Oh what i would give to have my tank set up right now and cycled, Check this out. http://cgi.ebay.com/LIVE-CORAL-DENDROPHYLLIA-SUN-POLYP_W0QQitemZ7723404237QQcategoryZ46308QQssPageN ameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItemI am going to own these one day. How hard are they to keep?

Hello Teeka,
The hirock is dry base rock and will not need to be "cooked". It will just need a good rinsing before it goes into your tank.

Cooking live rock will kill off any undesirables that may be living on the live rock. This process allows you to contol exactly what goes into your tank and limits it to basically the bacteria and the coraline algae, as most everything else will die off. This prevents the die off from happening inside your tank and allows you to effectively remove most organic matter before putting it in your tank.

Supposedly the live sand can stay alive for up to a year, according to some of the manufacturers. All bags of live sand should be dated, so the fresher the sand the more alive it will be. Save your money and buy mostly dry sand. It will take a little longer, but in due time all of your sand will be "live". If you know someone who has a healthy established tank then see if you can get a handful of sand from their tank as a seed for your sand. If you can get a handful of sand from a few different healthy established tanks then this will improve the biodiversity in your tank.

I have never kept sun polyps before, but from what I have read they are dependant on regular feedings instead of being photosynthetic. This coral will probably prefer a shady spot in the tank and will usually extend their polyps at night for feeding. Maybe someone who has experience keeping these will chime in with more advice for keeping these.

If I am starting a new tank should I do this or should I start the uncured rock in the tank? If so how long do I cook it? I am sorry to be a pest but I am trying to figure out how I should get everything. Yes I am doing my research.The problem I am finding is that everyone has a different way, I am so new that it just boggs me down. Should I just put the live sand and the live rock in the tank and forget about it for 2-3 months.

Everyone has their own opinion as to what works best. Here is my experience with uncured rock. -

When I set up my tank I bought uncured live rock that was aquacultured in the Gulf of Mexico. It was teaming with life which I thought was great at the time. It was packed full of undesirables including crabs, urchins, mantis shrimps, algae, etc. The crabs eventually battled it out killing each other until there was only on big one left, which I was finally able to remove. I was always pulling out dead crabs that had been killed by other crabs. I had probably 15-20 small black urchins which kept growing and competing for space and food until most had died and a few grew really big. The mantis were a pain to remove. I had to dig through the rocks numerous times trying to pull them out and then rebuild the rock work. I went through many different algae blooms before the rock finally stabilized. Not to mention the number big fireworms I had killed in the process.
So when these critters died in the tank they would pollute the water increasing the nitrate and phosphate levels, not to mention the number of times I had to rearrange the rocks to manually remove one thing or another.

So I would suggest that you save yourself some headache and cook your rock. You can't be sure exactly what you are putting in your tank with uncured live rock. By cooking the rock you have more control over what goes into your tank, plus the majority of the die off happens outside of the tank.

Either way you choose you can still have a successful tank. You just might have more headaches and aggravation depending on which route you take.

so...To cook your rock you will need a large container of some sort with a lid, a $10 rubbermaid trash can will work well, some fresh saltwater, and a powerhead. Some people will also add a heater to keep the temp slightly elevated.

Fill the trash can with the saltwater and add your rock. Drop in a powerhead and cover it with the lid and let it sit in the dark for 4-6 weeks. Change 50-80% of the water weekly making sure to siphon off the deterous that builds up on the bottom. Make sure to use the powerhead to blow off any decaying material from the rock periodically. After each water change you should notice less and less deterious build up. Letting it sit in the dark will also kill off any undesirable algae along the way. Coraline algae is tough and should survive this process and bouce back when you do add the rock to your tank.

Either way, I wish you the best of luck. Keep us updated on your progress.

What a fine morning it is. Today I am suppose to get my tank. Let's hope it is there and waiting when hubby gets off to pick it up. Now the wait starts for the next piece.

Excellent! Let the fun begin!:)
Keep us updated on your progress.

Yes, I finally got my stand. It was 3 weeks late getting here. This new hobby already is reminding me about patience. LOL Sometime next week my tank is being drilled for a cls. So I am making progress as slow as it is. Again The hobby is teaching me about patience.

Great looks like you will be up and running shortly.

Great! I'm glad to hear that you are one step closer to getting your tank set up. Patience is definitely a virtue in this hobby.

Have you decided on a skimmer and your lighting yet?

Pretty much yes
skimmer a Euro Reef CS8-3, it is rate for 175 but i think it will be okay.
for lights that is what I am not 100% about. I need low to moderate. I am on some of Steve Tyree's waiting list. So I need enough light to match his. He said 2x 250 Hqi 14,000 and 2x T5 Acentics would be good. But he has 2x 400 single ended 20,000. would this amount to about the same? Or should I go with 2x250 20,000 and 2X 10,000 T5's?
Thank You
Teeka

Most of the Tyree waiting lists are very looong. What are you on the waiting list for and how long do you have to wait, just out of curiosity?

The 250 watt HQI's should be plenty for pretty much any high light requirement corals you decide to keep. I would go actinic on the supplemental lighting and between 10-15K on the halides. This has a lot to due with personal preference, if you want a really blue tank then you might want to consider 20K's.

I am on the list for:
1) Oxypora lacera December 2008
2) Echinopora mammiformis December 2008
3) Favia matthai May 2009
4) Echinophyllia sp. Shu Tin Brick Red April 2010
I know the list are long, but I haven't got my tank set up yet. Plus I want to have the tank at least a year before I start to add the rare coral. After my tank is a year there are a couple of the auction editions that I want. I want to take it slow and learn all that I can before I get my special corals. But I am setting my tank up for them from the start. I will down the road add a calcium reactor. Right now I am just trying to pull my tank together.

. You just reinforced what I was leaning towards on the lights. Thank You for the help that you have provided

Christmas threw my plans off a bit. I finally got to order my lights last friday. I ordered 2x 250w HQI MH (15,000) 2x 56w T5 Actinic. I am suppose to get my tank drilled soon. Having a hard time getting the guy here. He is very busy. Just wanted to update this. This month I get to order my Chiller. Pacific Coast CL-280 1/10 HP Inline Chiller. Feb will be my skimmer. Then it is down hill from there. The rest will be bought when the taxes comes in. It is taking a while as we are paying for the stuff and not charging it.

Sounds like you will be well on your way to having your tank set up soon.
I think you made a great choice on the lighting. Soon I will be upgrading my vho's to t-5's. I am really impressed with the t-5's when comparing to the lumen output vs. the electricity consumption.

So how long until you actually get to fill the tank with water?

Hopefully by the end of Feb or march depending on how long it takse to get the taxes. By the I hope to only need the small stuff, pumps and LR.

Well tax time is here. Still waiting on a couple W-2's from the move and having to switch jobs. Since the last time I posted, I ordered my sump. It is a 40L x 19W x 18 H from Reef Mania.

I have:
120 AGA Megaflow
2 x 250watt MH 2 x 56 wat T5 Ancetic
sump/refuge being made (reef mania)

want list for tax:
Pacific Coast CL-280 1/10 HP Inline Chiller
Iwaki MD 100RLT - 2000gph - Japan
EuroReef CS135 Skimmer w/pump
60 lbs base rock from Hirock
live rock
test, meters, and all the rest of the small stuff.

I would say a little over a month and I will be up and Running.

All of the research you did before hand will definitely pay off once you are up and running. Then once your tank is set up the real spending will begin:D

I'll send you some chaeto for your fuge and a frag or two after your tank cycles.