Live sand / rock @startup

[scuttlebut]

An friend put me in touch with a salt tank guru and after speaking with him, he states the only way to properly start up a new tank is with live sand and rock and using that as biological filtration in conjunction with a sump and skimmer. Considering the size of my tank and the fact I really don't want to invest $1500.00 in rock and sand, is there a less expensive means of start-up like possibly using crushed coral as a bed and a few pounds of live rock to get the tank established?

Can a bed of crushed coral be seeded with bacterias to get a tank started and cycled?

 

[DonW]

Crushed coral causes problems. You do NOT need live sand, dead sand is fine. You can also us part dry rock from someplace like marco rocks and some live rock. This will keep cost down and limit unwanted pest.

Don

 

[scuttlebut]

Is there a recommended ratio of dry rock to live and should an undergravel filter be used in conjunction with a sump, trickle filter, fuge and which one would you recommend

 

[DonW]

Is there a recommended ratio of dry rock to live and should an undergravel filter be used in conjunction with a sump, trickle filter, fuge and which one would you recommend

Nope no real ratio. You could start with all dead rock, it just takes longer for the tank to cycle. No undergravel filter, no trickle filter a fuge would be nice but again not manditory. A good skimmer is plenty, with enough LR.

Don

 

[returnofsid]

Do NOT use an undergravel filter. They used to be the way to go...before we all learned better. Also stay away from trickle or wet/dry filters. These become nitrate factories. A few people seem to have great luck with Crushed Coral but for the most part, it causes problems with algae.

As far as live rock to dead rock or dry sand...As Don said, you could start your entire tank with dead sand and base or dead rock. It will all become living in time. It will just take longer to cycle. It'll be a good test of the first rule with marine tanks....patience. If you were to put in a 1/2" of dead aragonite sand and a pound of established live sand, that'll speed up the process of your sand bed becoming "live." You can do the same thing with your rock. Base rock will be cheaper than cured live rock. Uncured live rock will also be cheaper. Dry rock will be cheaper still. Just keep in mind that when you get into this hobby, know that it can be quite expensive and cutting corners in some areas can help...while in other areas, cutting corners can be disastrous.

You'd be better off getting the proper quantity of rock, dry, uncured or cured, than if you were to get all live rock and not enough of it.

 

[scuttlebut]

I've beed reading but really don't understand the cured/uncured thing. Also, I guess I should have said that I don't intend to establish a reef tank but mor in the lines of a fish/invert tank. With this in mind how much rock should I use/get?

 

[returnofsid]

Cured rock is ready to put directly into an established tank. It won't experience a die off. Uncured rock is rock that could experience a die off in an established tank. However, with a new tank being set up, you want that die off to get your tank cycling, so uncured rock would be just fine. A word of warning, depending on how much rock and how much die off, it can get a lil' smelly during the cycling process. As for how much, that's hard to say with a FOWLR tank. (Fish Only With Live Rock) General rule of thumb with a reef tank is 1 to 1 1/2 pounds per gallon. The more live rock and more random flow, the better natural filtration you'll get.

With a Fish only tank, it's more up to you as to how you want it to look. In some cases, it may depend on the type of fish you're planning. If you get herbivorous fish, you'll need that live rock for natural algaes to grow on. If you're planning fish that depend on amphipods or copepods to eat, such as a Mandarin Dragonette, you'll need lots of live rock for the pods to sustain their population.