Just started new tank, did I do it right?

[jjgina]

I just started a 35 gal tank tonight and was wondering if I got it right?
I used Nature's Ocean Bio-Activ Live Aragonite (2 20 lb bags gave me about 3 inches), bought 10 lbs. of Haitian Rock (they were out of Fiji),
after putting in sea-salt my salinity is at 1.027 (tto high, right)
The bag that the Aragonite came in says "No Waiting...Just Add Fish"
Does this mean the tank doesn't need to cycle?
Do I need to put fish in to cycle properly?

I also need a protein skimmer. Since its only a 35 gal., I thought that I could get a good hang-on, but do not know which are good/bad.
My LFS has the "Prism" for $139.00 There is an ad for BigAlsOnline.com that has the same skimmer for $70, but is this a good skimmer?
The CPR ads look pretty good, but don't know prices. They have a Cyclone Bak-Pak Bio-Filter that looks good, If i want go with the Berlin Method, would it hurt to use a biological filter besides the rock and sand, or will it be better for the system?

[afss]

You seem to be OK so far.. just make sure to let the tank cycle.. probably take 3-4 weeks depending on circumstances.. maybe less if you are lucky. I'm not sure what they mean by no waiting.. just add fish. I know some brands say you can mix it and then add it imediately to the tank, but that is different than just ad fish.
Any way i would say one of the best things you did was to check out this bb. you should also check out reef central, reefs.org

are you in canada or US?
Scott

[jjgina]

[tendar]

Dont add fish right away.
With live rock in the tank it will cycle on its own in 2-4 weeks. Adding another 10-20 lbs of live rock would be a good idea also.
The Prizm skimmers a good skimmer for small tanks. Your tank is about max size for the prizm but should be good. You can get the prizm skimmers form most on-line vendors for $70-80 which is a good price. The back packs sell for around $125.
Your salinity is a little high but not to bad. Try to keep it around 1.024-1.026 and always mix your fresh salt water in a seperate container for a day before adding it to your tank when doing water changes.

[jjgina]

Why do you premix the saltwater?
Is putting tap water in containers and leaving out for more than 24 hrs a good way to dissipate the chlorine, if it is , what other things in the tap are harmful to the fish?

[scubadude]

Originally posted by jjgina
Why do you premix the saltwater?
Is putting tap water in containers and leaving out for more than 24 hrs a good way to dissipate the chlorine, if it is , what other things in the tap are harmful to the fish?

You have to pre mix the salt so the chemical reaction doesnt harm any living creatures in your tank. I do not recommend using tap water you will more than likely get all kinds of ugly algae blooms....atleast use bottled water from the store....if not RO/DI water

Elements harmful from tapwater

Phosphates
Silicates
Ammonia
Chlorine
Nitrates

Just to name a few

[jjgina]

Do I need to get the bubbles out of the sand bed?:eek3:

[jjgina]

Is the "Tap Water Filter" from Aquarium Pharmaceuticals good to start with?

[jjgina]

I think that I am going to go with a PRISM skimmer, do I need to get this right now or can I wait until the tank cycles and I add fish? -or does it help the cycling?

[jjgina]

I have a EHEIM hang-on filter on tank to clean the water up. The water is clean now, should I leave the EHEIM on? The live rock and sand should take care of all the filtering, right? Will the EHEIM polish the water?

[scubadude]

the "Tap water purifier" is aclaimed by most a very good filter.....I just bought one the other nite and hooked it up to my sink and I guess the pressure is a bit much for the filter cuz it will blow one of the end caps right off, unless i hold it firmly w/my hand, this would probably be a good start though, just dont be in a hurry to fill up a big jug and dont turn the faucet on full blast. I think the Prizm skimmer is an excellent choice for your tank.....I had one on a 20g and it was GREAT!

[eses]

I use the "Tap Water Filter" from Aquarium Pharmaceuticals to DI my water, and it works very well. You need to make sure you have your water turned down so it is only flowing about 10 gallons per hour for it to be most effective. So it would work well with your system I think.

Scubadude- if your using the same filter, you may have your incoming water turned up too high if the end caps are coming off; or maybe a bunk unit. Mine are pretty difficult to remove.

jjgina- you can put off putting the skimmer on for awhile, but I would purchase it and have it running before you start introducing fish. Let your tank cycle without it though, in theory you will build a higher population of ammonia metabolizing bacteria.

Which EHEIM filter do you have exactly? What kind of media? If it is a diatom filter, or a micron filter for filtering out fine particles, don't run it all the time; just polish your water with it. If it has a course filter media, or sponge, leave it on all the time to mechanically filter your water. Some people are a fan of letting the sand bed take care of any deitrus, but I like having some form of mechanical filtration.

Your water is clean now, but wait in 6 months and you have fish and a populated tank. Also, if you do turn your filter off, do not leave it sitting with water in it.

Also I would suggest buying the book called Marine and Reef Aquarium Handbook by Dr. Robert J. Goldstein. It isn't the most up to date book, but it has alot of great information and is very light reading. I learned alot from it when I first started in the hobby.