Have you already bought the tank?
Getting back in the water after 30 years
- Thread starter NanCrab
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Hahaha - welp. You came to the right place. There's a lot to learn, and while what we use make work for us, there are a lot of right answers. And wrong answers. Just remember, what works in one person's tank might not work for yours. As you get to know your tank you'll know what it needs.
Three biggest pieces of advice I can give. 1) Everything takes time. Your setup. Your cycle. Your tank maturing. Waiting for corrections/changes. Everything. Takes. Time. 2) Do your research, and don't ever...ever impulse buy anything alive. Remember, corals/fish/etc are living creatures, and they often have unique personalities. 3) Get to know your fellow reefers. See their tanks. And try to only get stuff from folks whose tanks you’ve seen. Haha.
Yes, only the tank and cabinet. Literally need to buy everything else.
Thank you. Livestock is not on my radar right now. Getting the used tank cleaned and making sure the seams are well sealed is number 1.
Next thing after that is substrate. I'm going to use CaribSea arag-alive.
I wanted to ask for a coral reef with just a few fish (down the road) should I use regular I Stanton ocean to make my seawater or instant ocean reef or is there something else on the market I dont know about?
Right now I'm just concerned with getting the basics. Pumps, filters, aerators, substrate, water. After that I will start looking at rock. This is the advice I'm currently seeking. The 1st step basics. Does that make sense? If my foundation isn't right nothing will ever be right.
Thank you for you advice!
Nancy
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If you’re set up correctly you won’t need aerators. That will happen with your skimmer. With pumps/skimmers/most equipment there’s few wrong answers. Most choices fall under what you’re willing to spend. You could buy the Kia of aquarium parts, or the Ferrari. I would get rock before you get lights/salt. For salt I use Tropic Marin. It mixes best and has the parameters closest to what I shoot for.
Everyone has their own favorite salts that they use. I personally use Reef Crystals. Thats what the Georgia Aquarium uses. So its good for them then its good for me. lol
Thank you so much! Could I get Volvo quality? My husband worked for the company for almost 37 years . Better than a Kia and more affordable than a Ferrari . I’m so glad I decided to join, I feel like I don’t even know what I don’t know!
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Watch those videos. Start at week 1. They do a GREAT job. Take copious notes. Lol. You’ll learn so is much. I still watch them as refreshers.
It was said earlier I think, but the Sump does look a bit small for that size tank. You might want to take a look at getting a bigger one if you have space for it in the cabinet.
First things i would do are
Clean and leak test the tank. Reseal if needed.
Then thoroughly clean inspect the stand for any water damage etc... Then I would coat the inside of the stand with several coats of flex seal
Then decide on what filter AKA sump you are going to use. If the one came with it will work Get it cleaned and leak test. If you need a new one Trigger sys make a good basic sump. You can also go crazy with other brands/custom. I personally like trigger emerald series for a good sump with a refugium.
Now pick a protein skimmer to fit your tank size and sump of choice.
Decided on a pump Many choices out there. Im cheap so i use jebao pumps.
At this point I would get the tank on the stand and start roughing out plumbing.
During all this i would invest in a good RO/DI filter and water mixing/storage tanks
Once you get the plumbing roughed in I would move the stand and tank to where you want it and level the tank/stand
finish the plumbing and then fill the tank about 1/2 way and check level again.
Once its level I would drain it and start working on your rock work
Clean and leak test the tank. Reseal if needed.
Then thoroughly clean inspect the stand for any water damage etc... Then I would coat the inside of the stand with several coats of flex seal
Then decide on what filter AKA sump you are going to use. If the one came with it will work Get it cleaned and leak test. If you need a new one Trigger sys make a good basic sump. You can also go crazy with other brands/custom. I personally like trigger emerald series for a good sump with a refugium.
Now pick a protein skimmer to fit your tank size and sump of choice.
Decided on a pump Many choices out there. Im cheap so i use jebao pumps.
At this point I would get the tank on the stand and start roughing out plumbing.
During all this i would invest in a good RO/DI filter and water mixing/storage tanks
Once you get the plumbing roughed in I would move the stand and tank to where you want it and level the tank/stand
finish the plumbing and then fill the tank about 1/2 way and check level again.
Once its level I would drain it and start working on your rock work
We are watching them now!
A couple of people have mentioned that my sump tank may be too small. I just measured it, and the cabinet. The sump tank ha 4 sections in it. The overall dimensions are 30" x 14" x 14". The cabinet is divided into two 35" wide x 20" deep x 42" high. I didn't measure each compartment size. One was obviously used as a refugium and one is very narrow and filled with little plastic nubby balls with holes in them, you probably know what they are. Is this big enough for the 125 gallon tank? It is 72 x 18 x 24
Well what size would be best? Now is the time for us to make adjustment. It’s easier to avoid issues than it is to correct them imo
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For a 120? If it were me I’d find something 40gallonish.
I agree with most of what’s said here.
As for salts: To set up the tank, use a cheap aquarium salt. No need to start off with expensive stuff, most of that salt will be removed in water changes and other processes before any hard corals are introduced. Purple Box instant Ocean is often cheapest; and you can get it in 200gal boxes.
One of the next decisions you have to make is to use existing live rock; or use dry rock and make it into live rock. This process is slower, and it reduces possibility of getting cool and interesting hitchhikers, but it also reduces the risks of getting bad hitchhikers. Your answer in this decision will effect your immediate next steps.
I don’t know y’all much yet; but from what I’ve read, you’re patient, which is great, so these steps below will assume a Dry rock approach.
Steps I’d recommend, which differ slightly from @york1
1) Setup, and Leak-proof the tank and plumbing
2) Setup RODI system, if you plan to get one.
3) Fill the tank with fresh RODI water (no salt)
3a) You can optionally place your dry rock in here at this time.
3b) Check for small leaks and fix if necessary. I like to use dry paper towels to help find any.
3c) Level the tank: left to right, and front to back
3d) Turn on return pump after it’s full, and continue to look for leaks. Add a little more water, as necessary, so the pump doesn’t run dry air.
3e) *Scary step* Turn off the return pump to simulate a power outage. Make sure that the sump does not overflow. Watch as the sump water level increases; it will get close. Hopefully, you’ll have a spare 1 inch or 2.
Assuming all is good, turn the return pump back on and continue.
4) Add salt. Use a Refractometer to slowly increase your salinity to a Specific Gravity of at least 1.015 (Reef Salinity is 1.025; I would aim for that. But you can probably save a few bucks here if you undershoot at 1.021. The nitrifying bacteria and any fish will be fine at these lower salinities.) After salt is fully dissolved, I like to wait 10 minutes, then test to determine if I need to add a little more. You will NEVER add salt directly to the aquarium. However, given there is nothing living in here yet, I consider it to just be a big mixing tub until the bacteria is added.
4a) You can turn on circulation pumps here.
5) Let the Saltwater circulate for 24 hours. Retest salinity to confirm that it didn’t change.
Time for bacteria:
6) Turn on your aquarium heater(s). Target 76-78F. This will be a good time to fine-tune this, the bacteria can handle temperature swings in case your heater runs hotter or cooler than norm. Use a glass thermometer.
7) Add your sand
7a) It is important that your rocks never rest “on top” of the sand. The rocks must rest on the glass bottom directly.
7b) Your water will be very cloudy. This is natural. If you’re using Arag-Alive, this will dissipate substantially each day over the next few days.
8) Add any desired ‘bacteria in a bottle’ product, as per their directions. Most of them are similar. All of them will try to sell you on how they are the best and all the other brands are rubbish. “Turbostart” for Saltwater (purple bottle) is great quality in my experience.
9) Add a food source to kick-start the bacteria. Basically you want something to decompose and create some ammonia in the tank. This can be a few pellets of fish food, a very small raw shrimp, or even just a few drops of ammonia. If you choose a shrimp; I would remove it after a couple days if it’s big.
The waiting game:
10) Wait... test... wait... test.... wait... etc
10a) You’re testing 3 water parameters: Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate
10b) I’m sure you’re learning all about this in the video.
10c) You are looking for a very specific occurrence
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: Anything except zero
This will let you know bacteria are doing their job!
11) While you’re waiting, now is an excellent time to organize your aquascape! Have fun. Remember, rock never rest on top of the sand. Rocks always on the bottom.
12) Once you’ve reached your target Nitrogen, do your first partial water change (amount depending on your Nitrate readings). This will likely be 20-35%, but may be as high as 50% depending on circumstances.
13) Wait a couple more days, just for good measure.
Congrats; Almost time for fish!:
14) Double check everything: no leaks, 76-78F temp, salinity between 1.015 and 1.025 (later you will refine this window to between 1.024-1.025 for invertebrates and corals).
15) Your protein skimmer can be initially turned on almost anytime In this entire process. So if you haven’t already, do it now.
16) Add your starter 1 or 2 fish, but no more. I recommend any Ocellaris or Percula clownfish. But ‘Blue Sapphire (Springeri) Damsels’ are also a great choice. Other blue damsels can be a pain. But the choice is up to you
17) After a couple weeks; consider getting a small “clean up crew”. Please do not get too many initially; otherwise most will starve to death. We will be here to help you at that time to help choose. these guys include snails, hermits, and other little critters to eat algae that will begin growing.
-
I may have missed something. But it’s a detailed start. Lol. I honestly just need to copy/paste these instructions for people. You have tons of wonderful individuals on here to help; and surely someone will catch something I missed.
As for salts: To set up the tank, use a cheap aquarium salt. No need to start off with expensive stuff, most of that salt will be removed in water changes and other processes before any hard corals are introduced. Purple Box instant Ocean is often cheapest; and you can get it in 200gal boxes.
One of the next decisions you have to make is to use existing live rock; or use dry rock and make it into live rock. This process is slower, and it reduces possibility of getting cool and interesting hitchhikers, but it also reduces the risks of getting bad hitchhikers. Your answer in this decision will effect your immediate next steps.
I don’t know y’all much yet; but from what I’ve read, you’re patient, which is great, so these steps below will assume a Dry rock approach.
Steps I’d recommend, which differ slightly from @york1
1) Setup, and Leak-proof the tank and plumbing
2) Setup RODI system, if you plan to get one.
3) Fill the tank with fresh RODI water (no salt)
3a) You can optionally place your dry rock in here at this time.
3b) Check for small leaks and fix if necessary. I like to use dry paper towels to help find any.
3c) Level the tank: left to right, and front to back
3d) Turn on return pump after it’s full, and continue to look for leaks. Add a little more water, as necessary, so the pump doesn’t run dry air.
3e) *Scary step* Turn off the return pump to simulate a power outage. Make sure that the sump does not overflow. Watch as the sump water level increases; it will get close. Hopefully, you’ll have a spare 1 inch or 2.
Assuming all is good, turn the return pump back on and continue.
4) Add salt. Use a Refractometer to slowly increase your salinity to a Specific Gravity of at least 1.015 (Reef Salinity is 1.025; I would aim for that. But you can probably save a few bucks here if you undershoot at 1.021. The nitrifying bacteria and any fish will be fine at these lower salinities.) After salt is fully dissolved, I like to wait 10 minutes, then test to determine if I need to add a little more. You will NEVER add salt directly to the aquarium. However, given there is nothing living in here yet, I consider it to just be a big mixing tub until the bacteria is added.
4a) You can turn on circulation pumps here.
5) Let the Saltwater circulate for 24 hours. Retest salinity to confirm that it didn’t change.
Time for bacteria:
6) Turn on your aquarium heater(s). Target 76-78F. This will be a good time to fine-tune this, the bacteria can handle temperature swings in case your heater runs hotter or cooler than norm. Use a glass thermometer.
7) Add your sand
7a) It is important that your rocks never rest “on top” of the sand. The rocks must rest on the glass bottom directly.
7b) Your water will be very cloudy. This is natural. If you’re using Arag-Alive, this will dissipate substantially each day over the next few days.
8) Add any desired ‘bacteria in a bottle’ product, as per their directions. Most of them are similar. All of them will try to sell you on how they are the best and all the other brands are rubbish. “Turbostart” for Saltwater (purple bottle) is great quality in my experience.
9) Add a food source to kick-start the bacteria. Basically you want something to decompose and create some ammonia in the tank. This can be a few pellets of fish food, a very small raw shrimp, or even just a few drops of ammonia. If you choose a shrimp; I would remove it after a couple days if it’s big.
The waiting game:
10) Wait... test... wait... test.... wait... etc
10a) You’re testing 3 water parameters: Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate
10b) I’m sure you’re learning all about this in the video.
10c) You are looking for a very specific occurrence
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: Anything except zero
This will let you know bacteria are doing their job!
11) While you’re waiting, now is an excellent time to organize your aquascape! Have fun. Remember, rock never rest on top of the sand. Rocks always on the bottom.
12) Once you’ve reached your target Nitrogen, do your first partial water change (amount depending on your Nitrate readings). This will likely be 20-35%, but may be as high as 50% depending on circumstances.
13) Wait a couple more days, just for good measure.
Congrats; Almost time for fish!:
14) Double check everything: no leaks, 76-78F temp, salinity between 1.015 and 1.025 (later you will refine this window to between 1.024-1.025 for invertebrates and corals).
15) Your protein skimmer can be initially turned on almost anytime In this entire process. So if you haven’t already, do it now.
16) Add your starter 1 or 2 fish, but no more. I recommend any Ocellaris or Percula clownfish. But ‘Blue Sapphire (Springeri) Damsels’ are also a great choice. Other blue damsels can be a pain. But the choice is up to you
17) After a couple weeks; consider getting a small “clean up crew”. Please do not get too many initially; otherwise most will starve to death. We will be here to help you at that time to help choose. these guys include snails, hermits, and other little critters to eat algae that will begin growing.
-
I may have missed something. But it’s a detailed start. Lol. I honestly just need to copy/paste these instructions for people. You have tons of wonderful individuals on here to help; and surely someone will catch something I missed.
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Other than cleaning it out, I think your next decision is really if ~25 gallons is enough for a sump for you. I don’t think it is.
If I’m calculating it correctly, 1” overflow on a 125 gallon is a little more than 5 gallons going down into your sump on power failure. When you start adding all the plumbing, equipment, and gadgets into the sump, it’s a lot easier to do on something like a 40G Breeder or a 55G than what you have right now.
If I’m calculating it correctly, 1” overflow on a 125 gallon is a little more than 5 gallons going down into your sump on power failure. When you start adding all the plumbing, equipment, and gadgets into the sump, it’s a lot easier to do on something like a 40G Breeder or a 55G than what you have right now.
I agree that the sump is small, but it’s doable. Not sure how that 5g overflow is calculated; I think you must have made a few assumptions: detailed volume and heights of the return plumbing, is there a check valve on the return line, and flow rate of the return pump to name a few. I can change any one of these on my system, and easily double this draining volume. My instinct is that it will be a lot more than 5g. but it’s not worth the effort of the calculations; easier to just turn it off and measure. I agree it will be hard though.
By example one of our old systems was a 180g tall display with a tiny 20g sump. It worked, and didn’t ever flow. But I think we all disliked that system; It was always having problems. ... i digress, their sump is doable. But I fully agree, a larger sump will be hugely valuable, and now is the perfect time to implement it.
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Thank you for the step by step instructions. Do you make house calls? Haha, at this point I’m feeling pretty overwhelmed....
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