Few tank questions

[alzika]

I bought a 30g tonight and have the water set up with the correct specific gravity and I also have some sand/gravel stuff at the bottom that is supposed to have beneficial bacteria in it.

The ultimate goal is for this to be a reef tank, but I don't have the cash to purchase live rock and a protein skimmer for about another month.

The lady at the store told me to buy some damsels and put them in tomorrow. Is this ok or should I wait?

Also, should I be turning the heater, lamp, or anything on right now?

[alan214]

You could put in a damsel if you want but it will likely die when you add the live rock later. The cycling that will trigger will be too much for most anything living in the tank at that time.

Alan

[alan214]

Oh, and there is no real nead for heat or lighting at this point, either.

[alzika]

So if I do buy some Damsels...and I decide to add the live rock a month from now, how long does the process take before I can start adding more fish?

Also, do I ONLY need the Damsels or should I put some snails/hermits in there too?

[alan214]

The process varies but most likely will take about a month to cycle after adding the live rock. You will want to wait a few more weeks to add anything but a damsel or 2, though. You should start monitoring your water parameters very closely at that point and then begin adding a few snails and/or hermits. Everything you add from that point on should be done very slowly and only after ensuring the tank's conditions warrant it.

[NanoGurl]

What are you going to do with the live rock when you buy it? If you cure it in your main tank, you will probably kill off your fish and cleaning crew. If you can't afford the equipment live rock for a month.. i would wait until you can afford the live rock and then add that. get the skimmer when you can. otherwise, you will have to cure your live rock elsewhere and not in your tank. i wouldn't buy the fish and put it through that stress. hardy or not, a damsel will not enjoy (or even live) through a cycle.

[alzika]

The eventual goal is to buy a 55 or 70 gallon and use this current 29 to make a sump. When that happens, I can probably temporarily cure the live rock in bigger tank since I will probably be buying it all at one time.

With this in mind, should I place a few hermits or snails in a few weeks after adding 2 damsels?

[Mr James]

I agree with nanogirl. If you can't afford the right equipment to do the job the right way, I'd wait until you can. This hobby can get quite expensive as you may already know. Get your skimmer (which you will need for curing your rock anyway), get the live rock, get the other equipment and then after your tank has gone through a fishless cycle, add your damsel.

In the meantime, do some reading about what your tank will require in order to be successful. I have seen all too many people come into this hobby all in a hurry and say, I have it all set up but don't have the money for this or that. Everyone on this board will agree with me when I say, take it slow!!! Read, ask questions then act.

EDIT: Also in the meantime, fill out your profile. You may be my neighbor and not even know it.

[alan214]

Don't think of adding anything until after your live rock is cured. As NanoGurl mentioned, you really should consider getting a skimmer of some kind to help during the curing process. If not, you'll need to do more frequent water changes to remove the nasty stuff.

[alzika]

I've seen cured live rock for sale online for just a tad bit more expensive than uncured. Is this any good and safe to put in a tank with fish?

[alan214]

It will cut down on some of the setup time but even the cured live rock will still require your tank to go through a mini-cycle if you decide to add it to your tank later.

[Mr James]

by alzika
I've seen cured live rock for sale online for just a tad bit more expensive than uncured. Is this any good and safe to put in a tank with fish?

But when you take live rock out of the water and ship it, things die. IMO, cured rock becomes not-so-live-rock after shipping. A way you can do it is to stock your tank with 80% base rock (maybe even DIY rock while you wait for the funds for that dream skimmer) and 20% cured live rock. Sources for your live rock could be from a fellow reefer tearing down their system or something like that.

[NanoGurl]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8932649#post8932649 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by alzika
The eventual goal is to buy a 55 or 70 gallon and use this current 29 to make a sump. When that happens, I can probably temporarily cure the live rock in bigger tank since I will probably be buying it all at one time.

With this in mind, should I place a few hermits or snails in a few weeks after adding 2 damsels?

I'm kinda lost here... you can't afford live rock or skimmer, but you're going to buy a 55 or bigger, create a sump, buy the live rock, and cure it all in the big tank all at one time? Do you know expensive it will be to what you're talking about?

What are you going to do with the damsel in an empty tank? Saltwater fish are not like goldfish, they will enjoy hiding places and not a bare open tank. Same with hermit crabs.. no point in putting a hermit crab to walk around on an empty bottom... and why add a snail to a new tank? It will starve and die without something to eat?

My advice.. stop now. You really should read up more on what you're doing.. i'm not trying to be mean.. but you're setting yourself up and your tank for a lot of problems.

Anyway, goodluck.

[alzika]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8932993#post8932993 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NanoGurl
I'm kinda lost here... you can't afford live rock or skimmer, but you're going to buy a 55 or bigger, create a sump, buy the live rock, and cure it all in the big tank all at one time? Do you know expensive it will be to what you're talking about?

What are you going to do with the damsel in an empty tank? Saltwater fish are not like goldfish, they will enjoy hiding places and not a bare open tank. Same with hermit crabs.. no point in putting a hermit crab to walk around on an empty bottom... and why add a snail to a new tank? It will starve and die without something to eat?

My advice.. stop now. You really should read up more on what you're doing.. i'm not trying to be mean.. but you're setting yourself up and your tank for a lot of problems.

Anyway, goodluck.

I have read up on this for over a year before buying a tank, it's just small things I'm not sure about.

I guess my previous posts weren't clear. In about a month I'll have about $1k extra to spend. I wanted to take this month to learn the basics and get started before buying the bigger tank and using this one as a sump.

[Mr James]

Again, NanoGirl is on the ball. Walk before you run. My first tank was a 125g and I did it the WRONG way!! Can you say UGF?? UGF = Under Gravel Filter. I'll stop giving you advice and let you read in peace.

Get an RO/DI system too. Tap water is bad and will cause big problems.

EDIT: You skimmer shouldn't be considered the "small things". It is perhaps the most important piece of equipment you will have.

[reeformadness]

i agree...be patient and do things right. Its the quickest way to get your reef tank running.

[chinaman4u]

You might look locally, craiglist or local club, someone may have rock they are looking to get rid of. Maybe you can get them to spot you if ur short $. Remember, you'd want to add all of your rock at once, not a piece at a time.

I wouldn't set up a tank knowing it will be taken down soon. It takes a year before you have a 'feel' for the tank, and then to have to dismantle it?

[alzika]

I apologize if I offended anyone on this thread, I'm just trying to get into this hobby after wanting a tank for 5+ years.

I am finally able to afford one, and I just want to make sure I do it correctly.

[alan214]

No harm done, alzika. You came here looking for help by asking some basic questions. Hopefully you've gotten something out of it. Everything that's been suggested is good advice for someone in your position.

Best of luck with your new tank!

[chinaman4u]

How's about, what do you intend or want to keep? I'm sure everyone will help you decide on skimmers and lights appropriate for you, so you can get a better feel about your budget. Don't worry a month is just around the corner.

And we have all been there and done that, this, and the other. :-)

[alzika]

I want to eventually buy a 55 or 70 gallon and use this current 29 gallon tank as the sump. I really have no idea about what lights or anything to buy, I've mainly just researched types of fish that are reef safe, cycling, etc.

[chinaman4u]

4 years ago I started with this 45G, which was just a waste of money. Had I known of RC back then.... could have save a lot of trial and error... costly errors.

<a href="http://img440.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00030za4.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/9025/dsc00030za4.th.jpg" border="0" /></a>

You can do what i did above, and just do water changes, and forget all the fancy equipment. It has been done. But anything more than a few fish is asking for trouble.

If keeping SPS corals is your goal, a slow step by step approach is the key.
However $1000 isn't much in this hobby. Beware! Let the addiction begin! LOL

What do you think, Alz?

[chinaman4u]

There's an undergravel filter in that tank. Learned that from my dad! :-)

[plyle02]

Pesonally, my advice is, unless you have all equipment in place, Great Skimmer(for ex. Euro-reef), RO/DI, cured live rock, 3-4 watts lighting per gallon, time, plenty of salt, patience, and money, I would suggest to hold off until you do. So many incidentals come up in this hobby unplanned. It will straight up drive you crazy....I have wasted more money on stuff I don't use than I care to talk about. I know I am not alone...lol...Take your time, and good luck....