Yeah can't wait til tuesday

[qsgirl1978]

hey all Tuesday is almost here I called petco and got my 5 boxes of water ordered pick it up tuesday at 2. I also am going to pick up my sand on Tuesday. I should be picking up my live rock by the end of the week. I am so excited. Once I get everything placed the way i want it I will be taking some pictures for everyone to see the newbies new tank. I have two questions before I buy my sand and liverock. Since my tank is 25 gallons I know that I need at least 25 pound of live rock to start but what is the best kind to get and should I get small pieces or big pieces? Okay maybe three questions. What the heck is grunge sand? I found a sand calculator here on the board and it says I need 17#s of one kind of sand and 3#s of grunge sand. So please help. I am also buying the book that you all recommended. Can't wait to show you all the end result. Have a good night and thanks for everything

qsgirl

 

[NaH2O]

qsgirl - Woohoo! You are on your way! I don't think you need to add grunge sand if you don't want to. You can accomplish the same kind of thing with a scoop of someone else's sand, or by purchasing some detrivore kits. My understanding of grunge sand is its sand full of orangisms and bacterias that are beneficial to your aquarium. It is true you want sand critters and bacteria to live in your sand, however, IMO you will get this eventually. By either introducing a scoop of live sand from an established aquarium, by purchasing detrivores, or allowing them to populate from live rock. I read some reviews about grunge sand on RC, and it seems the opinions were mixed as to the benefits. Some people think its great, and others didn't see what the big deal was. So, its ultimately up to you. Here are a couple of sites that offer detrivore kits: Inland Aquatic - Cultured Detrivores, IPSF.com - Sand Critters.

With regards to live rock - it all depends on what kind of look you want. I personally love the more porous live rock, such as Pukani and Marshall Island. Figi, Kaelini, and Tonga are also very nice types of rock. Its all a matter of personal taste, really, and how you want your tank to look. Try and visualize your rock structure, and pick pieces that will fit that picture. Don't be afraid to chisel pieces and create shapes you are looking for. Also you can use zip ties to hold rocks together in formations. Some folks also use acrylic rods and drill them into the rock to create overhangs. Before I aquascaped, I spent a great deal of time looking at different pictures of tanks, and drew on a piece of paper how I wanted the tank to look. I think I came pretty close to that, so I'm happy with my structures. Here is an outstanding thread for tank pics: Show Me Your Full Tank Shots

Hope this helps!