new 14 gal. biocube

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lulabulla

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Aug 8, 2008
Messages
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I just purchased a 14 gal. oceanic biocube. I set it up to start the cycle process. I have evertything set up with what came with the biocube, I added salt, sand and some live rock. Im not sure what my next step exacly is. What tests should I do at this point and how often? and what else should I be doing during this process. I purchased everything I need at this point but am little stumped. Any advice or suggestions would help.
Thanks :)
 
Where did you get the rock and how was it transported?
To start the cycle (assuming you are using uncured or base rock), you will need an ammonia source, like some fish food or a raw, unseasoned shrimp for your local grocery store.
 
It is fiji rock that i bought at the lfs . they told me this would start the process and i didnt need raw shrimp. does that sound right? bare with me im new to this and still trying to figure out to use this site. thanks for helping. :)
 
I would suggest these two things:
Aquarium Water Testing: Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Saltwater Master Liquid Test Kit
It's a decent kit and will help to get you started. You can tell if the cycle is starting if you see some ammonia. If the rock is fully cured, you might bypass the cycle, assuming you have enough LR in the tank.
How much do you have?
The other item is:
Saltwater Aquarium Salinity & Specific Gravity Testing: Portable Refractometer
Especially since you have a smaller tank, the refractometer will give you more accurate readings than a hydrometer.
 
I would suggest these two things:
Aquarium Water Testing: Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Saltwater Master Liquid Test Kit
It's a decent kit and will help to get you started. You can tell if the cycle is starting if you see some ammonia. If the rock is fully cured, you might bypass the cycle, assuming you have enough LR in the tank.
How much do you have?
The other item is:
Saltwater Aquarium Salinity & Specific Gravity Testing: Portable Refractometer
Especially since you have a smaller tank, the refractometer will give you more accurate readings than a hydrometer.
I have the fully cured rock in the tank, only about 6 lbs. so far. I did a ammonia test which read 0 ppm today. is that normal this early on? and the salinity levels, which seem to be a little high at 1.026. i was going to wait another day to make sure all the salt is disolved and check again, if its still high i was going to take water out and replace with distilled water. does this sound like the right thing to do? also i am using the hydrometer. i make sure the air bubbles are out and ive heard the glass bobbing ones are better but was told to use this one instead.? would investing in a refractometer now be worth it?
you also mentioned if i used cured rock in the tank (which it is) i could bypass the cycle, what does that mean?
thanks :)
 
I highly recommend a refractometer. When you get it, check the difference in the reading you get from your hydrometer. Since you have a nano, more care should be taken to keep the correct salinity.
If the LR was enough (1.5-2Lbs per gallon) and had no die off, from the trip to the LFS, it could possibly have enough of the beneficial bacteria that converts ammonia to nitrItes to nitrAtes (so this would skip the cycle and be a ready made tank).
Just to be safe, I would put a pinch of fish food in the tank and check for ammonia in about 4 days. If you see any ammonia, you will need to cycle your tank. If you see none, then you are cycled.
 
i have another question.. if i want to add more lr should i be doing this during the cycle process or does it matter when i add it? i only have about 5-6 lbs for my 14 gal. right now.
also i did a complete test today and the levels are
ph~ 7.8
ammonia~0pmm
nitrIte~0pmm
nitrate~0pmm
salinity is 1.028
is my cycling going in the right direction?
thanks
 
As long as its fully cured LR then its fine but a risk. Adding all LR isnt a good idea though. It does add wanted hitchhikers but also increases chance of unwanted critters also. Adding less expensive base rock would be fine.

If you do use a shrimp take out after 24 hours.

During a cycle its the ammonia and nitrite and nitrate your concerned about. I wouldnt trust any other readings untill they are safe. Useing all fully cured LR means you might not see much if any of a cycle but i would wait atleast 4 weeks anyway.
 
i have another question.. if i want to add more lr should i be doing this during the cycle process or does it matter when i add it? i only have about 5-6 lbs for my 14 gal. right now.

I'd add it all now if possible. If you add it later, it will need to be fully cured or it will start another cycle.

also i did a complete test today and the levels are
ph~ 7.8
ammonia~0pmm
nitrIte~0pmm
nitrate~0pmm
salinity is 1.028
is my cycling going in the right direction?
thanks

Did you add anything like fish food, or a cocktail shrimp? If it's truly cured "live" rock, then you probably won't see any ammonia/nitrites - but you should eventually see some nitrates over time.
 
i didnt use a shrimp just the fully cured LR. i added some flake fish food last night to see if anything would change within a few days. i will def. wait longer if i need to or not for the cycle, im in no hurry to hurt my future dwarf seahorses :)! so i should add the LR all at once, what about other things like plants, etc. (eg. caulerpa etc.)
thanks
 
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