how do i let the dark side take over?

troni · #1 01-22-2012, 03:51 AM

First off hello! So I'm done with freshwater. I have a 20g I'm turning into sw. I'm doing tons of research and getting rid of my freshwater stuff. I think I understand the setup process except one thing, should I completely clean the tank or just scrub off algae and fill up with sw? While I'm asking when buying previously loved LR what should I be cautious about? As much reading and looking that I've seen I haven't seen a LR cliff...lol like in nemo "the dropoff" I'm going to attempt this I think.

fishytime · #2 01-22-2012, 04:08 AM

welcome to the dark side

.....first off, may the force be with you

......

some will say that most things that live in fresh water wont survive in saltwater so not to worry too much about cleaning the tank......I personally cleaned my present display with vinegar and water when I switched it from fresh to salt

when it comes to rock you can sometimes tell just by the price if its worth it....most people will come forward and admit if the rock they are selling has any issues and this will reflect in the price.....but that being said asking lots of questions never hurts..... questions like:.... any algae issues?.....any aiptasia issues?.....any mojano issues?.... any flatworm issues?.....any nudibranch issues?.....any hydroid issues?.......have they ever treated the tank with any meds?......if so, what?.....have they ever had corals like xenia, colt or chilli corals (all stuff that some consider pest corals)......there is probably one or two that Im forgetting, hopefully someone else will chime in.....so the best thing is to familiarize yourself with some of these things so that you know what to look for when you check out the rock....

Nano · #3 01-22-2012, 04:14 AM

Plus one
Always check it out first or ask them I almost bought some used LR in the beginning on kijiji not knowing anything. She however told me she had lots of aiptasia, but then lied and said that most people like it. So I called my lfs and they set me straight lol thank god. What are the dimensions of the tank? That can determine a lot in terms of aquascaping, but if you go about it the right way you can do just about anything. I personally love dry Marco rock, cause you can be very picky about your pieces and aquascaping is a breeze plus your possible pest problems are minimal.

RedCoralEdmonton · #4 01-22-2012, 04:19 AM

what Doug means to say is come into Red Coral Edmonton and come talk to me.... lol, but seriously I help people all the time get into setups cheap and efficiently.... ask anybody! Nothing but good advise.... and its cheap!!!! Nothing beats free!

Steve

Edmonton newbie · #5 01-22-2012, 07:03 AM

if you really need to see all those pests that doug mentioned just come look at my kitchen tank lol

troni · #6 01-22-2012, 02:58 PM

Ok so easier then I thought. Freshwater nitrifying bacteria the same as salt? Cause I think I'm still going to use my ac30 HOB filter, which is another thing I see a lot of nano tanks without skimmers but with filters. So rock that 2.50 probaly no good unless he's crazy. Ill start researching those pests and make sure I know what I'm looking for...unless red coral has some great deals on

lol...

Edmonton newbie · #7 01-22-2012, 03:03 PM

yes i was in red coral yesterday, he still has lots of dry rock there that you could seed yourself and have time to catch up on your reading whilr waiting for it to be ready for the fish

troni · #8 01-22-2012, 03:23 PM

I heard that can take up to a year

Aquattro · #9 01-22-2012, 03:41 PM

For a tank that's only 20g, you could get away with about 10 pounds of rock. For the potential hassle of using used rock, you'd be much better off buying fresh cured rock from the LFS. You're looking at a difference of what, 50 bucks? One 4 week battle with algae problems from old PO4 soaked rock will quickly have you questioning the "deal' you got.
While I'm sure that you can find some rock less than a year old that someone is selling at a loss, it's more likely 3 or 4 yr old rock, and often the person has shut down or down sized due to issues with the tank, like algae problems due to high nutrients. Since the live rock is the foundation in which you're building your entire tank, is it really worth it to try and save 50 bucks?
Sure, you might get a crab in new rock. You might get it in old rock. So what, leave it or catch it, it's not tough. I once got isopods in a batch of new rock. They're bad. I caught them all in 20 minutes. Done.
Trust me, it's easier to catch one or two pests in new rock than to battle hair algae for 3 months on used rock. With a crab, it can be annoying. With algae problems, your tank will look like crap and you'll probably regret setting it up in the first place.
As for dry rock, sure, no issues, but yes, it can take a long time to become real live rock. Maybe a year. For 50 bucks??
For people starting a 300g tank, rock price can be a concern, but for a 20g, start right and your time in the hobby will be more enjoyable.

Just my opinion

Edmonton newbie · #10 01-22-2012, 03:42 PM

no no just put a raw shrimp in the tank and in a few weeks you will have cured most of your rock plus you will have good clean rock with no pests unless you bring it in with corals lol do your reading and keep an open mind. all good things happen in saltwater tanks slowly