Newbie needing advice??

[untouchableldw]

First and more most would like to say hello to every one tonight.
This is my second post on a forum and I love them.... so much info, valauble to our hobby!!
I have a 55 gall dsply tnk...2 weeks into curing 80 lbs lr....2 power heads(unknown)......lighting sysem unknown.....coral life super skimmer..... wq= sp.1.322 (was trying to raise but mis calculatated ...trying to bring down with small water changes..2 gall today...)
temp. about 74 dg
no2=0 ppm
ph abput 8.3?? (liquid test sucks!)
nh3= 1.0 ppm
no3=0ppm
additve=bIO sPIRO..
1 3% wc 6/28
Next steps????add substrate after about 2 weeks.....also after adding last 45 lbs of uncure live rock I'm see a butt load of smalll white bugs on the glasS..Any idea what they could be??? copeds????Also ...horrible day today....crack my heater doing my water change,....I had glass all in the sump...LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES YOUNG JEDI!!!!!....
It was a newer heater so I don't think it leak anyhting...I was more worried about glass frags in more pumps...both to my skimmer as well as my return from my w/d.....I thnink my next step wil be my cleaner crew... I been pricing them and I thnk that I want to go crabless?????..Any thoughts on that?..Sorry so long but I have no one to discuss all these ideas with.....

[CrystalAZ]

The white bugs are likely copepods. Good guys.

I wouldn't add the cleanup crew until you see algae and/or diatoms start building up on your rocks. If you put the cleanup crew in too early, there is nothing for them to clean.

Going crabless is fine. Many people do it.

Just make sure you get a nice variety of snails.

I also suggest asking local reefers for a cup of sand (assuming you have a sandbed). This can help kickstart hair worms, bristleworms, and other beneficial cleaners in your system.

Good luck!

Crystal

[untouchableldw]

Actually right now I have a scattered cc bed...I the same 55 gall was finishing a cycle in Oct 2005 when I moved... I'ved save in a closed buckets mix of cc and ls....would it be ok to add the rest in about 2 weeks( or at least when my wq is stable?)...Is it better to buy local or should I order online?....I 've found great prices via online...I wonder about survival rate?....Really ...should my next purchase be lights?.....Are they important for the life of the inverts?

[JR719]

I would not worry about the white bugs. Get the substrate started. As Crystal said, if you know anyone with an established tank, get some of their sand. If not, maybe get some from your lfs to add. Give it a little while to cycle and time to add livestock.
Hold off on the cleaner crew until you begin to see algae, if not, they will more than likely starve unless you feed them.
Keep checking your parameters and adjust as needed.

[JR719]

If your stuff has been closed up without circulation or light, it would be really nasty and I would not add.
Buying either online or local is up to you. Most online places have a guarentee. I've bought local only because I tell them what I want but I want it held for a week or so. If it dies while they have it, I don't pay for it.

[untouchableldw]

DO I tun the risk of adding anything bad from lfs???? I always worry about adding forgeion items to my tank?????....only 1 lfs...seem to be really cool.....How much would you add for a 55 gall?...Can I add that now??? Or should I wait .....I love fiddling with my system!!!

[SWfan]

If you haven't added all the CC substrate yet, I'd refrain from adding any more. There are a number of reasons not to add it and no reason I can think of to add it.

First, CC substrates are very harsh on fish that like to burrow into the sandbed. There are lots of them. Gobies, dragonettes, wrasses to name a few. When they dig, they can damage their scales and get cut up.

Second, CC substrates tend to be nitrate factories. Detritus gets caught in the nooks and crannies and decomposes. When it decomposes, it breaks down like all the other waste in your tank. The end result is nitrates (part of the fuel for algae (phosphates being another)).

Good luck with your new setup.

[sir_dudeguy]

of course there will always be the risk, even from the lfs, but in my experience, they're usually good about at least not giving you parasites, even tho their corals/fish arent in the best shape.

and also, that live sand that you had in the bucket probably wouldnt be very live by now, if its been sitting w/out flow for a long time. And if it was sitting dry, then it is just regular (nasty) sand now. So do you have the 80 lbs of lr in the tank now? or are you adding after the sand? if after the sand, you could just put like, aragonite, and the lr will turn the sand live in time...but it would be about half a year or so from what i've heard, but you've got plenty of rock to take care of the filtration, so i wouldnt worry about adding live sand...just let it turn live after a while.

Lights...

Right now, i'd say hold off on lights. You wont be able to add any corals or anything for a while, at least not till the tank is cycled and everything (which might not be long since you've got live rock.) so i'd just go with whatever strip light the setup came with, if it had one...also, the lights shouldnt be on anyways right now, not much anyways. Wait for the cycle to end before going to your full light schedule

[HornetMech242]

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