Fish first--or Live Rock

[aquarius]

Okay, here's the question;
Were set up to add salt to our 100 gallon tank tomorrow--it is now full of R O water. We have been running the tank with regular tap water for over a month and have had bioballs in the sump for that period. Just in the last 2 days we filled the tank with RO water.

Is it okay to put a few fish in the water now even though we dont have live rosk? or will they die once we put the live rock in later?

Oh yah, one more question....well, maybe 2:mixed:
What sort of opinions do you have on the best salt to use?
For now, as I said---only want fish...but later anemones, corals.

Next....what sort of experience do others have with using a calcium reactor? What benefits does it offer? We are currently building our own....yup--big project. Is it easier perhaps to just add calcium by hand rather than bother with a calcium reactor?

okay---enough questions for one day...:thanks: ...sharon

[afss]

Get the salinity right first. Then add as much of the rock as you can now. Let it cycle for a few weeks and then test. If all parameters are good then add a fish or two. More than likely it will take you atleast 2 weeks to be ready for fish, and probably more like 4 weeks. You can add fish earlier, but it is hard on the fish, and they often die or become permantly damamged by it.

I would remove all of the bio balls if you are going to have corals in the future. Bio bals are ok for fish only tanks, but they are not recomended for reef systems and you don't need them.

If you don't have a DSB then i would suggest adding one of them before/ as you add the rock. If you can get a few scoops of live sand from someones tank then do that too.

As for the reactor.. it depends on what corals you plan on keeping as to if you really need one. But it certainly isn't a bad addition to any tank.

Scott

[Daniel Schubert]

I agree with Scott.

You need to get the salt level stable before you can add anything.

Adding the live rock will help the tank to cycle. I would let the tank cycle with the live rock for as long as you can. Once the tank has cycled, you should get zero readings of A-N-N. It's at this point you can start adding fish. However the longer you wait the better the little copepods etc. have a chance to establish before getting pegged off by the fish.

[aquarius]

Thanks fellas...a couple more questions then :-)..whats a DSB? and whats involved in getting the salt level stable?
We do intend to remove the bioballs, later and in stages, but had thought that since they have been cycling for over a month they might have some benefit for the tank NOW.

[afss]

DSB is a Deep Sand Bed
Its a layer of sand between 4-6 inches deep. Typically from aragonite sand, though silica can be used. It has to be sand though, crushed coral etc won't work. The idea behind the DSB is that it gives and area for anerobic bacteria to live. These bacteria are usefull in removing nitrates from the tank. Live rock will get amonia and nitrite, but they produce nitrate in the process. The nitrate has to be removed or exported in some manner if you wish to keep corals and inverst. You can do this through the addition of a DSB, a refugium of appropriate size, a denitator, and water changes. Not many use denitrators. I would say the best way to rid them is a DSB followed by a refugium. I know water changes help too, but don't think they are as effective. I know i shouldn't brag about this, but with my refugium DSB and skimmer the last time i did a water change was 5 months ago and the last time before that was almost a year. This isn't recomended with a new setup, but once your parameters are stable i don't see a problem with it.

As far as the bio balls, i would remove about half of them a week after you add the rock, the other half 3 weeks or so after.

Scott

[aquarius]

Okaee dokee---so I dont have lights yet---is it okay to add DSB and live rock now, or should I wait till I have lights....or how long can I wait to put lights in/on assuming I have put the rock and sand in?...thanks all

[Daniel Schubert]

You really don't need lights for the first couple of weeks, especially if the rock is un-cured (Straight from the ocean).