New BioCube 29g

[dirk33]

Never really knew I wanted an aquarium until I was in the fish store this weekend and bought the biocube 29 on a whim. It's been a bit daunting trying to get this set up and learning everything that is involved as I knew absolutely nothing about the hobby.
As of right now I have mixed the salt water. Added about 35 lbs of sand and 15 lbs of live rock. I removed the bio balls and added live rock crumble instead. I need some more live rock I think but I have spent enough cash on this tank for the week.
I will get the water tested this week and keep checking it to see how the tank is cycling.
Anything else you guys recommend I should be doing at the moment?
I'm sure I'll have a lot of questions along the way
Thanks.

D

 

[Beengirl]

Welcome to AA!! you've got a good start on your first SW tank! I just started my first SW tank few months ago an just started cycling my 2nd one today!! It's a little addicting once you get started!! Instead of buying all live rock, you could get some base rock and use the live rock you have to seed it. Base rock is much cheaper, about $2/ pound. You really only need about 10-14 more pounds. Is this gonna be fish only with live rock (FOWLR) or u wanna do corals at some point? If you want corals, you'll need more powerheads and flow and good lighting, FOWLR you can get away with stock lighting and less flow, although you will still need some powerheads. What are you using to cycle your tank?

 

[dirk33]

I would definitely like to do some lps corals at some point. As far as cycling the tank I haven't done anything... I thought the live rock and sand would cycle it, no? Ive read of people adding a shrimp... Is that suggested?

 

[Beengirl]

The live rock could cycle the tank, depends on how much die-off you have from the rock. A lot of people put a raw shrimp inside a pantyhose foot, tie it off and throw it in the tank, then just let it decompose for many days. It'll be a constant source of ammonia for the bacteria that you'll need to grow. Then just test your levels everyday, ammonia will rise, then nitrites will rise, then nitrates will rise. Then ammonia and nitrite will go back down to zero, at that point you're cycled and you can do a partial water change and add a fish. This will all take a few weeks.

 

[dirk33]

I dropped a raw shrimp in there last night, I'll keep a close on the ammonia levels.
Question.. Do I need to keep the lights on during this stage?
Thanks

 

[melosu58]

Welcome aboard. We are glad you found us here at AA.

 

[Convict2161]

I dropped a raw shrimp in there last night, I'll keep a close on the ammonia levels.
Question.. Do I need to keep the lights on during this stage?
Thanks

Keep the lights off, you don't need them on. Just keep testing. The shrimp will work, I used it. My tank cycled fast!! I have 30+ pounds of live rock and 25 pounds of live sand. I'm pretty sure I can contribute the fast cycle to that.

 

[dirk33]

Keep the lights off, you don't need them on. Just keep testing. The shrimp will work, I used it. My tank cycled fast!! I have 30+ pounds of live rock and 25 pounds of live sand. I'm pretty sure I can contribute the fast cycle to that.

How long should it take for ammonia to peak. I put the shrimp in Tuesday. Wednesday I read about .5 ppm ammonia yesterday and today I read about 1ppm. Does all of this sound normal. Also, shrimp is still in tank, should I take that out??
Thanks!
D

 

[Convict2161]

How long should it take for ammonia to peak. I put the shrimp in Tuesday. Wednesday I read about .5 ppm ammonia yesterday and today I read about 1ppm. Does all of this sound normal. Also, shrimp is still in tank, should I take that out??
Thanks!
D

Leave the shrimp in. Did you see any Nitrites or NitrAtes?

 

[dirk33]

Leave the shrimp in. Did you see any Nitrites or NitrAtes?

I see very little or no nitrite but between 10 and 20 nitrates.

 

[Convict2161]

I see very little or no nitrite but between 10 and 20 nitrates.

Ok that's fine. Now for me and I can only speak from my own experience, I never saw a nitrite spike ever during my cycle or after(9 months later) I saw nitrAtes and ammonia. My tank did sit for about a month though in the cycle process because I had some more important things to attend to. The shrimp stayed in for about a week and a half. Then I switched to marine pellet food and added some CUC members to battle the diatoms. Once that was all done I just started to add some coral then a pair of clowns and so on and so on.

 

[dirk33]

Ok that's fine. Now for me and I can only speak from my own experience, I never saw a nitrite spike ever during my cycle or after(9 months later) I saw nitrAtes and ammonia. My tank did sit for about a month though in the cycle process because I had some more important things to attend to. The shrimp stayed in for about a week and a half. Then I switched to marine pellet food and added some CUC members to battle the diatoms. Once that was all done I just started to add some coral then a pair of clowns and so on and so on.

Great.
So once my nitrates start to fall I should be through the cycle process and be able to add a CUC?

 

[Convict2161]

Great.
So once my nitrates start to fall I should be through the cycle process and be able to add a CUC?

IMO yes. Sometimes for reasons I don't have an answer for, you don't see nitrites. I didn't see them in my SW or FW tanks.

I added my CUC shortly after.

 

[Beengirl]

Great.
So once my nitrates start to fall I should be through the cycle process and be able to add a CUC?

Your nitrates will only come down after a partial water change. Ammonia should rise, then nitrites should rise, then you will see nitrates show up. Then ammonia and nitrites should fall to zero. At that point you nitrates will probably be high. Do a partial water change-50% if needed-to get nitrates at 20 or below. At that point you're ready to slowly start adding fish. Good luck!!

 

[Convict2161]

Your nitrates will only come down after a partial water change. Ammonia should rise, then nitrites should rise, then you will see nitrates show up. Then ammonia and nitrites should fall to zero. At that point you nitrates will probably be high. Do a partial water change-50% if needed-to get nitrates at 20 or below. At that point you're ready to slowly start adding fish. Good luck!!

^^^ this is all true and sound advice.

I'm just going off my experience. Never saw Trites and my tank sat for about a month.