New guy here (2 Viewers)

[Slayer311]

below radar has a really good point though

 

[below radar]

How long after you set the tank will you be leaving.

 

[TiAg]

The biggest thing you really need to worry about if you turn it on while going out of town is making sure you either have an ATO (auto top off) or someone to add water to it every day, else your pump will run dry and burn up.

 

[dead wait]

I'm sure my wife would agree with the both of you. The longer I wait, the less money she has to give me. Works in her favor. So, i'll wait. I do appreciate all of the help from you guy's.

I've got plenty of other question's but, i'll just take it one step at a time.

 

[dead wait]

I'm leaving on Saturday the 2nd and won't be back until that next wensday.

I do no have an auto top off. I will have someone coming to take care of our other pets but, I don't want her fiddling with my tanks.

 

[below radar]

Just remember to STAY OUT OF THE CORAL STORES or your tank will not be a FOWLR anymore.

 

[Houston_Reefer]

Lord, don't I know. It took me forever to figure out what Fowlr was. And, that's really all I know. LOL

You are definitely going to want to set up a DSB, maybe even RDSB for ease, and have plenty of LR and LS in your DT. Always QT your LS so you avoid any parasites. Eventually you will be able to keep an RBTA, maybe some GSP, and you'll definitely want to get an RO/DI to keep it all going.

That's about all I can think of ATM

 

[Slayer311]

Lol nice on the acronyms

 

[fightmeaboutit]

Why a deep sand bed and why qt live sand?

 

[below radar]

This guy!!!! What a jokster. Wait a minute, were you talking about aquarium stuff?

 

[Houston_Reefer]

Dang, I didn't realize I used the same acronym for Live Sand and Live Stock. To dead wait, do not take my post as advice, I was just being facetious with acronyms.

 

[fightmeaboutit]

Do yourself a favor an use dry rock an dry sand. Rinse sand in Di water to remove dust an phosphates.

 

[NarnyTheGreat]

Do yourself a favor an use dry rock an dry sand. Rinse sand in Di water to remove dust an phosphates.

This! It will drive you crazy either way you go. Either you will allow all that dust in your tank and it will take DAYS to clear out your tank, or you will have to buy/make RO DI water and MANY MANY buckets to clean the sand. All depends on which would be less annoying for you.

 

[dead wait]

You guy's mention cleaning the sand. I see alot of folks from time to time unloading some. Should I be weary of picking up sand that has already been used? And, someone said dry rock??????? I was going to pick to pick some up at the LFS or buy some from someone on here.But, i'm confused on the dry rock part. What is dry rock?

 

[fightmeaboutit]

Dried out live rock its cheaper an pest free.

 

[ReeferMike]

pests can be a pain in the butt. just buy DEAD it will save you heartache

 

[below radar]

Do you just use the dead rock or cure it then use it?

 

[TiffMunchkin]

big tank over the small one. had a 90 gal fish only first and after a like a year i tried to keep coral ...but didn't had the light for it. but i really loved the corals so i downgraded to a 29 gal. thats only because i could fit that thing on the third floor of my apartment..now i wish i still would have the 90 gal. its so tiny...im out of space. but yeah the big one is easier about water. agree with everybody here. the thing about equipment is really what type you get. see i first had cheap light..then i went into t5s....and just this past weekend i got IFNLALLY my LED system. i spend 400 bucks on the t5....only the lights got two of them...and each bulb is like 20 bucks...so add that up...alot of money. so i paid some few hundred bucks on the LED system which is good for probably 10 years. and its cheap on electricity. so if you can spend the money on LEDs. kinda of topic but might help..

 

[dead wait]

I have not decided on lights just yet. I will make sure that whatever I buy, that they will be good enough for corals also. I won't be buying lights twice.

 

[below radar]

I know you don't want to buy lights twice and you probably won't. Honestly, it will be 3,4,5, or even 6 times...lol. Right now, I have T-5s and some MH(metal halide) in the garage. I have a few LED stunner strips in the garage also. Never set up anything other than the T-5. However, after going to the lighting workshop last week, I like the LEDs. They don't have quite the power of MH but electricity wise they are much less. They produce no heat, you can cook bacon on MH. The initial cost of LEDs are more but better for the long run IMO. Both of these stups to provide the "shimmer" effect though. My T-5s do not.