Starting My Tank?

[FavreOnSunday]

I'm about to start a tank. I have a 60 gallon corner tank that I bought used, & has been sitting for 2 years. I'm wondering what kind of cleaning I need to do to the tanks inside. This tank was used as saltwater, if that matters. Also, I am wondering if I should use gravel or sand. Can I use sand in a tropical tank? Any advice is appreciated. I have had smaller tanks in the past, but it has been about 10 years since I had 1. Thanks in advance.

 

[lordofthesea]

you can use sand but not the type for marine tanks. ask your LFS. between gravel and sand, it's really a matter of personal choice

wash the inside of the tank very thoroughly with clean water.

buy new filter media - you could clean the old stuff but it would be safer to use new. best to then fill up the tank and do a fishless cycle

 

[FavreOnSunday]

you can use sand but not the type for marine tanks. ask your LFS. between gravel and sand, it's really a matter of personal choice

wash the inside of the tank very thoroughly with clean water.

buy new filter media - you could clean the old stuff but it would be safer to use new. best to then fill up the tank and do a fishless cycle

I already bought gravel, but sand looks better to me. I have a brand new Rena XP3 & a new heater. I'm looking @ air pumps now. I was originally going saltwater, but after the tank sitting empty for 2 years, I've decided to do the tropical. The tank cleaned up nicely. I bought a bottle of "AquaSafe", & I'm looking for a test kit for the water. ...should have something going soon.

 

[OldMan47]

You will only need an air pump, if you like to look at the bubbles. The fish will not need it. The lighting may be a bit too strong if the salty folks kept corals in the tank. A few things remain to get like the thermometer, a bottle of ammonia for fishless cycling and the test kit that you already mentioned. I am assuming that Aquasafe is a dechlorinator but who can remember all the names that the stuff goes by. The new Rena will have most of the media included to get you started but you will probably want to replace the bag of biochemsorb with some ceramic biomedia instead of using it.

 

[FavreOnSunday]

I picked up some play sand today. It was a lot cheaper than the gravel, & I like it better. I do need to get a thermometer. The "AquaSafe" is the same as "Stress Coat", which is all I use to know it by when I had tanks in the past. Where can I get some ceramic biomedia? I usually tend to buy everything off the internet/eBay as I get better deals sometimes. ...The previous tank owners had a single "puffer fish" in this tank, & it out grew it. Thanks for all the help.

 

[Wills]

The Rena XP3 is a fantastic filter easy to prime and set up amazingly easy to clean good turn over and awesome flow never blocked on me once.