Getting back into saltwater

[Cliff]

The BB can live a long time in a empty tank

As long as your nitrites are 0 ppm and your nitrates are not very high, your good to start stocking.

If you have algae in the tank, then I would suggest to start with some of your cleaning crew. If not, you could add your first fish

No need to rush stocking your tank tho, your live rock and BB will remain prefectly fine for many weeks to come in a empty tank.

Congrats on cycling your first marine tank

[Strider199]

Thanks Cliff.

I really cant see any amount of algae in the tank yet but my light is only on 3 hours a day at the moment. I read too many algae bloom threads which has me cautious. I'm not finished plumbing my sump yet (I have the overflow box, sump and return pump), so until I have that running inhabitants will have to wait.
I'm glad you say the BB will survive for some time in a tank which does not have a natural source of food in it.
Besides liquid ammonia, what else can I add if needed? I've read about shrimp thawed, flake food, etc. Which one is to add?

[Cliff]

I would suggest only using pure ammonia if you are going to feed the BB

Raw foods and flake foods will add phosphates to your water. That will lead to bigger issues at some point for you as the phosphates will build up in the water and be soaked up into your rocks as you currently don't have any algae in the tank to use it, nor do you current have a skimmer to help remove it. You would risk a BIG algae problem later on once you have a more normal lighting schedule.

[Strider199]

Thats what I had read. Thanks for confirming it. I guess I just have to get that sump finished and see what easy to keep small fish my local stores have in stock. Something that will get along with shrimp. Maybe a Clown. I've read most are tank bred now a days. My wife likes the darker versions.

[Cliff]

See if your LFS carrys MAC certified fish if captive bread and raised are not aval

Those are the only two options I ever consider when buying from a LFS these days

[Strider199]

MAC, I had to google that, never heard that acronym before.

I found this, http://www.aquariumcouncil.org/. Posted by Cliff @ the AC. Go figure.

I'll check BigAls next time I'm there. Marine Aquarium Council.

[Strider199]

Added a bag of live sand today. What a mess, I brought up one of my HOB to filter the cloudy water. Remember the movie, The Fog. Thats what my tank looks like. The sump (with skimmer), is almost ready. I have the return plumbing left to do. I cant even begin to count all the stores I went to over the last two weekends to acquire the fittings I needed. Example; for two 1 inch unions; Home Depot, Home Hardware, Rhona, Canadian Tire, and finally Lowe's had the pair. This hobby is really keeping me busy. Heck one day I'll even get some live stock. lol

[Cliff]

LOL, test your levels and you likely got a small ammonia spike right now. This is why I never use live sand again, once was enough for me.

If you are running into problems finding any more fittings, check out Crane Supply (on Star Top Road and Innes just off the 417). They will carry fittings like that in sch 40 & 80

How about a few pics

[Strider199]

Since there is no stock in the tank yet (except that feather duster), I'm not too worried about an ammonia spike (I think). lol

I have taken a few pictures along the way and plan on putting them on here when I get close. A picture says a thousand words after all. hehehe.

Man is this stuff consuming. I luv it.

My wife is almost at her wits end with all the pieces of equipment and fittings laying around, never mind the extra r/o pail of water, reef salt, and test equipment. Life is good.

[Strider199]

Well I should have listened. Putting live sand into a tank that already had live rock in it isn't the way to go. It is messy. I searched the topic before going for it but until I actually did it, I never really appreciated the work it would take to settle the tank. I read that you didn't want to rinse/clean the live sand as it would dilute the good stuff in the sand. I gently poured the sand into a container, lowered container into tank, upended container to pour live sand where I wanted it. Well that went well for about three containers. The tank got really cloudy from the fine particles and they stick to everything. Then there is the foam which looks like something you would see washed up at the beach. This stuff sticks to the side of the glass and anything you have in the tank. Skimmed foam, turned power jet up wards to agitate surface, hooked up an old HOB with only a cleaning pad in it trying to capture the silt like particles. Two days later and alot of cleaning the glass inside the tank, I can see the live rock again.
Now that I can see how the sand has settled, I have some work to do. Using a power head, I tried to blow the live sand off the rock. Dust storm!!!! Ok some hours later I get to clean the silt off the glass again. This is way too much fun for just one person.

I bought a turkey baster tonight (original one went to Son's tank), so I can gently convince the live sand to go where I want it to go. Now the good news is, no ammonia or nitrite detected yesterday or today. That small feather duster is still filtering away under a piece of live rock.

Long story short, when an experienced hobbyist suggests a bare bottom (no substrate), tank is the way to go, really consider it. I mean REALLY CONSIDER IT.
Live and learn. I'm sure it will settle down and I'll love it.