how would you set-up a new tank?

[kvosstra]

Ok - so, since I have now been out of the hobby for a year, and, my last tanks were 4-5 years old, I have not even considered how to start a truly NEW setup!

I am looking for direction on how to best do this.

1. Tank is 40g breeder
2. Lights are 4x39 T5 HO - 2 blue + 2 aquablue special
3. Kalk and CA reactor controlled by neptune controller
4. return pumps are currently mag 5's, but will swap to eheim's when I have money again (yikes for buying a house!)
5. 2 phosban reactors, 1 for phosban, other for carbon
6. dry rock, dry sand
7. Tunze top-off, RODI, etc. all here.
8. Heaters and chiller and fans run by aquacontroller


OK - with that in mind - here's my plan - and I will leave blanks and questions where I am most needing commentary, comments welcome on everything though!

1. Create rock scape while dry, less rock and sand this time than previously. Rock will be drilled with 1/8 holes, for acrylic rod placement of corals.
2. Add ASW. I've got a new 200g bucket of salt.
3. do I add some bacteria to the tank at this point? How? other suggestions?
4. Lighting will be low for first few weeks - probably only a few hours a day to minimize algae growth
5. Run Phosban from day 1.
6. run carbon from day 1? Anything else I should run to start the tank? or not run?!?
7. Quarantine pair of black clowns for 6 weeks to prevent parasite introduction
8. Introduce clowns, quarantine 3 royal gramma (I think they are fun, they are cheep, and I want to try to breed them! When Robin bought my trio, they had a huge nest of eggs! SO cool!!!)
9. at ~ 2-3 months of age, introduce test corals(s). Quarantine zoanthids and SPS in frag tank for at least 2 weeks. Dip with H2o2? Dip with Revive? Dip Zoanthids and other mushrooms with povidone? (Anyone have a good quantine for corals that they believe in?)
10. Introduce gramma's and hopefully some additional corals.
11. Enjoy tinkering with tank for years to come, teach son how to do water change!


3.

 

[JAR]

Dude! whoa... maybe you should just start with a one of those jars you get when you toss a ping pong ball in at the fair and a goldfish.
I mean since your asking. Get back to grass roots and go from there.

 

[Plumstr8]

You should do a normal tank cycle, I would wait at least 4 - 6 weeks before adding any corals. You could add some damsels? Also I would NOT run to much filtering equipment during the cycle, your only going to be removing the bacteria you need for your new system. Most important thing, take your time dont rush it. I have had more luck letting things take there course.

For example: When I started my new tank I had a crazy hair algea outbreak it covered the whole tank, everywhere! So I finished my refugium and added my macro and chateo + 5 Mex Turbo Snails, three weeks later not a single spot was left. Took a little time, but I was very happy to have corrected the problem but letting nature do its job. I know your running reactors so you should have this problem, but I tought I would share anyway. Goodluck!

 

[ryanjiang]

Is it too early to teach your son WC? How about porty train 1st?
A u gonna run the same RSM skimmer? Will u keep mostly SPS this time too?