Reporting for command!

I read that distilled water doesn't have the natural chemicals ect. that the fish might be used to from the wild.

That's why you add salt. Salt mixes will have a good balance of all the elements you will need to keep a basic reef setup. You really shouldn't have to dose any additives. Starting with distilled water is the best way to go, because you start with something pure to mix the salt into.
 
That's why you add salt. Salt mixes will have a good balance of all the elements you will need to keep a basic reef setup. You really shouldn't have to dose any additives. Starting with distilled water is the best way to go, because you start with something pure to mix the salt into.


I will keep that in mind when filling my tank. We don't have LFS here, so I will have to buy most things online or from a magazine.

As for the water. I guess our local Wal-Mart's water section is about to become mine..
 
welcome. remember that when you have to top off the tank water that you only add fresh water not salt water. when the water evaps only the water leaves the tank not the salt.
 
Looks as if everyone has you covered to this point. So I'll just say Hi Dreamwalk. Welcome to the site.
 
Last edited:
I would also like to welcome you to the site...one thing no one mentioned was that the crushed coral you're deciding to get is a bad idea...it traps everything, causing high nitrates, which causes lots of algae. So you should stay away from that and get some sand. JMO
 
Thanks. I was planning on using sand, but a friend of mine suggested using crushed coral. He insists that i use it. Says that it will help the cycle.

I explained that I wanted to get livestock that sifts and that i would have to have fine grain sand.

He says to just crush the coral more. Like drop the bag on the ground or smack it....that it will become finer grain..


Any suggestions??
 
ok, here's what you do with friends: tell him, "oh, ok, I'll do that" then you go do what YOU want. See, that's what makes it yours, not his. I would also suggest you do what people are telling you here, some have really big tanks, and some have small ones, but they are ALL equally successfull through our cooperative knowledge of the hobby. I wish I heard of this site when I was starting, I listened to the Fish store guy, well guess what, all he wants is my money, not me having a cool sucessful tank. He lost a good customer through the bullshit of ripping me off. Back to you. I would order sand online, aggronite from Dr. Foster and Smith, they have everything you need and free shipping during the hloiday. They have customer service that will guide you towards what you want. Back to your friend, do what you want and yes him to death so as not to hurt his feelings. THEN, you follow what we are telling you and you will blow him away with your awesome cool tank that leaves him in the dust when all his stuff crashes or just gets covered over with hair algae 'cause of the tap water. Don't use tap water, ever, not even for a top off. Get distilled from the grocery store if thats all you have near you. And when all his coral starts to die from all the copper and chlorine in the water he's using. Do yourself a favor, get the stuff YOU like, not him, if he wants another tank he can do it himself, not in your tank. Good luck.

Here's a link to the sand and the site.

Aragamax Aquarium Sand
 
THEN, you follow what we are telling you and you will blow him away with your awesome cool tank that leaves him in the dust when all his stuff crashes or just gets covered over with hair algae 'cause of the tap water.


Yeah, i have just about decided that this is what i need to do..

Speaking of algae...I talked to him this morning...He seems to be having algwe problems:mrgreen:
His solution: add a lawnmower blenny to a (in my opinion:frustrat:) already overstocked tank.
 
....and let the games begin!!! Ok, so what water and substrate will you use? I bet his nitrates and stuff are going sky high! He better start to listen to you real soon....order sand and reef crystals from that site. Get started. Fill your tank with distilled water and you have nothing to worry about, unless you add it. Start thinking about live rock pieces.....and where to get them. If you order this weekend you can be having your tank cycle by next weekend...
 
+1 seabee.
At work there are a lot of people who have "successful" tanks without "ever" doing water changes and use tap water, etc.
They told me not to worry about a lot of stuff when I got started. Luckily, I listed to the masses here instead, and avoided a lot of failure. Meanwhile my coworkers with "successful" tanks have been lamenting about all the problems they have, but of course, none of it is their fault.

A lawnmower blenny won't solve his problems anyway. It may eat the algae, but it will just poop out algae spores. The phosphate will still be there.

Sometimes you can do the wrong thing and get lucky, and things work out. But why risk it when you're already dumping a ton of money into it.
Are you planning on doing a sump for your tank? Eventually you might want to look at that. It can help add water volume to the tank so it will be more stable. But then again, I bet once you get hooked, you'll want to upgrade to a bigger tank anyway!
 
....and let the games begin!!! Ok, so what water and substrate will you use?...order sand and reef crystals from that site. Get started. Fill your tank with distilled water and you have nothing to worry about, unless you add it. Start thinking about live rock pieces.....and where to get them. If you order this weekend you can be having your tank cycle by next weekend...
Are you planning on doing a sump for your tank? Eventually you might want to look at that. It can help add water volume to the tank so it will be more stable. But then again, I bet once you get hooked, you'll want to upgrade to a bigger tank anyway!

You are both amazing....

I will be using distilled water from my LGS(local grocery store) and as far as substrate...some kind of fine grained sand...not sure what type though.
as for live rock i really like the figi, but after seeing the post about the 7 ft worm that is native to figi and came in some LR im not sure i want that...it gave me nightmares.. lol..

As for doing it this weekend. Not happening.....You see, my mom is getting me this stuff for christmas. I have the whole christmas thing down. YOu find one thing you want the most and that is all you tell them to get you..

The sump...well, i know that it is like a external filter tank(correct?) that is all I know about it. do I really need one for a 10 gal:question:
 
Personally, I think fiji rock looks the best, but it's a personal choice. Hopefully you won't get a 7 foot worm in a 10 gal tank!!!

A sump is basically a second tank hidden away from your main display tank, that holds your heater, skimmer/filtration, can have a refugium in it, or other types of filtration & equipment. Having a 10 gallon actually would make it even more beneficial than in some larger tanks, simply because of the benefits of adding so much more volume to your system, making it a lot more stable.

That being said, it's not necessary, but you may consider it in the future, especially if you run into any problems with water quality/etc. What I can say, if you DO run into these problems, you might expend more time/money/effort trying to fix these problems than a sump would cost you. It can be a big project for someone new, though. I personally don't have a sump in my 75 gallon, but on my 125 gallon upgrade, I'm going to put one in for all the benefits it adds.

Like others and I have said in other posts, you'll have your hands full to manage that tank's water quality. A refractometer (over a hydrometer), a good test kit, and maybe even a temperature controller are going to be very important for you.

Hope that helps,
Alex
 
Thanks so much, I never really understood what a sump is for. A couple of questions about them...

I have another 10 gallon tank.... would that do or do you have to buy them?

Can they be used as a QT?
 
The10 gal could be either a sump or a qt, not both. A qt is a separate water system so it can't be infected. I probably should have a qt, but I don't.

To turn the other one into a sump, you'd need an overflow box (like the cpr overflow that drsfostersmith.com sells), plumbing, a pump, and baffles. Other people more experienced than me can probably help...
 
The10 gal could be either a sump or a qt, not both. A qt is a separate water system so it can't be infected. I probably should have a qt, but I don't.

To turn the other one into a sump, you'd need an overflow box (like the cpr overflow that drsfostersmith.com sells), plumbing, a pump, and baffles. Other people more experienced than me can probably help...


I think that I will just use it as a QT....less hassle and it can double as a AT too, right?
 
Back
Top