55g build

First topic message reminder :

my journal will start here for my 55g build.

I had the stand, and canopy. got a 55g plus from neptunes cove for $60.00, a over flow box,tubing,sump, and return pump off of craigslist for $80.00 water from neptunes cove, and extra sand from neptunes cove.

just need to get the rock, from banito(jimmy) to night and I will be rocking and a rolling.)

I have added my LR over time. Still add some now & then. I have one piece that I loved at the store but dont' really like in my tank and if I can't rescape it in, I may take it in to exchange too. There is no set in stone way to setup a tank.

i second that!

cool, so what would be a good start on how much to add to the 55g

lol i started my reef tank with 2 lbs or so of LR and like 6 lbs of base rock.. it really doesnt matter..your basically racing against a clock. but you set the time frame. no need to fill it up all at once. or have it all full in 3 mths..just set it up with what you can get...all it takes is time. you have enough mechanical filtration and that big sump also..all you really need is water lol. and lights but you dont have to have strong lighting right now.. your not growing anything.. i got my lights last..b/c it was the most expensive thing at once.. got tank. started it.. added a little rock..got cpl fish, more rock.. more rock..more rock for almost a year lol. little pieces that i like here and there. i was saving for my lights and coral the whole time. by the time i had my satisfaction of rock ( i like rock.. not everyone likes their rock taking up alot of tank volume some do..its a personal preference) i had enough saved for a really nice t5+halide w led light system but thats waaayy too much light for a 55. so i got my fist 24 in light for my 50g tall cube tank(which has since been replaced) and went SHOPPING lol..

cool, what about live sand... do I want to use fresh live sand,(as in go buy some new bags) or use what's in the 29g....

hmm.. good question....that might be 50/50 how much sand do u have in the 29?

35-40 pounds.. 1.5 to 2 inches

id prolly just replace it..or maybe use like the top half of it and add fresh with it you wont have to worry about nitrates really. i have 50 llbs in my 55

cool, Thanks.... I'll figure something out....

I would probably use all of what you have and then add some more to it. But that is just me. I like a deep sand bed.

cool, I do have a 20 pound bag that I can add to it.... so I need to get the sand in water, and let it run. then slowly add rock cool, thank you...

Don't you have some livestock in the 25 gallon?

yes, so should I get 30-35 more gallons of water..I have 6 red dart fish in a 29g with 40-60 pounds of rock.

Personally, I would get the new sand in the 55. Remove the fish (livestock) to a holding container. Add as much of the old sand as you can to it. Add in your newly made salt water. Move your live rock over. Siphon as much old water out as you can into the new tank. Let circulate a while until the sand is settled and add the fish in. This shouldn't feel to the fish any more than a 50% water change would IMO.

That is just how I would do it. Then you can still add more LR if you need to later.

All of this of course would depend on you having the lighting & filtration needed for the 55 which I think you do considering you have the sump.

cool cool THANKS still need to finish painting the latex paint on the back of it...

yea, i thought the 2 tanks u had were set up, 1 planted 1 salt..

they where, set up. then moved the 25g planted to the floor, and upgraded the 25g salt to a 29g salt... think I might just put them back to how i had them...

any one interested in the tank $60.00

You are the most indecisive.....

yes, I know... I need to start putting money away for reason I would reather not talk about, I will just say something medical happen and it's has gotten real serious. so I'm trying to simple my life right now with what will be the least about of money and work on me...

wildbeanerz wrote:

You are the most indecisive.....

lol true. well, making the transition from the 29 to the 55 wouldnt be hard at all.

yeah but , finding the money for sand,water, and salt is...

true...but you got about 30 gal of water now...and 20 + lbs of sand..and how ever much rock you had im the picture..your pretty much already set really.. ...i have roughly 50 lbs of sand b/c i have a pistol shrimp and goby that rearrange 1/3 of the tank bed so i need a little extra sand

yeah but now I need a return pump, I stupidly sold my mag-7 thinking I was going to set it up... would a pump from a pool store work

i dont see why not, call a pool store and ask them how the pumps hold up with salt water...but i dont see why not..(never used a pump set up filter my tank i run a HOB filter) a water pump is a water pump lol. what are you running on your 29?... b/c you dont have a bio load yet(no fish, corals etc) you dont NEED serious mech. filtration right now either...theres nothing to filter out.. just keep the water moving via powerheads.. youve seen pics of my tank, i run an emperor 400..2 powerheads.. cheap wal mart lol. I've had the tank for a little over 2 yrs.. i got a skimmer about 6 mths ago...which i got because i added the clams and a fairly lrg BTA.. i am fairly heavily stocked now so i benefit from that. and ive seen wayyy more in depth filtrations on 55's.. sumps, refugium's and rodi units and all that. which is good and works great but you dont NEED it.. people have been keeping SW fish and corals alive with way less for years. and im very lazy with my tank lol..so if it works for me.. and i dont spend time on my tank... itll work for anyone.. be more positive dude!

I've got the red prizm skimmer, and a aquaeon 30 power filter for mech.
with 40-60 pounds of live rock, and 6 red dart fish in it..