New tank: Help Requested

[Spence24]

Ok, i have many many questions. I'll start off with a little bio. I just got a long 60 Gallon tank (48L x 12W x 24H). It is a beautiful tank. I also have a nice stand to go with it. And, i have 100 lbs. of live rock on its way from fuji, it will be here January 3rd. On top of that i have a Aqua-C Remora hang on skimmer and 40 lbs. of live sand. Ok now that thats all out of the way lets start my questions. And I'm sorry in advance, because i know all of the following have been answered.

1. With my skimmer, is it necessary to use a filter, if so what type/brand?

2. What do you recommend as a good cycling procedure. Link or answer?

3. Can a starfish safely be placed in the same tank as an Octopus?

4. What kind of water tests do you recommend?

5. What are all the recommended water levels?

Thank you all very much for all of your help, and sorry for my possible redundancy.

.ryan

 

[Animal Mother]

1. With my skimmer, is it necessary to use a filter, if so what type/brand?
Since you're going with hang-on equipment you might run carbon too. If you can rig a canister filter or external overflow with a wet/dry or sump that would be best. The more filtration, the better.

2. What do you recommend as a good cycling procedure. Link or answer?
Put the water in, feed the tank like there are some fish in there, and leave it alone for 3 months, without the skimmer. If you have un-cured live rock it will cycle the tank for you. Wait at least 3 months before adding an octopus, regardless of whatever your water tests say, your little voice in your head says, or your LFS employees tell you. Tried and true.

3. Can a starfish safely be placed in the same tank as an Octopus?
Serpents and Brittles seem to work out fine. Wouldn't trust a carnivorous star, they dissolve organisms by ejecting their stomach into holes the can't fit into...and octos love to hide in holes.

4. What kind of water tests do you recommend?
Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, maybe phosphate. There should be a "Saltwater master test kit" available with everything you need.

5. What are all the recommended water levels?
I think you mean water parameters? Salinity/specific gravity should be 1.023 - 1.026, ammonia should be 0, nitrites should be 0, and if nitrates are 0 you should be suspicious, but nitrates should never be higher than 30.


Now my friend, read the articles. Any and just about all questions are answered in the articles and previous threads on this website.

 

[monty]

to TONMO!

AM gave you good specific answers, but you'll probably also want to check out the "ceph care" articles under the ARTICLES tab at the top of the page. There are some specific stars people have run into problems with, but I can't remember which types and I don't want to give you bad advice from bad memory... I think that's mentioned in one of the articles, though.

 

[Spence24]

Thank you

Thank you both very much, i have spent almost 2 months now reading through the articles and forums, and yes, i did mean parameters haha. I have made a table with all my importation things to remember on it, and just wanted to make sure everything was set to go. I will be putting water in the tank tomorrow, I'm pretty pumped, would of done it two days ago but wal-mart was closed, and my brother has my ro/di unit. Oh well.