Need answers to many questions

[yunitor1]

Hello Reeferes

I’m very happy and proud to joint this community. I built my reef tank almost 5 years (or no time, or no wishes, or no money, etc.) and finally soon will be ready to start it and as much I red the forum and watch YouTubeI couldn’t find answers to my questions. Hope someone can help me.

1. Salt water density. Everywhere can find suggestions to keep water density 1.024 - 1.027 with temperature 25ºC but if I mix salt water in normal Singaporean ambient 28-32ºC what density should be?

2. Regarding salt mixing. If my system together with sump is about 600L and I have storage space for about 200L. I have to fill my system about a week or maybe I can mix salt in the tank directly?

3. I red suggestions that during cycling no need to run chiller and light but I din’t find much information if I need to run skimmer. Any suggestion?

4. Do I need to do any water changes during cycling? Some reefers said yes small amounts once a week, others said no, just change 50% at the end of the cycling

5. Can I use cheato during cycling?

6. What about UV steriliser?  

[Indeco]

Hello Reeferes
I’m very happy and proud to joint this community. I built my reef tank almost 5 years (or no time, or no wishes, or no money, etc.) and finally soon will be ready to start it and as much I red the forum and watch YouTubeI couldn’t find answers to my questions. Hope someone can help me.
1. Salt water density. Everywhere can find suggestions to keep water density 1.024 - 1.027 with temperature 25ºC but if I mix salt water in normal Singaporean ambient 28-32ºC what density should be?
2. Regarding salt mixing. If my system together with sump is about 600L and I have storage space for about 200L. I have to fill my system about a week or maybe I can mix salt in the tank directly?
3. I red suggestions that during cycling no need to run chiller and light but I din’t find much information if I need to run skimmer. Any suggestion?
4. Do I need to do any water changes during cycling? Some reefers said yes small amounts once a week, others said no, just change 50% at the end of the cycling
5. Can I use cheato during cycling?
6. What about UV steriliser?  

1. Just do normal mixing will do, use ATC refractormeter to measure 1.025 can liao.

2. If you got sand then mix salt liao then put sand else can directly mix inside the tank. Just slowly mix to ensure u dont over shoot 1.025. After salt dissolve, measure 30 to 45 min later and then add again.

3. Skimmer up to you, I dont think it affect cycling. I will run to pull out any bad thing coming from the rock and sand.

4. Only do water change once the cycle finish. How much water to change depend on ur NO3 after cycle.

5. Don't put chaeto 1st, likely will die due to water no nutrient.

6. Maybe u should study a bit whether you need a UV sterilizer b4 u commit. If you want will suggest to buy a proper one.

Lastly, if u using Dr tim ammonia solution to cycle just do it slowly to prevent cloudy water.

[yunitor1]

Thanks bro. Very useful your answers. UV steriliser I got from FNM a while ago. Regarding UV I watch quite a lot of videos from BRS TV and others how to use it but nowhere I found if it require to use it during cycling. 

[Indeco]

Thanks bro. Very useful your answers. UV steriliser I got from FNM a while ago. Regarding UV I watch quite a lot of videos from BRS TV and others how to use it but nowhere I found if it require to use it during cycling. 

Yap, based on BRS video UV can't really kill algae and for parasites no effective way to prove can kill or not.

Understand from other is if you having cloudy water it will help to clean it.

I will suggest practise quarantine will help u success in the long run.

[Harlequinmania]

There are different school of thought of running skimmer and chiller during tank cycling.. I feel there is no right or wrong ,as last as the ammonia level start going up and then start dropping to zero it show that the cycling is happening

Personal I would no run skimmer and chiller during cycling as the bacteria might be skim off .water change after cycling is ideal as most likely the nitrate level will be high after the tank cycling is completed, and the water change will help bring it down.

Hope it helps

Sent from Singapore Reef Club mobile app

[yunitor1]

Thanks to everybody for the information.

Regarding the QT definitely will have it. But I think to have one for fish and corals.