Help with new tank.

[ga-peaches72]

Hello Everyone,
I'm new to the saltwater tanks so any help would be helpful. I got a 150 gal tank for xmas. It has been up and running for a week. It is a pre drilled tank with a sump. My lights and heaters should be in this week. I have about 120 pounds of live sand and a few rocks in it and the salt level is 1.023. I dont know if it is live rock or not. Dont know how to tell. What else do I need to start? So PLEASE help.:doh:

 

[purplegorilla]

Welcome! You will need a GOOD SKIMMER!
LIve rocks = you will see coralline, little feather duster, stuff growing out of it, etc.., Dead rocks posing as LIve rocks = white and no algae.

 

[dakota9]

Welcome to the club! Do you have a return pump and power heads? Have you thought about what type of livestock you like?

 

[mufret]

What are your plans for the tank? That would really determine the additional equipment that you might want to consider.

 

[ga-peaches72]

I guess then I have dead rocks then.
Yes, it has two power jets on each side. It also has a pump in the sump. Is that what you are talking about?

 

[saltwater junky]

welcome to the club.

 

[ga-peaches72]

I'm wanting to have some of it all. But I would like to have a tank that everything can get along still not sure what gets a long with what to well. I like to have some of the anemones and some corals. I dont know the best way to go.

 

[dakota9]

Yes, those are what I was refering to. You need a rough estimate of how much water you're turning, meaning figure the total volime of water every pump combined is circulating. For instance, I estimate that my mag 5 with two elbow joints in the plumbing (which slows the water down a lot) and two tunze pumps turns an estimated 1900 gph (gallons per hour). You'll need to know about flow before stocking your tank.

 

[ga-peaches72]

I dont know how to tell this. All I know is that it is a Rio 26RF.

 

[dakota9]

http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=rio+aquarium+pump&um=1"><span style="color: #810081;">rio aquarium pump - Google Product Search</span></a>

Do any of these look like the one you have? A peliminary google search showed no results for a Rio 26RF

 

[dakota9]

you figure out the make and model pumps you have any most of us can tell you off the top of our heads how much water you are pushing....

How is your sump plumbed? How many elbows do you have in your return line? (The pipe that pushes water back up to your tank)?

 

[ga-peaches72]

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumPage~PageAlias~powerheads_pumps_taam_rio.html">http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumPage~PageAlias~powerheads_pumps_taam_rio.html</a>
This site has one on it about half way down the page.

 

[ralph atl]

you'll want a good skimmer, 80 to 180 pound of live rock, a plan, patience, a good book on salter water tanks & reef keeping, patience, & some more patience.

You want to find a couple of people that you can trust to go to before you buy anything. Any suggestion here, lfs, or other boards should be validated from 2 people first. There are so many ways of doing things that it can drive you "crazy". Oh, and have some patience! That means no impulse buying, too!
Ralph

 

[dakota9]

Flow Rate (gallons/hour):

Model1 ft.4 ft.6 ft.Max Head (ft.)Rio 32HF19201500130014Rio 26HF15901350114013Rio 20HF129099087010.8Rio 17HF109084066010

Impressive pump! Might be a touch overkill for a return on your system, but better a tad too much than too little... You seem off to a good start!

 

[ga-peaches72]

Is it better to add live rock now or is it better to let it cycle? I have a guy who said he was going to give me his as soon as I'm ready. How do I know when I'm ready? I dont want to kill any thing.

 

[jefft]

We would do the live rocks now. Let everything cycle at one time and get it over with. Have lots of patience! Doing anything quickly in this hobby can be deadly and expensive.

 

[ralph atl]

jefft;113647 wrote: We would do the live rocks now. Let everything cycle at one time and get it over with. Have lots of patience! Doing anything quickly in this hobby can be deadly and expensive.

ditto

 

[ga-peaches72]

That is what I want to avoid. So it would be ok. Kool. I have a orbit cu1026 light comming do you think that will be ok for everything?

 

[ralph atl]

GA-PEACHES72;113643 wrote: Is it better to add live rock now or is it better to let it cycle? I have a guy who said he was going to give me his as soon as I'm ready. How do I know when I'm ready? I dont want to kill any thing.

what do you mean when you say kill any thing? You don't have anything in your tank that moves, do you? like fish or something?

 

[ga-peaches72]

I have 4 little damsal fish.