New beginner to marine tank

[ady]

Hi guys.. I am a newbie for this marine. I am currently running water (no salt yet) with added anti-chlorime. Soon I will add Coraline Salt to it and will let the water cycle again for a few days. Have not added sand yet to my 4feet tank. Planning to have a bare tank with only sand it it.

Can u guys advise me on how to cycle the tank? I am planning to add a few Damsels in it to start off the cycle. But I've read in the forums saying to add a dead prawn in it. Sounds scheptical but does it really works...?

Sorry.. I amd from a freshwater tank keeper to hopefully a salt water kepper...

Regards...

Ady

[rogerboi]

all u can do now is add in the salt , check that u got the correct salinity. Get some LRs and the cycling will kick off. make sure that you have your filter and skimmer. after maybe 1 week, u can start doing ur rockscaping. and after a month, u can add in the damsels.

[Darryl85]

Bro, don forget to buy LR also..........

they r very important during cycling........

look out for them at pasar malar forum.....

some ppl selling them for cheap prices.....

[hammy]

Hi guys.. I am a newbie for this marine. I am currently running water (no salt yet) with added anti-chlorime. Soon I will add Coraline Salt to it and will let the water cycle again for a few days. Have not added sand yet to my 4feet tank. Planning to have a bare tank with only sand it it.

Can u guys advise me on how to cycle the tank? I am planning to add a few Damsels in it to start off the cycle. But I've read in the forums saying to add a dead prawn in it. Sounds scheptical but does it really works...?

Sorry.. I amd from a freshwater tank keeper to hopefully a salt water kepper...

Regards...

Ady

bare tank with only sand ?? it's quite difficult ... bacteria will have no place to reside unless ur filter is huge or skimmer is super effective .

cycle for only a few day>??

likely to fail. cycling usually took roughly a month .

don't get damsel to kickstart your system , it is a bit cruel . dead prawn does work. the idea is to have ammonia input in the tank to start the cycle .

[ady]

Yo Bro... I may be a dumb newbie...

What exactly is a LR?

So u saying that adding a dead prawn is more advisable to kick off the cycle?

I know that by adding Damsels are quite cruel by nature...

and to have a bare tank with only sand is also not advisable as no bacteria can culture in it..

I'm using Ehiem 2217 for filter. Inside I added 3/4 coral chips and filter wools.

Thanks for the advise Bros...!!!

[Darryl85]

Haha, i m lik u the last time..........

u should go to marine shop to take a very good look........ ]

there u will find lots of Liverock...... they live them in Kilos.........

anyway i find liverock very interesting, they give u lots of things lik crabs too.......

hehe.........

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=45016

a link where ppl is selling Live Rock.........

[hondaker]

LR=live rocks

basically these are porous rocks which enable bacteria to be house inside them, as well as used for aquascaping.

as for the eheim filter, the coral chips are best avoided, as they tend to trap detrius and will create nitrate problems in future.

adding the market prawn is a simple way to introduce ammonia inside your system, rather than sacrificing the damsels (if they dont die, they will most likely be a pest to other fishes in future)

wait a month or so for the cycle to complete, once completed, you should be able to get a high reading for nitrate content. proceed on to change water to dilute the nitrate and you can start slowly stocking up your tank

cheers

[Qxnviolet]

Simply adding LRs will kick start your cycle....unless you happen to get cured rocks. In my opinion, LRs are an important part of a marine system as some reefers have already stated. a marine tank w/o Lrs will look....somehow....unnatural. Happy reefing....

[ady]

What do u guys say abt adding those Benificial Bacterias which comes in bottles... those abt $20++ per bottle to kick start the cycle..

I think the wife is not gonna be please abt the smell if I were to put in a dead prawn i the tank. My 4feet tank is in my room/gym and not the masterbedroom.

He he he....

[Alvin Tan]

wow...u hav a gym in ur huse...haha....alrite...yes....some nitrifying bacteria will help tos kick start the cycle...

live rocks play a important role in allowing bacteria to live inisde them and to give u the more "ocean feeling"...other than tt...coral can be place on rockscapes too...

anyway...i seriously dun tink the room will stink for jus having a dead prawn inside the tank la...

its time to add in the salt bro..let it cycle for abt 3 days before adding LRs..

jus my 2 cents..

[Firestarz]

Eh .. noticed that u do not hav a skimmer, 1 of the neccessary equipments of marine fish keeping.

Mayb u can consider connecting ur main tank to a sump where u can house a skimmer and mayb other equipments in future. It can also b a place to hide ur LR if u intend to keep ur main tank empty (not sure if it's really advisable .. )

Juz some suggestions.

All de best for ur set up

[laona]

yoz bro...

u might wanna check out members tanks and spec area for info how to setup thank...you running 4ft right...u running sump??? i think many bros here will agree that for 4ft best to run sump...dunno if your enhim will be sufficient..just inputs frm a newbie also..hahaha..still running small tank..yet to touch e biggies!!! hahaha

[ady]

Yo Bros... Me no place to have a sump tank. Got 2 4feets top and bottom. Bottom have my Tropical planted tank and the top is going to be my new marine tank. Hopefully my Eheim 2217 is able to support the load.

Now thinking to get some artificial corals/rock to put in it...

See how....

Anyway... Thanks for all the precious advises to me...

You all have been a great help...

THANKS...!!!

[Firestarz]

Eh .. I think there r some hang on Skimmers available. Mayb can check them out either at the pasar malam section or at local LFS.

Glad i m of some help

[hammerhd]

juz like to knw how thick is ur glass.

If use for planted should be only like 6mm or 8mm only right??

[Qxnviolet]

Hrmz, im using an external cannister for my 3.3FT, would agree that a sump will be better. Since you'll proberbly be using a hang on skimmer, try getting a DELTEC. It has one of the best reviews around for hang ons.

[chercm]

how much is this DELTEC skimmer?

[Qxnviolet]

Erm, cant really remmber...about 500 to 600?

[ady]

wow.... wow.... 500 to 600....?

In Sing dollars...?

[chercm]

how to reduce the waiting time for cycling of the tank ?

[Qxnviolet]

wow.... wow.... 500 to 600....?

In Sing dollars...?

Yeapz.....ard there abouts....its worth it...

[Qxnviolet]

how to reduce the waiting time for cycling of the tank ?

Erm, a LFS once told me cycling is faster using NSW....wonder if its true. Some reefers using Live Nitrifying Bacteria to speed up cycling, but just to be cautious, it'll take at least a mth.