Newbie Question

[jpkboca]

As soon as I get my RO/DI unit in the mail I'm going to start filling and everything to begin the cycle.

Questions are.

Do i put the sand in first, then some water, and mix?

Then add the liverock? I know some people just stack, others glue or use rods, I'll determine that once I see how stable it is.

Let everything cycle for a few weeks. Do tests.


Then I'd want to add a Clean up crew?

Does everyoen run the skimmer during cycling?

Everything sound good?

Thanks,

Jeff

[sps1-2-b]

If you're starting from scratch.
1. Put base rock first for foundation
2. Put sand in
3. Fill tank with ro/di then add salt mix
4. Then stack live rock the way you want it to look
Let it cycle. I would run protein skimmer during cycling. If all's good add clean up crew.

[Toddrtrex]

I personally put the water in first, but it really doesn't matter. However if you do water first, take into account that the sand is going to displace some of the water, so don't fill it all the way up with water. If you put the sand in first; place something over the sand to help calm down the sand storm. Could be a garbage bag, or a plate.

I have never used rods or glue on my rocks, just stack them.

Would expect the cycle to take more then two weeks, but each tank is different.

Start off small with the clean up crew. Easy to add more, as opposed to too big of a one starving.

I have always run my skimmer during the cycle. In addition I do water changes. I want to keep the ammonia spike low, to help preserve the life on the rocks that I paid for.

[rort]

My first tank I followed what Toddrtrex said. With putting the water in first.

On my current tank I followed SPS's suggestion. It is honestly all up to person preference.

If you plan to get a burrowing fish it is better to law the base rock first so that there isnt a way for the fish to cause an avalanche of LR!!!

You can speed up your cycle process by getting the ammonia to spike by putting a dead fish or cocktail shrimp in there but take them out when you see it spike above .50

Toddrtrex was completely right when you see your ammonia spike anything close to 1 you need to do water changes to keep it down and not kill off all your microfauna!

good luck! post pics! ;)

[crvz]

I do run a skimmer during the cycle, and everything else in your plan looks fine. The only thing I'd recommend is to add the salt very slowly to the tank, as any unmixed salt may collect in the sand.

[Michael]

id suggest filling the tank with water, then after the water is at the right salinity and temperature add the live rock, wait for a day or 2 until the tank is clear and then observe the rock in its position, if 100% satisfied add the sand, if not move the reef wall about until happy, once the sand is in its awkward to move the rock again,

[Sk8r]

I put down eggcrate diffusion lighting grid first, to stabilize rock. Then base rock. Then live rock. Then sand. Then water. Garbage sack over rock/sand prevents sand kicking up during watering. It floats. Let it.

[crvz]

Eh, I don't really like the idea of putting the sand in after the rock. If anything, I'd take the effort to raise the rock an inch or two with acrylic rock lifts to keep it out of the sand bed. I've had bad experience with rock packed with sand.