JGoldinger

I am new to saltwater but not new to having a tank. Currently i have a 40 gallon hexagon long tank. I have purchased a protien skimmer and a power head for this. I read that is what you needed for the filtration. Am i correct with my assumtion. I plan on doing a tank with fish and invert. i also plan on having live rock in my tank.

With this fish tank i also got a under gravel filter Would that be a good thing to keep in the tank or should i just not use it?

Any suggestions on live rock by the way? I have been looking and i am finding a lot of different rocks. My local petstore sales live fiji for 7.50 a pound rather then buying it online. Another question i had is it safe to put the live rock in the tank when you are starting out the process? I have seen many post's saying it will stabilze your tank faster so i am wondering if you put it in when your water is fresh.

I also have live sand and a coral subrstrate For the bottom of the tank.

any suggestions.

JGoldinger

I also wanted to add that i have a Sand Man filter that came on the tank? I dont know what it is apparently its been discontinued but you can still buy replacement filters online. Should i use this? Lol help!

atmmachine816

From what I know, I'v never heard of using a Undergravel filter in SW tank.

Yes I guess you buy about 1lb. of rock per gallon and ya you put it in your tank to cycle. Make sure you have your tank running with salt for 24hours before putting it in.

I would read and make sure you know exactly what you are doing before setting it up and have a little extra money in case you forget something.

Mike

Although people have done it in the past and may still be doing so, I would not use an undergravel filter with sand, either in fresh or saltwater.

The fiji rock is one of the better and more expensive pieces of live rock. Check out http://www.tampabaysaltwater.com/ - these people have a lease in the gulf for the sole purpose of culturing live rock. I've read many good things about the rock these guys are selling and by getting live rock from folks like this you're supporting a good business that's not messing with nor harming the live reefs.

For setup ideas, check out the Saltwater Aquarium Setup page.

Louie3

How big is your skimmer? what brand? Coral Substrate ( crushed coral) will create nitrate problems in the future