# Please Dont Think I'm Stupid,...but.....



## Red Sox Fanatic

you may have read that i am considering going SW,but from reading some of these posts it just looks so damn hard and complicated !!! If you guys wouldnt mind could you take the time to explain a few things to me??Like what is a Skimmer and what is it used for?? What is the difference between using a FX5 or a sump??Wich is better and why??What is ratio of salt to gals of water??Can i use tap water??How do i clean "live sand" and is using dead rock ok in a "fish onlly" tank ok??The tank is a 125 gal tank and i probably will also be using the existing HOB filters i am using now for extra filteration.I know these questions probably seem simple or stupid to you but i am a noob to salt and really know nothing,i have been doing a little research but it never really explains what these pieces of equipment do.Thanks for any advice.


----------



## Ægir

Red Sox Fanatic said:


> you may have read that i am considering going SW,but from reading some of these posts it just looks so damn hard and complicated !!! If you guys wouldnt mind could you take the time to explain a few things to me??Like what is a Skimmer and what is it used for?? What is the difference between using a FX5 or a sump??Wich is better and why??What is ratio of salt to gals of water??Can i use tap water??How do i clean "live sand" and is using dead rock ok in a "fish onlly" tank ok??The tank is a 125 gal tank and i probably will also be using the existing HOB filters i am using now for extra filteration.I know these questions probably seem simple or stupid to you but i am a noob to salt and really know nothing,i have been doing a little research but it never really explains what these pieces of equipment do.Thanks for any advice.


No prob man

A Protein skimmer is your primary source of waste export... By injecting air and creating a "foam" you make organic compounds and waste bond together into longer chains. As the chains build they are forced out the top into the collection cup, and removed. In a FW system, you try to TRAP waste so it can break down, in a SW system you EXPORT waste before it can break down.

An FX5 would need specialized media, and because its sealed would be a more anaerobic (low oxygen higher Co2). A wet dry or sump, because of the turbulence and open air would be more aerobic, which is a "faster" working bacteria. People use canister filters, but a sump full of live rock, and a good skimmer is about the best bet.

ABSOLUTELY NO TAP WATER, it will become a major problem and lead to uncontrollable algae growth. The reason you start with a 0TDS PURE water, is because the salt mix adds back the minerals and trace elements you want, while keeping others OUT. Heavy metals, phosphates etc are all things in tap water that will destroy your system eventually.

I believe 1/2 cup of salt per gal of water is approx... depending on the salt mix

You dont really want to clean your sand to extensively, deep gravel vacing can stir up deeper layers of sand and if the tank is established you might release some nasty gasses or things.

Honestly any HOB filter isnt really "extra" filtration... Like i said you want almost NO filter floss, pads, sponges etc that can trap waste. The one exception would be a filter sock you change every few days.

Rock, this is an interesting one... When starting a tank its more budget friendly to use a dry cured base rock, and seed it with a few pieces of "live" rock from other established systems. Eventually the bacteria and living things will spread to the entire rock stack. 
Rock and what lives inside it is pretty much your number one filtration for things you cant keep suspended long enough for the skimmer to remove. The reason SW tanks have insane flow compared to FW is to keep waste floating, and from settling anywhere...

Things to not cut corners on, and help you enjoy SW instead of dread the work
Source of good water, either buy it from the LFS or get a descent RO/DI filter... worth its weight in gold over the long run
Sump, as big as you can fit under the stand
LOTS of rock
and a good Skimmer

Its worth saving for a month and buying good equipment, VS spending what you have now on equipment. You can take it in small steps, and to get the tank cycling you really only need the tank, sump, rock, water, salt. Everything else can wait... especially lighting which will do nothing during the first few months other than grow algae.

If you have anything else, dont hesitate to ask!


----------



## Piranha-Freak101

Theres no such thing as being stupid when you ask a learning question! Everyone started off with no knowledge just like you


----------



## Red Sox Fanatic

Thanks guys,but what i meant about cleaning "live sand" is when i 1st get it(from the lfs) do i need to clean it right out of the bag??



Red Sox Fanatic said:


> Thanks guys,but what i meant about cleaning "live sand" is when i 1st get it(from the lfs) do i need to clean it right out of the bag??


you know like when you buy new gravel and you rinse it out.


----------



## Ægir

No, you do not... you can pour out any water in the bag but do not rinse it. The reason it is "live" sand is the bacteria and other goodies in the sand. Just the same as the rock, you can use any sand and seed it with a few scoops from established tanks... by the time your cycle is over it will have spread and colonized the whole deal.

You can put it in the tank and then add your saltwater (pre mixed in another bin), I find if you use a dinner plate under a bowl, ontop of the sand, and add your water into the bowl, you can eliminate most of the turbulence and stirring up sand.

OR you can fill it with water and then add the sand. I typically do it this way, and use a large tupperware container to add scoops. You slowly lower each scoop to the bottom, and ever so carefully pour it out.

Keep in mind, its hard to stack rock ontop of sand... especially if you have inverts or fish that tunnel. So when you stack your rock, wiggle it around good and plant it in the sand, dot just set it on top.

Theres a few good build threads in this section... check them out for ideas, and start making a plan and drawings. When its on paper, its so easy to work things out, If you just start building with no plan you will find tons of things you want to change. And then have to cut and re-do some things.


----------



## Red Sox Fanatic

sounds like it maybe fun.


----------



## Ægir

Its a blast, and may seem overwhelming now... but once you get the basics down its really quite simple!


----------



## Red Sox Fanatic

Hopefully after tax season i will make the attempt,i have some fish to get rid of 1st.


----------



## Yeges

I have been thinking about making the switch to salt water too, but I'm sort of scared to do it. My main concern is killing a bunch of fish in the making of my first tank. All of these tips are great though, so I will bookmark it just in case I get up the nerve to actually do it. Good luck on your new tank though!


----------



## Malladus

SW isn't anymore difficult then FW unless you make it. 
It's only when you get into fancy setups with multiple reactors, dosers etc. that you start adding more variables to the equation that you can mess up and kill off your tank.

If you stick to basics it's quite easy, only difference being you mix up your water prior to water changes to match salinity.


----------



## scent troll

^








seems a heck of a lot more complex the FW
ive had tanks since i was a kid in 3rd grade...ive never had saltwater. to this day the more i read up on it trying to prep for actually doing it the more scared i get lol

and all i want is a live rock tank


----------



## Ægir

I agree it can be simple, or complicated depending on what you want

Its hands down 3 times the work FW tanks, just because they require daily supervision and checking. once you get the hang, leaving for a week isnt a problem and things get easier.

If you start with a med size tank and not a "nano", things will be more simple... and a small sump, a top off system, some good powerheads and weekly water changes will be all you need.


----------

