First salty, keep me in line guys! =D

[zeig]

my first tank was brackish, so i have minimal saltwater experience.
After visiting my LFS, which has a wonderfully large and beautiful selection, my aquiarium mania was resparked.

Im purchasing a 50G tank (im assuming, its in a general store and is used)
so ihave a few questions.

1) I'm moving in two months so if i cycle now and have my fish/inv. can i just take the water from the tank and reuse it when i move the tank?

2) Why is it important to get the tank to turn over (via powerheads or closed loop)

3)can i use play sand as my substrate ifit doesnt affect my PH? the sand i have is so beautifully white.

4)Is a sump just a closed circut powerhead that is outside the tank?

5)Is a skimmer really needed? (i've read that they are better for LR and coral tanks. can i go without it?)

6) any advice you can give? bumps in the road, etc?

Thanks i really hope i get some help, id really appreciate it!



BTW) in my tank i'm lookin into emrald crab(s), pink florida sea anenomie, some fish whose names i can not recall.

[smaug]

Never add fish to your tank without a minimum of 3 weeks quarantine. Read my blog to find out why.

[Cliff]

I would suggest reading throught the stickys here (same section of the forum that you posted your thread in)

Depending on how you set-up your tank it might take 2 months just to cycle it, not to mention puting your fish in QT as Smuag has suggested

It might be best to wait until after you move to set-up your tank. This would also give you a little extra time to research the type of set-up you want to have

[zeig]

hmk, ill look into the quarenteening, but im having trouble finding anything on the powerhead sump substitution.

[smaug]

hmk, ill look into the quarenteening, but im having trouble finding anything on the powerhead sump substitution.

If you are wandering why you need a powerhead then I will answer it with. SW tanks need lots of circulation especially with corals and to a lesser extent with live rock.The corals need the water movement for feeding themselves and to keep sediment off them.The live rock needs it to keep the beneficial bacteria and other living critters inside the rock alive. For a sump,they arent nessacary but add extra water volume to your system thus making it more stable.It is also a good place for more live rock and macro algae to be placed for even more filtration,for the MA you would need lights on the sump. With live rocks it is a place to act as a refugium for marine life like copepods and the like to live uneaten and reproduce to keep a good population going in the system.