Jumping in with both feet!

[Lizardgi]

Hello Everyone!

I'm obviously new to the forms but have been lurking for a few days already finding a wealth of information. Everyone seems very helpful and I'm looking forward to participating here in the future!

I've always kept a 55 gallon freshwater tank growing up with my parents. Now that I have my own place and plenty of room, I decided I was going to take the aquarium to my house and convert it to saltwater. Looking for any live rock deals on craigslist, I came across a 125 gallon established reef for sale and after meeting with the owner and seeing the setup, I agreed to buy it for $500. I don't have too many details yet, but I hope to have it home in a few weeks. I'll be doing as much research as I can in this time and plan to only continue with what is established for at least 6 months until I get the full hang of this. I have The New Marine Aquarium: Step-By-Step Setup & Stocking Guide by Michael S. Paletta arriving from Amazon.com today which I plan to read cover to cover.

A bit about the setup as far as I know, its a 125 gallon with one clown, live rock, few soft corals, pencil urchin, large brittle star, and plenty of clean up critters. Lights appear to be T5 lights but seem to be adequate as the corals are thriving and spreading like crazy. Filtration is two Filstar M3 canister filters - no skimmer which I plan to get. Also included in the deal was an RO unit which I will be thrilled to use.

A few beginner questions I have as I prepare for this move:

Should I stick it out with the canister filters or just eventually load up on live rock and a decent protein skimmer?

Currently there is a bit of live sand/crushed coral in the aquarium but it is spread thin to the point that glass shows on the bottom. I'd like to replace this completely and start over. Is the live sand in a bag worth it or can I just go with non-live Agramax sand? I'm planning to get about 140 pounds to put in the aquarium as I do not want it to look cheap.

Do reef systems usually use air pumps with air stones to create bubbles? I usually don't see them, but I've always wondered.

I know I'll have dozens of questions in the next few weeks - I can't thank all of you enough for the help!

-Aaron

 

[pheasant29]

Welcome, sounds like you got a good deal there. It would be a good idea to loose the canister filter and replace it with a good protein skimmer. Adding a sump wouldn't hurt either. No air pumps needed they just cause salt spray or creep. Maybe just adding more sand to the existing would be best. You want to keep as much of existing water, rock and sand if possible. just plain argamax will be fine. It will become alive. Watch the sand that is all ready there. Being stirred up could cause a cycle in the tank once moved. Good luck and glad to have you aboard.

 

[Lizardgi]

Thanks for the reply! My biggest concern with using the current sand that is there is the stirring up factor - as well as the fact it is an ugly mix of black and white sand. I'm probably simply going to start fresh with non-live sand for simplicity. I'll be saving all of the live rock and as much water as I possibly can. A sump will definitly be coming down the road. The display is going to be built into a wall in my basement with only the front face visible with the rest in a storage room. I'll have plenty of space as well as easy access to a drain.

 

[pheasant29]

Ya, it sounds like you will better off with the new sand. The tank build sounds awesome. Keep us posted with lots of pics. Start a tank build thread in the showcase forum.

 

[Smitty]

Hello and welcome to the site...glad to have you.

 

[Ulta]

Welcome! :)

I agree with you I would go with all new sand... You have quite a chore on your hands in moving a 125g aquarium with critters!!!

My only advise is when moving everything remember to do your very best to keep water temp steady. And when filling up your tank in your house to match salinity. Both water temp and salinity have to be as close as you can get them to the tank they were in for every1 to do ok.

The other issue lies in stirring up decaying material essentially creating a "Cycle" (Read up on the bacteria cycle) causing a spike in ammonia/nitrite which is lethal to both fish and corals (effects prolly seen in corals first) monitor this in your newly set up tank by testing frequently.
Keeping a decent amount of water from the old tank will help only to help blend the new water with the old so the water parameters match better. But you won't be able to save it all =P Just remember most of the bacteria lives in the live rock (and in your case prolly that canister filter) So do your best to keep that rock submersed in water to keep the bacteria alive (and in your case I would treat that canister filter as a piece of live rock keeping the bacteria in it preserved, until your tank(Bacteria pop.) is more established).

Me personally I would keep on hand some Ammo Lock(bonds ammonia to a non lethal form until bacteria can break it down), and Stress-Zyme(Bacteria Supplement in a bottle) in case you do go through a cycle. Others don't promote this as much as I do but I went through a cycle 2 weeks peaking 1ppm ammonia and had no deaths after using them.

No Air stones, and yes buy a good skimmer :)

 

[wontonflip]

Welcome to the site!

Just fyi, if you ditch all of the old sand, you're essentially ditching the bacteria that breaks down ammonia and nitrites. I suggest keeping at least some of the old sand and use that to seed the new sand.


Have LOTS of pre-mixed saltwater in hand for emergency water changes. I suggest keep enough of the old water in tubs to keep everything wet and under water for transport, and replace the lost water w/ new saltwater. But leave some for emergency changes in case there is die off -- the die off will make your ammonia spike.

Does the ro unit include a tds meter? If not, get one...unless you know for a fact how long he's had the filter. Get a refractometer to test the salinity, and dropper test kit to monitor your ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates.

Good luck! And remember -- pics or it didn't happen! :D

 

[Piratefish]

Im just throwing this out there to you. I have had great luck using a scrubber as my only filter. There is lots of info out there and its simple to make or not so cheap to buy. You can check it out on this forum. Its also simple to clean and its kind of fun to watch the algae grow plus you can feed it to you fish and snails.

 

[yote]

Welcome aboard.
Looks like everybody has you covered.

 

[Bifferwine]

Hello and welcome to the site! It sounds like you got a fantastic deal on that tank. The price is great, and it seems like it's got a lot of good stuff included.