Slowly starting a salty tank

[myjohnson]

I would do 10-20% weekly depending on bioload.

Nitrates kill corals and phosphate grows algae. Water change is the best way to keep both of those levels low.

[Andrew_B]

Is the mixing of saltwater pretty self explanatory as long as measurements are correct?

[johnnymisty]

Ya just need to let the water settle till its not cloudy then check salinity I keep mine at 1.024

[myjohnson]

Is the mixing of saltwater pretty self explanatory as long as measurements are correct?

It is....make sure the temp is right. Different temps can give off different readings.

Also, I found it best to use a pump to mix the salt and to pump the water back into the tank. Pouring water in will stir up the sand.

[rage]

I'd rather do fewer 25-30% water changes than many 10% water changes.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-10/rhf/index.php

[Andrew_B]

I'll pick all your brains later about all the nitty gritty details! - just focusing on proper equipment needed to start on the right track

[Andrew_B]

Whats the advantage of an auto top off? Is it noticeably different than say me just manually adding small amounts of water from my storage tank daily? Is there any kind of tank health advantage or is it just maintenance time related?

[Darbex]

I do like rage says about 30% every two weeks or so. You can go longer if you supplement and have a skimmer. Once you get the system set-up and running and you do it right. SW is pretty self sufficient and doesnt require a lot of "maintenance".

[Darbex]

IMO ATO is very important. It keeps the salinaty stable throughout the day. Unless you can add RO/DI water throughout the day then you are going to have your salinaty creep up during the day and then you will dump a bunch of FW on them causing the salinaty to drop rapidly. While some fish and corals can handle this change most cannot and you will end up with dead fish or sick fish from the stress.

[johnnymisty]

Ya but that's a good article and a good salt is apart of what youll need to buy and the amount of water changes to do shows let's you know what you'll need to buy on a regular basis I've just started using red sea coral pro salt and I like it real well

[Darbex]

Yeah I told you man. Red sea coral pro is the best. And the price isnt bad either its on the high end but there are some others that act like they put gold in their buckets.

[myjohnson]

ATO is an absolute necessity.

I refused to keep a reef tank without one.

It basically keeps your tank hands off outside of keeping your glass clean and doing water changes.

Reefing gets old fast if you have to mess with it all the time.

[Andrew_B]

The stuff I would add to the tank would still be mixed salt water, but is there a difference between it being slowly added to the tank throughout the day with ATO or say something like 1/4 cup a day at a single time to make up for evaporation.

I guess Im still trying to figure out what Im doing with the setup. I see myself making RO water right into a 5gal bucket with a line marked at the 4gal mark or something. Let that slowly fill up, do the salt mix, check params then toss it in a 10gal "storage" tank under the stand. Still don't understand how ATO would be more beneficial than me just taking a cup and manually topping it off. Only thing I can think of is that salt water loses something just sitting around and not being in cycled through bacteria? Not arguing, you guys are the experts, I just like knowing "why" to do stuff!

[Andrew_B]

Hmm, any suggestions on what to look for when finding one suitable for my needs? Also, it seems like something I could just add on later right? Maybe not required for initial setup but highly worth looking into once the tank is cycled properly?

[johnnymisty]

Darbex 09:26 AM Today Location: 288/8 Yeah I told you man. Red sea coral pro is the best. And the price isnt bad either its on the high end but there are some others that act like they put gold in their buckets.

Ya the first water change I did the salt settled real quick the corals in the tank all perked up nicely and the price isn't bad at CP overvall awsome stuff

As for the ato that's just plain ole ro water no salt