Green Horn Fish Needs Advice

[augustine]

Hi everyone!

Luv this forum. I bumped into here two weeks ago and have been spending nights reading and reading and reading............

I've planned to start a marine tank with some corals. I've custom made a 3.5' (L) x 2' (H) x 1.5' (W) , 10mm glass Tank, with built-in IOS on side of tank 0.5' x 1.5'. The tank has land in my home and I've been staring at it for 3 days. (Dun know how to start! Never kept marine tank before)

I've gather that most of you guys proposed DSB for the tank. Deep Sand Bed. How to do one???? What do I need??? How to grow good, useful bacterias????

I've been hunting all over Singapore for LRs. Its agonising........ See many corals and many beautiful fishes......cannot start without LRs. Finally manage to find a LFS willing to help. Order abt 20-25kgs and probably arriving in 2 or 3 wks time. In the mean time, I guess I need to start cycling the water in the tank. How?????

Hope some one out there see this poor lost fella here and giv me directions on how to setup the tank safely.

Please advise....

Augustine

[X_Japan]

well do u have sand??

well actually different people have different ways of setting up their tanks

I for myself do not utilize sand at all......

my base is totally bare.

I only have LR in my tank

been operating for about 2 yrs running.

parameters pretty ok.

so it depends on yourself

for others it may be that it looks nicer and also it has other benefits

pros outweigh cons

haha

for DSB info, read previous threads for more info.

let it cycle for a few weeks before trying

the bacteria will grow by itself.

u do not have to worry where to get or buy the bacteria.

monitor your ammonia, nitrite, nitrate.

if u are keeping corals, u need strong lighting.

additives like calcium are needed.

and when u are ready to start.......

pls stock moderately.....

when I just started years ago.....I couldn't do it well....

my tank crashed!

even though everything was ok....like my ammonia, nitrite....

but i overstocked...everything i see, i wanted...couldn't control

hahahahha

when I used to see something I never tried to keep before and it looks beautiful, I couldn't care less man!!!

Buy it and see how later....dun care whether compatible or not!!!!!!!

I

anyway, that was the past........now must think 1st before buying

but I do believe most hobbyists when they started off was also abit like this somehow.......

anyway, just my 2 cents worth,

take things slowly, bit by bit.

and most probably it will work out just fine.

and read up on a particular species of animal that looks beautiful, it may be very well hard to keep or not compatible with other species of other animals in your tank........

X-Japan

[Achilles Tang]

X-Japan is using the modified berlin method... barebottom with lots of liverock. He probably has a good skimmer as well to make it work. Strong lights is a must too for berlin method.

Nitrates will go down but slowly as compared to DSB.

Augustine,

Impatience will get you to a fast end quickly. Take it slow. Grow thru the setup steps thoroughly.

Have you got all the right equipment in place? Lights, filtration, skimmer, water circulation?

Got the test kits and meters to test water parameters?

Washed the sand clean to prepare for the sandbed (if you want to go the DSB way)

Water supplements? Kalkwasser? PH buffers?

To answer your questions:

Deep Sand Bed. How to do one???? What do I need??? How to grow good, useful bacterias????

1. Just pour clean #1 sand in till you get a minimum of 4" sandbed. Bacteria will be introduced via the liverock or you get those bacteria in a bottle to colonise your sandbed asap.

2. To cycle your tank, you need to introduce ammonia into your system and that should kick start the cycling process. It will only be considered complete when you have tested for zero ammonia > zero nitrites > zero nitrates.

Just remember that if you introduced poorly cured LR again later, you could have an ammonia spike and start another mini cycle. But if your tank is matured (ie. having all the necessary bacteria to process all the parts of the nitrogen cycle)... then it may not affect your tank as much.

Remember, for a new tank, you will have to stock slowly.

[augustine]

Thanks x japan, achilles

will try for DSB.

Currently have only about 2" of #1 sand in the tank, so going to get more today. Will also be collecting my LR today.... not much I guess. Just about 12kg.

I'll definately try to go slow. Let this lot of LR settle in first before I get more LR to top up.

See ya!

Augustine