How to set up a salt water aquariums?

waters

When starting a salt water aquarium , what are the steps someone should take?.

Nookuler

Since I recently set up my tank (6 days ago) I'll share how I did mine, others may have better ways, but again, I'm a begginer at this hobby.

1. Added Live sand (12 gal tank, 20 lbs of LS)
2. Added Water and Marine Salt (1.021 SG)
3. Added base rock (since I didnt have LR at the time)
4. Turned filter and lights on.
5. Started cycle (I think)
6. Went out and bought LR
7. Added Live Rock
8. Found hitchhiker on LR

That's how I set up my tank. Again, everyone here has different ways to set up a tank. I'm pretty sure that my next setup will be a different way since I'll have more live rock and live sand.

ahill3780

Welcome to FishTankForums!

Setting up the tank is pretty simple. First thing is to never place LR or LS in a tank containing fresh water. If you purchase all of your rock and sand up front then leave the sand in its package and place all LR in a container with pre-mixed saltwater in it and let it remain there until your tank is ready to accept it.

Here are the basic steps to follow with any general tank setup:

1. Gather all of your materials and equipment.
2. Choose a location to set up the tank, making sure that the floor beneath will support the weight of the filled tank.
3. Place the tank on the stand.
4. Fill the tank with your source water and let it sit overnight with plain fresh water. Check the seals along the tank to make sure there aren't any leaks.
5. Install and test any filtration equipment during your leak test period to make sure they are working properly with no leaks themselves. Cut them off before moving on to the next step.
6. Remove 25% of the fresh water out of the tank to make room for the addition of sand/rocks later on. Add in the salt:
   • Following the instructions from the manufacturer mix in the recommended amount of salt to the volume of water in your tank.
   • Drop in a powerhead (if available), and install the heater.
   • Turn the powerhead on right away but wait 15 minutes before turning on the heater.
   • Let the tank mix overnight, or until there is no visible salt in the tank, then use your Hydrometer to check the salt level in the tank. Aim for a level between 1.022 and 1.026 ppm.
   • If your level falls below this range then add more salt at the rate of 1/2 cup at a time, and waiting an hour between retesting. If the level gets above this range then add in some fresh water to compensate.
7. Once you have the salinity right, then cut the power to the powerhead and add in your substrate. You are going to have a sandstorm in the tank after doing this so leave your filtration equipment off until it settles. If you have the cash to replace the filter media then go ahead and run the filter to help clear the cloud quicker. Otherwise it could take up to a week before the sand settles. No need to rush, be patient.
8. Once the cloud settles go ahead and place any LR you have in the tank, and set up any decorations.
9. Fire up the filtration equipment and let it run.
10. Read the Sticky on Cycling a saltwater tank and follow the instructions laid out in it: Click Here
11. After the Nitrogen Cycle has passed then start adding in your livestock SLOWLY, 1 at a time, making sure you acclimate them properly. See Acclimation guide here: Click Here or See Here
12. Don't hesitate to ask others for input or clarification. No one expects you to know everything right off the bat, and you can save yourself a lot of heartache and financial stress by simply asking others questions that you are unsure of.

That, I think, covers most of the setup phaze but its been a while and I could have missed something. If anyone notices anything that I missed please post up your response.

HTH,
Aaron

Nookuler

Hey Aaron, um if that's how I'm supposed to set up my tank, Hmmmm, I think my tank is FUBAR. I think I added fresh water to my LS and THEN I added the salt. Dang, I was wondering why my tank hasn't gone into cycle, and now I know. Well I'm going to go and print this "Guide" out and keep it for my next tank(s). Hopefully I didn't screw up my LS too much.

Ariel

waters

Thank's for your help.

ahill3780

Hey Ariel,

Mixing the sand in fresh water is not recommended, but it is recoverable and does not spell the end of all things. Any die-off would eventually be repaired and the tank will recover, it just means waiting longer.

You might just need to add some ammonia to the tank to get things started. If the ammonia goes away then it is safe to say that the bacteria are there and doing their jobs. From that point you would start stocking slowly while keeping an eye on the parameters of the tank.

HTH,
Aaron

Nookuler

Aaron,

Thanks again for your infinite wisdom.

ahill3780

I can assue you my wisdom is quite finite. But you all are welcome to it all the same. It's my pleasure.

Aaron