# got the sand and salt



## skelator (Mar 27, 2012)

i got 40 lbs of live sand and a 50 gallon mix worth of salt aswell as a hydrometer. im going to switch my 46 gallon bowfront over to salt.goinim g to get some live rock and some dead stuff too after i get it all set up. 

im considering running my canister till everything cycles then switching over to something like CPR AquaFuge 2 Hang-on Refugium


what do you guys think? or would simply live rock and a deep sand bed work as good?

id consider trying coral once i get more comfortable in the salt water game so i wouldnt wanna do anything that makes coral impossible.


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## skelator (Mar 27, 2012)

i was looking at live rock online and i found this stuff it looks pretty crazy
primo deco live rock,live rock n reef

would getting something like this be stupid in a new first time setup? 

the cheap stuff at the lfs is like 6 bucks a pound and is very bland. 

im just trying to get some things sorted out to avoid as many errors as possible.


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## wake49 (Jul 2, 2008)

skelator said:


> i got 40 lbs of live sand and a 50 gallon mix worth of salt aswell as a hydrometer. im going to switch my 46 gallon bowfront over to salt.goinim g to get some live rock and some dead stuff too after i get it all set up.
> 
> im considering running my canister till everything cycles then switching over to something like CPR AquaFuge 2 Hang-on Refugium


Once you add the live sand, your tank will cycle. All the bacteria you need will be already sitting in those bags. I would ditch the canister, or run it empty strictly for flow.



skelator said:


> what do you guys think? or would simply live rock and a deep sand bed work as good?


The hang on back refugium and live rock/deep sand bed do two different things, essentially. I would do both if it is in the budget.



skelator said:


> id consider trying coral once i get more comfortable in the salt water game so i wouldnt wanna do anything that makes coral impossible.


That canister is the only thing that will make corals tough, as it will eventually cause nitrate spikes that could affect the coral's growth and health.


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## wake49 (Jul 2, 2008)

skelator said:


> i was looking at live rock online and i found this stuff it looks pretty crazy
> primo deco live rock,live rock n reef
> 
> would getting something like this be stupid in a new first time setup?
> ...


This stuff is like over $8 a pound before shipping! I would buy the bland stuff at your LFS. It will get really purple after you add it to your tank as long as you keep an eye on Alkalinity and Calcium and keep them in their desired ranges.


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## skelator (Mar 27, 2012)

thanks for the advise. how much sand should i use total for a 46gallon? i got 40lbs of live fiji pink now. the tanks still setup freshwater as i wanna get all my ducks in a row before i break it down. 

also from what ive read i need powerheads aswell. what kinda flow am i looking for out of those? 

any advise would be great!

ive been looking at bigger tanks for sale but im thinking i should stick with the 46 cuse i already own it and id imagine a much bigger tank costs a ton more to outfit with sand and rock.


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## wake49 (Jul 2, 2008)

Are you doing a deep sand bed? You will need 4-6" of sand. It took 50 lbs for me to accomplish that in a twenty tall. It could take you 100 lbs+ to get there in a 46. 

For flow, I think you should go with thirty times the water volume, so about 1300 gph, although you can get away with around 1000 gph if you like. I like Hydor Koralias (I think they were renamed 'evolution') for power heads. 


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## skelator (Mar 27, 2012)

i was thinking deep sand bed and a good amount of live rock. 

does it make sense to just get a small tank to get my feet wet so to speak with saltwater?


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## wake49 (Jul 2, 2008)

No, smaller tanks tend to be more difficult because of salinity swings and lower water volumes. Besides, in the grand scheme of saltwater aquaria, a 46 is considered 'smaller'. ;-)


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## skelator (Mar 27, 2012)

how much of the sand bed would have to be live? 20lbs was about 33 bucks. i think 44 lbs of the dead sand was 45 bucks if i remember right.

trying to get a shopping list i need a skimmer too right? what do you reccomend?


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## wake49 (Jul 2, 2008)

That 20 lbs is fine. It will seed the rest. 


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## wake49 (Jul 2, 2008)

Are you putting the skimmer in the sump? I have used the Coralife Needle Wheel Super Skimmer, the Red Sea Berlin Turbo XS and the Marineland Seaclone skimmer. I had luck with all three, but was never impressed with them. The Reef Octopus has good reviews, this is a recirculating version, and that is always a plus. A few members here have had luck with the Remora series of skimmers, but I have no personal experience with them. The main thing is to get a skimmer rated above your tank volume, like I would go with a 125 for a 46 tank. 

You can always seed the tank with a little bit of live rock, and use the rest as base (also called dead or dry) rock. You can add dry rock whenever, even after you have added fish. The same goes with sand. Add about 20 lbs of live sand and use the rest as dry sand and it will be seeded.

If you don't go with a deep sand bed, and only do a lb of live rock per gallon, I would keep the bioload down on your tank, meaning keep less creatures. A 46 will be limited for fish as it is, mostly you will be looking at clowns, dottybacks, cardinals, some wrasses, a few pygmy angels are ok, gobies, blennies, basslets and damsels. Everything else will get too big for a 46.


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