Im new to the hobby and starting my firts saltwater aquarium

Question
QUESTION: Will boiling tap water remove all the impurities? Can i use tap water after boiling it? Can i use stress-zyme to boost the cycling process?  Does it work? what would be a proper salt/water mix? My tank is a 55 gallon, my budget was not to big, so i built the wet/dry system with a rubber made box, my test kit inlcudes nitrite, nitrate, ammonia and pH. I will be using a 600 gallons/hour water pump and planning on buying a protein skimmer soon, Any recommendations on a skimmer?. I will also be using 40 pounds of live sand and i will keep adding the live rock  (aquascaping) ass the tank cycles. I've been planning and researching for about a month, I thank you for any tips and advice. Than you for your time.

ANSWER: Victor,

It sounds like you are geting a great start. I am glad to talk and answer questions in advance of problems...

If your local fish store sells premixed salt water, I would suggest buying two 5 gallon jugs so you can rotate and always have water on hand for water changes.

I would also buy another 5gal jug and label it FRESH water for your top off water to replace whatever evaporates each day.

If you want to mix your own salt water, i suggest Instat Ocean or ReefCrystals, (actually the same company owns both now)

You dont need to boil water, although that will help, it still doesnt remove all the bad stuff, it actually might concentrate them as you are evaporating good water in the steam..

If you want, you can buy water from the machines in front of stores, or your local fsh store might sell ro/di water?  Or you have a water store wherr they sell bottled water.

You can buy a cheap TDS meter totest your tap water, and your boiled water and the water you buy.  Anything with less total dissolved solids  then your tap water is ok, with ZERO being ideal..

These chemicals and contaminants in tap water will possibley contribute to algae, but not neccessarily cause algae.  This is important to understand.  Everyone blames the water, buusually that does not do it alone..

I would be anxious if i were you and want to get water in the tank tostart this process.  But I would remind you to slow down and be patient after you put water in your tank and to use those test kits.  NITRITE every day, and AMMONIA every other day...

Test at the same time each day.

After a week or when you see the nitrites start to climb, then test ammonia and nitrates every day also...

After nitrites drop to zero, then you can pretty much lose that test kit...

Practice or establish a routine of adding water everyday and bi-weekly water changes..  Test before and after each water change to see if you can see a difference...  (test about 1-2 hours after the water change)

OTher then that, keep it up and PLEASE let me know how things work out for you


BTW: My forum is now up and operational

Please visit it at

www.theLITTLEocean.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Will boiling and the use of Chlor-Out (its from the Wardley company) work best for purifying tap water? It says on the bottle that it will remove chlorine and chloramines from tap water. I had previously red in a book, to look for anti-chlorine products that remove both chlorine and chloramines from tap water. Is this true and will it improve even more the quality of tap water? Should i ad the chlor-out before or after boiling the water?


ANSWER: Hello,

The productsthat state they remove this and they removethat, do exactly that.  They dont 'purefy' the water.  They do not remove all the phospates.

And, the cost of those products are moreexpensive then buying good water anyways.

Most watermachines in my area are around $0.20-.25 per gallon

I would imagine you have those as well.  If not, and if YOU HAVE to use tap water, then yes, use those products.

It is better then not useing them.

You could also just put water into a container and let it sit over night and the clorine and cloramine would evaporate out anyways.

You might want to try searching ebay for ro/di filters.  There is a company called 'FiltersDirect.com'  And they have a base model for about $110.  If you have a 50 gallon tank, it will pay for itself in less then one year.


Good luck,


Bill



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Bill I have a couple of questions for you:
1) Can i cure live rock as i cycle the tank?, I took it straight from the ocean,I have pre-cleaned it and its sitting in a Rubbermaid bucket in salt water, but i don't have spare equipment to properly cure it separately.
2) Should i put the live sand in the tank along with the live rock?I'm setting up the tank in the afternoon Finally!!!
3)I know its an iron rule, NO! live stock for at LEAST! 4 weeks but, Are there any inverts or other tank janitors that can be introduced at this stage to help eliminate the die off and detritus?
4) Can i use a Gravel Vacuum (siphon) to clean the sand?
Any tips and advise will be greatly appreciated.

Answer
Hey victor,

You are getting so close...I know you are wantingto get something pretty going, BUT, please doont rush this part.  

I dont know, and dont believe there is any RULE that states that a Cycle should take a CERTAIN amount of TIME... There is no set time..

The goal is to make sure you ahve enough 'biological organisms' to adeequately digest/process the ammonia, and detritus and other nasties...

Each tank is different and has a different amount of fish, so everyone needs different amounts of 'biological  organisms'

Whenever you are trying to get the correct amount of organisms,it is called a cycle.It is called this to describe what is going on.  You might start off with NOT ENOUGH organisms,then you will have too much, then some will die and or starve, then that will become food, and will grow more,then you will have too much....

Just like a pendulum... back and forth, and only occasionaly during the swing ofthe pendulum will you have the 'right amount'...

the goal is to have the right number MORE OFTEN thenNOT...

During this stage, you SHOULD do NITRITE tests every day.  (do all the test at or around the same time of day)

Measure the nitrites, and watch over the weekor two, ...  the nitrites should go up, and up and up and up... and then, it will go up a LOT!!!!

The next day, it should drop to ZERO

When you have no nitrites, you can add a fish maybe two...

I would then do NITRATE tests every other day.  And I would do, Ammonia tests every other day...

When you can hve very low numbers, over a onth or so, then you are where you want to be...

You can use a gravel vacuum, but, I wouldnt... I would use a smaller tube, (1/2") and when you do water changes, i would GENTLY stir the surface of the sand, and only about 1/2 of the tank. Then the next water change, do the other side.


You really dont want to stir up the sand, and you really dont want to clean the sand too much...

you want the good biolgical organisms that are in and on the sand...

as for putting rocks fromthe ocean near your house into your tank...that is not such a good idea.(or did we talk about this already)... not only is it not wise to promote to folks/reader to detract fromthe beauty of the marine environment by taking anything you see, but there is alsw risk in bringingin unwanted 'hitch hikers. Along with the different species that are notused toeh te temperature and conditions you wll have in a 'tropical' reef.   i.e. the temperature wont be the samesothe life on the rock willnot survive well..

I would suggest putting the rock and sand in at the beginning as that is what you want to 'culture'/cure... if you did it in phases, then you would double or triple the amount of time it tankesto'cycle' the tank...


anyways,  good luck, and please keep me posted.

(you can start a new question to make it easier for others to read)


Bill