Anothe Newbie

[dpajr24]

:bounce:hola amigos:bounce:

I've just decided to get back in to salt water aquariums. I had a salt fiish aquarium for 5 years (seahorses). I managed well, but gave it up when I relocated. I grew up w/ parents that were avid reefers, so I have some knowledge.

I've reviewed a few sites and I'm questioning the amount of live rock and sand they recommend. I'm starting up a 37 gal reef. According to my calculations, it's recommended to have 50 lbs of live rock and almost an equal amount of live substrate.

That sounds like a heavy load for a small 37 gallon. What say you?

I'd also like to know what people think of Florida live rock. Cheaper, yes, but is it worth it? I've always preferred the Fijian.

Looking forward to your comments.

D

 

[Ulta]

heya, welcome to the reef!

~ 50lbs sounds good for a 37g. 1-2lbs/gallon is a good rule of thumb.

Substrate varies, I would say more of a personal preference thing. Doesn't have to be live tho it will become live.
(Stay away from crushed coral >_<!)

and I would recommend looking for live rock from local reefers tearing down their tanks, I bought 50lbs of some "Premium" fiji live rock online when I was new and I have to say it was possibly the worst purchase I had made(Everything was dead and bleached by the time it got to me). There should be somewhere you can look for local reefers tearing down their tanks and can usually find some great Liverock at a great price. But once again, you don't need your rock to be "live" lots of people on here buy Macro Rocks (Dry Rock) and use that in their tank, quickly your tank will cycle and your rocks will become "live". :)

Another place that has a great reputation is TBS Tampa Bay Saltwater. Its a bit pricey but come with tons of great stuff. The one example I can think of if your interested in this is check out any of D2Mini's build threads located in the "Tank Showcase" section on the forums.

 

[Smitty]

Hello and welcome to the site...glad to have you...I totally agree with Ulta.

 

[yote]

Welcome aboard.
I guess you could say that I'm one of those that just wants enough rock to make my reef.You can also save some cash by using dry base rock for the foundation and seeding that with just a few pounds of the live rock.

 

[reeffreak]

Welcome to the site and back to the hobby!

The amount of rocks sounds about right.You can use all live rock or a combination of dry and live rock if you wish.Live rock from Florida is maricultured(sort of) so it's better for the environment.Fiji live rock isn't what it use to be so I doubt you will notice a difference.

Links to some popular dry and live rock sites.
Marco Rocks The finest aquarium rock available, base rock, live rock, reef rock, marco rock, reef tank saltwater fish, live corals, Marco rocks, Fiji live rock, Tonga Live rock
Live Rock - Tampa Bay Saltwater Aquacultured Live Rock
Live Rock and Live Sand: Live Saltwater Aquarium Rock and Sand

Sand on the other hand will depend on how deep you want it.Some of us run 1/2'' and some of us run 2''.The only advice I can give is the smaller the grain size the more shallow the sandbed needs to be.Look for aragonite base sand for it's buffering capacity and like Ulta mentioned,avoid crush coral.

 

[dpajr24]

Thanks for the responses! Much appreciated. I just returned from visiting a couple of local vendors. Pricing isn't bad $4.00/lb for live cured Fiji rock. It'll be a while before I start up. I look forward to following your posts until then.

D

 

[motorcyclereefer]

Welcome and feel free to ask questions.

 

[dcantucson]

Hello! :regular_w Welcome to the Reef!

 

[dpajr24]

:sad::disappoin

Unfortunately, the new set up has been put on hold. My 60 gal discus tank ammonia levels have spiked. Ph is fine, so are nitrates and nitrites. Think addition of drift wood (that they swore by and said was tank ready) purchased from a "reputable" pet store chain was the reason. Smells like death. Developed an awful white fungus even after boiling twice.

Gonna straighten this tank out before I move on the mini-reef.

 

[Smitty]

Sorry to hear that, and good luck getting everything squared away.

 

[dpajr24]

I'm finally ready to add liverock to my aquarium. If I have "cured" rock shipped, it will need to "cure" again. Right? Should I wait to order my clowns?

 

[ErinCahir]

Yes. Yes you should.