Ready To Start Cycling My Tank

[Tommy Gunnz]

Hello everyone,

I am finally ready to set my first salt water tank up and I have a few questions before I move ahead.

The tank is a 75 gallon bowfront tank and it is on a stand. I bought it from a store that sells only fish and this is their 'pro set-up' and so I should be good to go. I have enough substrate for a 4" base and 70 pounds of live rock. I would like to begin by at least getting the substrate in the tank with the live rock. My questions are...

Are there any general rules as to how high or deep I can stack the LR? For example, should I be trying to get the maximum surface area out of the rock that I can or will it not matter?

I am also wondering if I should put the live rock in the tank first and then have substrate around it or if there should be substrate underneath the rock? To give you an idea of what I am trying to accomplish, imagine a 75 gal bowfront tank, looking at it from the front to the back. I want to make a sort of pyramid in the tank so that there is about 6 inches between the LR and the glass on the sides and about 8 to 10 inches from the rock to the front glass (that is bowed out). I think that the live rock is going to be stacked up about 3/4 of the way up the back of the tank.

If it matters, this tank is going to be a FOWLR tank with 3 to 4 clownfish and 1 blue tang. I am not sure if this is the optimal set up for these fish or not. I just want to make it a nice and clean appearance since it is going to be a big focal point in my living room. And I have 'cured' the live rock already for about 2 and a half weeks.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

 

[SkiFletch]

Sounds like some good plans. Make sure its 4 clowns, odd numbers of clownfish rarely end up as a good situation... . Make sure your rocks are anchored on your bottom glass and THEN substrate poured around them. You dont want rocks resting on sand cause they will settle and might topple over time. Also, have some superglue gel around in case you want to secure a stubborn rock

 

[Tommy Gunnz]

Thanks for the reply. When you say superglue, do you mean ordinary superglue or a speacial type like silicone? (Dont mean to sound dumb, but this really is my first attempt at saltwater).

Also, creating this 1/2 pyramid will be ok as far as having enough surface area of the live rock available for the maximum amount of bacteria to grow or should I try to increase surface area?

Finally, four clowns is a good deal and is better than what I planned at first (2 to 3 of them). How would you suggest I purchase them and introduce them into the tank? All at one time, two at a time, or one at a time? If only one or two at a time, how long would you suggest I wait before putting adding the fish? (Trying to get a game plan set up for time and money issues since the LFS I prefer to stick with is kind of far away)

 

[Mr Miagi]

It doesnt really matter how you place the LR, its going to have the same surface are. If you have good flow, filtration capacity/surface area talk shouldnt be an issue. Just make sure youve got it where you want it, LOL!

Dont use actual superglue (although SW safe) but use a silicon, try using the silicon they use for making aquariums, I think you should be able to source it online.

I wouldnt personally worry though, just add some sand, so the rock isnt sitting on the actual glass, then add the rest of your sand around the LR youve placed at the base.

Add the four at once. If you introduced them at different times, they would have settled in and created their own territories, and tht could start bickering. All at once, and they will make territories knowing their are other fish in the tank.

No one can really tell you how long, depends on the quality of the LR and whether or not it is cured or uncured. Buy some test kist and monitor your water. See your other post, because I replied about cycling etc.

Congrats on starting up! Its excitiong when you think of the possible stocking options, especially in a tank like a 75!

 

[Tommy Gunnz]

Yes it is VERY exciting and I feel like a kid at christmas time! Getting into aquaria and fishkeeping has been my one and only hobby that I have had as an adult and I love my two freshwater tanks, but I feel that salt water tanks will allow me to be a little more busy and proactive with my hobby and is of course, the ultimate. I am lucky enough to have a really good base of funding for this project and the support and backing of my new wife and kids.

Thanks so much for your comments. The reason I ask about how to introduce the fish is because I read that with SW I would have to much more careful with water quality when I am adding fish. In my FW tanks I have been able to add 8 or so fish at a time and so I want to make sure I am not overloading my system by trying the same with clowns or other marine fish.

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah, fish in saltwater are of course less hardy than their freshwater counterparts as a rule, but usually hardier than corals and sponges...