First setup questions
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Help
Forum Name: General Help
Forum Description: The place to ask about pest, problems, hitchhikers, etc.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=63725
Printed Date: September 26 2025 at 6:27pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.03 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: First setup questions
Posted By: aceofspadeskb
Subject: First setup questions
Date Posted: April 15 2013 at 8:08am
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Hey all, I'm almost there! This will be my first ever setup and last night I ordered the final pieces: RO/DI unit and salt mix(instant ocean for starts). I have a 55 gallon setup with 20 gallon sump. I will be using dry rock from Bulk Reef Supply and will cure it using their method: 1) "Cure" the dry rock in the water for 4-6 weeks with no light. 2) When ammonia hits zero, add first fish. Still no light. 3) Let the tank cycle 4) I'll probably let the tank sit at this point for 6-8 weeks, but at least until the parameters are right. My questions are: 1) What is a good first fish to add to kick off a good healthy cycle? 2) When do I need to start running my skimmer(AquaC EV120) 3) When do I add a cleaning crew? My goal is to have a good mix tank(LPS/SPS/a few fish). The only inhabitants I'm set on having eventually would be a pair of clowns/anemone, and a mandarin a year or so down the road once I can establish a good colony of pods for it to enjoy. I'm also very interested in getting a pom pom crab, but I haven't looked into how well they do in a mixed reef tank yet or with other inhabitants. I'm looking forward to starting my tank thread once I'm up and running! Thanks in advance for your help! I LOVE my new addiction!
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Replies:
Posted By: ClownFishAddict
Date Posted: April 15 2013 at 8:11am
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1) What is a good first fish to add to kick off a good healthy cycle? After your tank is cycled 2) When do I need to start running my skimmer(AquaC EV120) after you add a bio-load 3) When do I add a cleaning crew? when you start needing it to clean up algae and detritus
------------- http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=61789&title=ok-here-it-goes-my-redneck-120-rimless-build" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: April 15 2013 at 8:54am
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Aloha and Welcome to the WMAS and utahreefs.com. A famous expert hobbyist may still live in Smithfield. Do you know Tom Miller? There is an alternative way to set up a reef tank. See the link below if you would like to have a reef tank up and running in 7 days.  Mahalo, Mark  ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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Posted By: aceofspadeskb
Date Posted: April 15 2013 at 9:12am
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Thanks for the help! Mark, I don't know Tom...sounds like I wish I did though. Your link was actually one of the first places I looked to find a good starting process. My holdup is a lack of supplies up here in good ole cache valley. Finding LW, LS, and macro-algae up here seemed tough. Perhaps there are more hobbyists up here than I know of? I really wish I made it down south a bit more than I do.
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Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: April 16 2013 at 7:20am
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Aloha, Yes there are a lot more hobbyists there than we know. Two suggestions: 1. Become a WMAS member so you can have access to the membership directory and call or email all the members there in that beautiful valley. 2. Start a new topic in the buy/sell/trade section asking for a bit of live stuff from others tanks. We often share limited amounts of LS and LR for free and sometimes someone is harvesting their Refugium so you can pick up a bucket of Macroalgae for nothing. When hobbyists do water chaqnges, all you have to do is give them a bucket and they will fill it up with LW! See how nice this hobby is here in the WMAS.  Mahalo, Mark Oh and last I knew, Tom worked at that exercise equipment manufacturer there. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: aceofspadeskb
Date Posted: April 16 2013 at 7:47am
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Mark, I know a few people who work at ICON. I'll have to ask if they know Tom. Paid membership is the next thing on the "to buy" list. Right now I'm broke(and a little in debt to my wonderful supportive wife ). Once I'm set up, I'll post a new topic in the buy/sell/trade section. Is it risky to take LR/LS from someone else's tank? I intentionally bought dead dry rock to try to avoid pests as much as possible. Is there anything I would need to watch for/do if I did introduce a piece of someone else's LR or LS into my tank? Thanks again for the help! Kelley
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Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: April 17 2013 at 7:06am
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Aloha Kelley, I consider it a great advantage to obtain LS and LR from an existing healthy tank. I believe my feelings on that are pretty evident  in my 7 day tank set-up procedure linked below. There is only one pest that should be avoided at all cost. The Majano Anemone is almost impossible to eradicate. Any other pests can be handled with a minimum of trouble. We know how to deal with them. Many of the so-called pests, Bristleworms for example, are actually beneficial parts of the CUC(clean-up crew). I have never used rock from BRS. Why it must be cured for 4-6 weeks is probably the third item on this list: 1. If it is ordinary LR, recently collected from the ocean then there is a better way to "cure" it than leaving it in the dark for 6 weeks. 2. When you say "dead dry rock" that conjures up images of rock that was recently live but was left to dry and die. This kind of rock can sometimes take many months to recover, requiring some special handling to speed up the process. 3. If it is neither of the above, then most likely the rock is ancient aragonite, mined from the earth and it may have Phosphates that need to be leached out in water, otherwise it will cause a huge algae bloom almost immediately. 4. Utah rock, also called Lake Bonneville Tufa Rock(LBTR) can be used immediately after pressure washing. It's sterile, yet all kinds of marine critters start living in it within days after introduction to the reef aquarium. Hope this info helps. Mahalo, Mark ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: aceofspadeskb
Date Posted: April 17 2013 at 7:56am
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Mark, The rock is ancient mined rock. They say it can be cured in as little as 2 weeks but to give it longer if possible. I got it mostly for its ease of aquascaping as it stacks very well and looks near seemless when you're done. I did do a bunch of outside research on this rock before buying it but didn't see anyone complaining of phosphates leaching into the water. Is this common? Is it something I should be extra concerned about? Thanks again for your help! It's great to have so much help from the WMAS community! Kelley
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Posted By: Krazie4Acans
Date Posted: April 17 2013 at 8:14am
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BRS has good dry rock. It has proven to be good stuff over time. It does leach some phosphate at first (thus the curing time) but the levels are much lower then other mined rocks like Marco etc. You can speed cure the rock using Lanthinum Chloride and changing the water in the curing tub every couple of days. There is lots of information on this available. I'll see if i can find a link. ------------- My ocean. 90g (yup, won it!), 40g, 28g, & 10g Systems PADI Advanced Open Water http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=63568&title=krazies-nano-paradise" rel="nofollow - Tank Thread: |