) $7 for both on sale 
heater (already had one) 
hydrometre $9.99 plus tax 
2 bags of red sea salt $33.98 plus tax 
live rock 50lbs $235

grand total so FAR without any taxes nor any living fish or corals or crustaceans

$845.95 OUCH i didnt realize i have spent that much GOD DAMN!!!!!!!!!!


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## welsher7 (Jul 29, 2005)

its expensive, but I would add a hydor koralia 3 or 4 instead of an AC802. the flow is much more widespread, moves more water and uses less energy.


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## piranha_guy_dan (Oct 4, 2004)

i will look into a used one and put it on my to do list but for now ive spent enough and it can wait, thanks for the future reference tho


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## jasert39 (May 1, 2003)

right on welsher


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## snakehead rock (Mar 26, 2006)

Iv been thinking of setting up a small 2.5 gal for coral and some shrimp soon. I would do something bigger but as you pointed out its way to expensive. Anyway man your tank is looking awesome keep up updated. Any ideas on the fish you will be putting in their?


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## piranha_guy_dan (Oct 4, 2004)

as for the fish the usual clown fish for my g.f and mom to enjoy and my aunt also wants to buy one to have in my tank lol probably also a coral beauty and a couple gobies and some shrimp and crabs


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## piranha_guy_dan (Oct 4, 2004)

here is some new pics with the live rock in.

i have found lots of feather dusters and anemone type things. so have 1 hermit crab, 1 snail type slug thing,1 weird black and white shelled snail and a few bristle worms have peeked out.

the rock i added is apparently 10 years old in the guys tank.


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## stevedave (Apr 1, 2007)

I'm loving watching this tank take shape. Keep up the good work man.


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## welsher7 (Jul 29, 2005)

rock looks great, but becareful with those anemones they might be apistas. looks good though.


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## jasert39 (May 1, 2003)

beat me to it, mights want to looking into removing those apastia they can over run your tank if not taken care sooner rather than later. Otherwise looks great! Thanks for updating.


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## piranha_guy_dan (Oct 4, 2004)

whats so bad about them???? they look neat to me and adds some life to the tank.

should i work on trying to get rid of the bristle worms also if i want to do corals later on?


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## welsher7 (Jul 29, 2005)

the bristle worm is fine just watch where you grab things. Those bristles hurt. the apistas will cover the all the rock, and not allow other things to grow on the rock.


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## jasert39 (May 1, 2003)

bristleworms wont hurt your corals, those pest anemome cant sting and cause stress to corals that are around them.


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## piranha_guy_dan (Oct 4, 2004)

im gonna try the needle filled with lemon juice injections to kill the aptasia


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## welsher7 (Jul 29, 2005)

since you posted today I guess you are back. Now post an update.


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## piranha_guy_dan (Oct 4, 2004)

well while i was gone i had a nitrate spike and brown algae took over so my panrents called a friend of mine and he helped them through it. i brought back about 40 or so hermit crabs and 1 green crab and added them to the tank, a few hermits have either died off or been killed but im not sure who the culprit is............ weather its killing eachother or its the green crab OR some weird ass white crab i discovered hiding in the rocks one day.

im hesitant to add fish yet but i will probably add some clowns to start shortly. i really want to get some kind of coral or something but know im still a ways off of that.

that red plant thingy in the pic just below the bristle worm pic has some new shoots blooming or almost like leaves starting. i still need to deal with the aptasia problem tho


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## jasert39 (May 1, 2003)

anything "weird ass" you might want to be weary of, try to get it out of these, probably isnt doing you any good anyway.

sounds like a pretty normal cycle, you tank will take care of the algea itself...give it time.


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## piranha_guy_dan (Oct 4, 2004)

i have a green crab in there are they ok to have? its not a hermit style in a shell its just a normal crab that you would find on the beach or the kind people eat just much much smaller


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## cueball (May 24, 2005)

arnt you worryed about the crabs biteing the fish??? in the same fashion cray fish would do?


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## cueball (May 24, 2005)

man if you guys only knew the little bugs and stuff that falls outa our pots out lobster fishin,,,,i should be the one setting up a salt water tank i guess.....i could cut the price in half ...heres my question,,,,,wouldnt it speed up a cycle if you used wild ocean water? i asked the pet shop guy about that and he was turned off by the idea right quick(i think he was just tryin to sell products)


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## odyssey (May 30, 2006)

^^^^^^^why? theres no bacteria in the water which would aid the cycle, just might contain some plankton?


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## cueball (May 24, 2005)

o so you gota have bottom soil i see dont mine me um no salt water god,,(um just a salt water cowboy)..!


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## Lowporkwa (Mar 24, 2007)

i doubt it would really speed up the cycle but im sure fresh clean ocean water is much healthier for SW fish than anything else...as it has all the minerals and nutrients that most other water lacks.


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## odyssey (May 30, 2006)

Lowporkwa said:


> i doubt it would really speed up the cycle but im sure fresh clean ocean water is much healthier for SW fish than anything else...as it has all the minerals and nutrients that most other water lacks.


and any possible contaminants too.


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