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55 Gallon Newbie Build

10K views 74 replies 10 participants last post by  pretzelsz 
#1 ·
So I finally got the tank...Since I am too young to have a job everything will be very spaced out.:cry: The guy I got the tank from(off of craigslist) game me alot of stuff to boost my salt and fresh water hobby. I am cleaning the tank right now here are some pics from when I first got it...and yes the back of the stand is burnt(needed circuit breaker) without farther adieu the tank





 
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#63 ·
So your saying I shouldn't use tap if I want any corals unles I get a RO unit? and that if I get an RO unit down the road it might not work either?

-should I start mixing the water and salt?

-PH measures the Alkalinity right?

-how should I mix the salt?
 
#65 · (Edited)
Lets see what info I can offer.

1) No, pH does not measure alkalinity. ph is the measure of acidity or basicity. Alkalinity is the measurement of a solutions ability to neutralize acids, in other words how well your water can maintain pH. Try to maintain an alkalinity of 8-12 dKH.
2) Regarding the sandbed, You will want to add your sand as soon as possible. The reason why is different life lives at different levels in the sand. If they have a chance to make their home and then you add more sand on top they will all be at a different depth causing die off which will leave to poor water quality
3) Mix your salt in room temperature water and add a powerhead to ensure that it mixes and dissolves properly
 
#66 ·
ok so I should buy an alkalinity test kit?

I also got 20LB of live sand today with 45 more on the way. So I should buy the amount I need for 4" before adding any?

That does not apply to live rock right? I will start out with 50lb and work my way up if okay
 
#68 ·
ok so I should buy an alkalinity test kit?
You don't own one already? ;-)

Alkalinity is probably the most important test you can have in the aquarium. This test will give you an idea of water quality and what trend it is taking.

It would be fine to put the 65 lbs of Live Sand in now and gauge how deep that is. You will need to wait until you have all the sand in the tank before you can start the maturing proccess. If you add sand at a later date, you could run into some problems like die-off or like algae blooms.

This doesn't apply to rock. With rock you will want to get your live rock into the tank before start the maturing proccess, but you can add dry rock at any time. You can add dry rock a year or two after the tank has been running with livestock.
 
#67 ·
If possible you want to try and add the live/dry rock first before the sand. You want to do this because then the sand will secure the rocks/reef structure's base.

You can but RO/DI water from the LFS you don't need your on unit to get it.

You will want to add your Live Rock and Live Sand and wait about 2-3 weeks before you add anything. You can add a CUC at around the 2 week mark. The longer you wait the better because then the bacteria and tiny pods will have a chance to have a larger population.
 
#69 ·
So I have mixed the water tested it with what I have and I need to get backround, heater, more sand, live rock, calcium and alkalinity tests, and lights.

Ammonia .50ppm
Nitrite 0.0ppm
pH 8.0-8.2ppm
I ahve Nitrate but didn't test it
 
#74 ·
So I have the salt mixed and the protein skimmer up and running with a filter with some active carbon to get some stuff out. My question is I have 65 pounds of sand and i want a 4 inch sand bed how much more do I need?( dimensions needing to be filled 48in x 12in x 4in)
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