written instruction

Scott Conway Conway 1

ENG 162_WA

Mr. Hricik

February 27, 2012

How to Start a Live Reef Saltwater Fish Tank

Everyone has at some point in their life gone to the zoo or some type of aquarium and viewed the colorful and vibrant life that swims in the massive viewing tanks. I figured that I wanted to take that home for my family and my own viewing pleasures. The following instructions are a step-by-step procedure to provide the saltwater novice the inside knowledge to successful start his/her own live reef tank.

Figure 1: 29 Gallon Biocube Saltwater Reef Tank

To briefly introduce you to the process, the following steps will be accomplished if following the guide accordingly:

· Estimated Cost and Time Needed

· Materials, Supplies, and Tools

· Instructions

· Final Notes

Estimated Cost and Time Needed

This is the first thing to look at if you are inquiring about starting a saltwater tank. This will not be a cheap endeavor. The starting cost of a 30 gallon saltwater tank will start at about $600.00 and run into the thousands if you choose to buy the best equipment--this is not including the rock or fish. What to also consider is the additional costs in running multiple pumps and lights on the electric bill, this should equal out to about $.75 to $1.50 per day depending on the amount and type of equipment used.

Another consideration on cost is that some saltwater live stock can live 20+ years and will need fed and maintained for that duration. And finally, the cost of fish, corals, and invertebrates average out to be about $30-$40 per single item and can also run into the thousands of dollars for specialized items.

The amount of time needed to successfully start-up a saltwater tank comes down to at a minimum—months. There are very critical steps, that will be discussed in the instructions, that take some time. Shortcutting the time will only lead to either livestock loss or at best monetary loss.

Materials, Supplies, and Tools

***Tank only***

1. Tank (see Note 1) *Instructions use a 29-Gallon BioCube*

2. Power Strip *Coralife Power Center*

3. 40 Gallons of RO/DI water *Elmer’s Aquarium Premix *

4. Instant Ocean Reef Crystals Salt Mix *A premixed water is used in these instructions*

5. Skimmer *AquaticLife Internal Mini Protein Skimmer 115*

6. Thermometer *Coralife Digital Thermometer*

7. Heater *Aqueon ProHeater*

8. Filter Apparatus *Chemi Pure Elite (2 bags)* *Poly-Fill*

9. Hydrometer *Instant Ocean Hydrometer*

10. 40 lbs Live Sand *Natures Ocean Bio-Activ Live Aragonite*

11. 30 lbs Live Rock *Fiji Premium Live Rock*

12. Saltwater Master Liquid Test Kit *API Master Test Kit*

NOTE 1: The BioCube Tank setup comes with pumps and filters built into the back of the actual tank and lights prebuilt into the hood covering the tank. If someone was to start a tank without using a BioCube the following additional materials would be needed:

A. Ballasts

B. Filters

C. Pumps

**While specific equipment for these instructions is listed, there are hundreds of products that can be placed in each slot to customize to the user’s needs.

Pre-Instruction Tips

I. Wash all equipment before assembling with clean freshwater, DO NOT use any type of detergent.

II. Lay out all equipment being installed and carefully inspect for damage.

III. Choose a spot for the tank that will be permanent. Once filled the tank will weight in upwards of 500 lbs. Stay away from direct sunlight as this will promote algae growth.

Instructions

1. Open up the BioCube and install all parts according to the owner’s manual provided by the manufacturer.

a. Remove the bioballs—these will become nitrate factories that will eventually kill the livestock.

b. Remove the filter cartridge.

2. ( Figure 2 : Mini 115 )Place the AquaticLife Internal Mini Protien Skimmer in the third chamber, the same place the filter cartridge was removed from. It will be a hard fit but with a little manipulation will fit perfectly.

Figure 3: Mini 115 installed into 3rd chamber

Note: The green goop covering the inside and top of the catch basin is a sure sign the skimmer is operating optimally.

3. Remove the center chamber top drip tray and place the following into the bottom of the chamber.

a. At this point place the probe end of the thermometer into the center chamber under the poly-fill layer.

Figure 4: Coralife Digital Thermometer

b. Replace the top drip tray making sure not to snag the thermometer cable.

c. Also attach the digital readout screen to the outside of the tank glass with the provided suction cup.

4. Add the premixed salt water. This should not be a complicated step, as long as there are no leaks in the tank, if there are then stop and seal them.

*TIP* The local fish/hobby store should have containers similar to the one pictured for a reasonable price. Elmer’s Aquarium has them for $1.15/gallon of pre-mix.

Figure 5: 4 Gallon Pre-Mix Saltwater Container

a. Keeping filling the tank until the side marker, shown in Figure 6 is somewhere in between the MIN and MAX levels.

Figure 6: MIN and MAX water level markers

b. After reaching the area between the markers, it is now time to test all the pumps and filters installed so far. Using the power strip, individually plug in each plug for the skimmer and pump. You should now hear the pump and see water being pushed out of the nozzle on the back wall of the BioCube.

Figure 7: Pump Nozzle

*TIP* Point the nozzle in a downward direction

5. Test the ballasts as you attach each plug to the power strip. Make sure that each light turns on and the switches on the top of the BioCube tank work. There will be a middle set of LED’s and 2 side sets of 10K Power Compact lights.

Figure 8: Hood of the BioCube showing the light setup

After verifying the skimmer, pump, and lights are working correctly from visual inspection, Step 6 can be approached. If any of the above mentioned parts are not operating correctly, take the time to either fix or replace the broken component before moving on.

6. Test the water parameters with a simple salinity/specific gravity test with the hydrometer. The range should be between 29 to 35 PPT salinity or 1.021 to 1.026 specific gravity. If it is too low then add salt from the Instant Ocean Reef Crystals Salt Mix until it is in the parameters. Or if it is too high then the addition of the RO/DI water can bring the salt content down.

DO NOT USE TAP WATER!!

7. Add the Live Rock; this will be fun for some and mentally draining for others. It is up to the individual user to stack the rock in the tank to suit his/her needs and also the needs of the creatures. There are many ways to suit both, but one thing to remember is that once livestock is added it will be almost impossible to re-arrange the rock without killing some. Below you will find a few arrangements to spark some ideas on how to arrange the Live Rock.

There are an infinite amount of arrangements that can be used in the tank. It all depends on the creativity of the user and the formation of each individual rock.

*TIP* Remember that certain saltwater fish like caves and will not survive long without one. Providing fish with multiple caves and coves will supply the “play area” that fish and invertebrates need to flourish.

8. Add the Live Sand now that the landscape is set. Make sure to have at least a 1” base around the whole tank. Adding the sand after the rock makes sure that when an invertebrate or fish dig that the rock will not move and collapse on your creatures.

*TIP* The water is going to be very cloudy and may take a day or two to settle.

a. The Heater can be added at this time also. It should suction cup to the inside glass, so it is just a matter of where the user finds to put it. Try and set the heater to come on at approximately 76 degrees. The optimal temperature in a tank is between 72 to 82 degrees.

9. The following step is the most crucial step in the whole process of starting a saltwater tank. The key to being successful is “PATIENCE.” If you rush this step then your tank will fail 100% of the time. This step involves “cycling” the tank. This will set up the biological filter that will keep the tank healthy and hearty for all. The beginning of the cycle involves adding an ammonia source, such as a small piece of shrimp or other saltwater fish to get the decomposition phase started.

a. This step will take at the minimum two or possibly three months to complete. The user should at least once a week test the water with the Saltwater Master Liquid Test Kit. Once the results of each test fall within the table on the next page, it will be safe to start adding invertebrates (cleaning crew) and then fish and corals.

Aquarium Parameters	Suggested Level: Reef Aquarium	Suggested Level: FOWLR Aquarium	Average Level: Coral Reefs
Specific Gravity	1.023 - 1.025	1.020 - 1.025	1.025
Temperature	72 - 78°F	72 - 78°F	82°F
pH	8.1 - 8.4	8.1 - 8.4	8.0 - 8.5
Alkalinity	8 - 12 dKH	8 - 12 dKH	6 - 8 dKH
Ammonia (NH3)	Undetectable	Undetectable	Near Zero
Nitrite (NO2)	Undetectable	Undetectable	Near Zero
Nitrate - Nitrogen (NO3)	< 1.0 ppm	< 30 ppm	< 0.25 ppm
Phosphate (PO4)	< 0.2 ppm	< 1.0 ppm	< 0.13 ppm
Calcium	350 - 450 ppm	350 - 450 ppm	380 - 420 ppm
Magnesium	1250 - 1350 ppm	1150 - 1350 ppm	1300 ppm
Iodine	0.06 - 0.10 ppm	0.04 - 0.10 ppm	0.06 ppm
Strontium	8 - 14 ppm	4 - 10 ppm	8 - 10 ppm

b. Once the parameters are stable at the points described above, it will be time to move onto Step 10.

*TIP* The most important readings to test when starting the tank are the Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate levels.

10. This is another crucial step for the safety and survivability of any invertebrates or fish being added into the tank. The chart below gives a soft guideline into what types of fish and invertebrates are compatible with each other.

Marine Compatibility Chart

RECAP Instructions: 1. Installing all equipment and test. 2. Adding the saltwater. 3. Adding the Live Rock and Live Sand. 4. Beginning the Nitrogen Cycle. 5. Adding the Livestock. ***FINAL THOUGHTS*** While this guide will provide ample instruction to start a basic saltwater tank, there are many more books and websites for the amature aquarium enthusiast to read and learn from. The more anyone learns about the difficulties and rewards of having a saltwater aquarium will only lead to less nights of critical failures. Anyone that has owned and operated a saltwater tank can tell you that you will only get back what you put into it. Prudence and Planning can only lead to success!