120 gal startup advice

[lockkeeper69]

I have started my 120 gal tank. I have added aragonite sugar size sand the water 35# of base rock and 13# of live rock so far. I am going to add more rock to get to my 120#. I am only seeding it with the 13#. This should work right?

I have had the rock in since last Sunday. i wanted to cycle the tank with the rock. Nothing is happening. Do I not have enough? Or does it take more time? Water and sand has been in and being filtered for about a week and a half.

Water tests as follows:
SG = 1.024
PH = 7.8 - 7.9
Ammonia = <0.25
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 0
Temp = 75 degrees

My PH is low. How do I get it up to where it needs to be 8.2 - 8.4?

As for now I am running a Fluval FX5 canister filter. I know I need to get a protein skimmer but this is it for now. I know I need to maintenence the filter often. I was going to do this once a week. The filter has 3 stages of the foam and then the water filters through charcoal and then through ceramic tubes.

Should I clean the filter now or wait unitl a cycle starts. I would like to clean it as the store i talked to when i got the sand and tank said the i would not have to clean the sand. BAD ADVICE. I had a cloud for a while. When I move sand to add rock so it sits on the glass it clouds up again but clears quicker than before. I must be getting the dust out.

Some good sound advice would be great.

 

[hibye]

For the sand you can use this website to calculate how much sand you will have/need.
http://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_1..._in_description=1&parent_category=0&x=5&y=14#

To get your tank seeded it will take about two weeks- 1 month for the tank to start to get algae. Your ph should go up too. But if it doesn't try increasing airflow with a powerhead.

I would also take the filters out and put them back in when your tank has started. DO NOT PUT ANY FISH IN UNTIL YOU GET A PROTEIN SKIMMER AND AT LEAST 100 POUNDS OF ROCK! I would suggest that you find a live rock at your store with feather dusters if you don't have any. You can also get uncured rock and have the 13-20# rocks seed that if you are on the cheap side like most of us.

 

[queenangel77]

To start the cycle on your tank you can throw in a table shrimp. This should help to jump start the cycle.

 

[Bifferwine]

You may not have enough live rock to start a cycle. Or the live rock you bought was already cured so there wasn't enough die off to start a cycle. In either case, you can do as queen recommended and throw a frozen people food shrimp in the tank and let it rot, or you can add some fish food to the tank and let it rot.

 

[yote]

And dont worry about the PH untill after the tanks cycled.

 

[kmart189]

You are going to get sick of the maintenance of the cannister I just made the switch to a sump and it was a pain in the ass. I had to drain the tank and I decided to move it while I was setting everything else up.