14 Gal Biocube - beginner questions

[rschare]

Thanks for any help.

I just setup yesterday my new 14 Gallon Biocube and have a few beginner questions. Salt level is 1.022, 13 lbs of live rock added, live aggregate added to bottom. Turned it on. Here are my questions.

1: Now what? Do I just leave it for 3-4 weeks? Should I be checking any levels of at this point (if so how often), or just leave things along for awhile?

2: When I turn on the left light button on the top, the fan kicks on, and whirls pretty loudly, is this right? Do you think the fan might be shot? If just the right light (blue) is on, the fan doesn't turn on.

3: There are two small blue lights when all of the lights are off. Is this normal?

4: I had trouble inserting the filter into the slot closest to the tank on the right hand side, so I had to go the slot further to the back of the tank. Is this right. It gets stuck in the forward slot because there doesn't seem to be the same notched out hole in the forward slot as the back one.

Thank yo for any help to my questions.
- Rob

 

[OniTweak]

Do you have the Oceanic Biocube 14g?

1. Check it every few days for your ammonia spike.

2. If you do have the oceanic, my fan goes crazy when the lights are on.

3. They are "Moonlights" They will always be on and they don't look to bad imo.

4. I don't know about the filter but I think that oceanic has some add-ons for the system that will fit in the front. Mine is in the back slot as well.

 

[rschare]

Thank you. Yup its the Oceanic Biocube 14.

So, is this the next set of steps for the most part.

- Wait for levels to go up/down.
- Add "cleanup crew"
- Add Invertebrates
- Add Fish.

How much time between each?

Also, How long do you leave the light on in the tank..once things are up and running?

 

[OniTweak]

Thats what I plan on doing. My cycle is just about done so I was going to toss in a CUC and then a little bit down the road(road being where I can maintain constant water readings) throw in a Yellow Clown Goby and a Clown of some sort.

 

[roka64]

What are you using as an ammonia source?
Once your cycle is complete, you can add maybe 1 fish and the clean up crew. Since it will be a new tank, start with a small CUC, since there won't be much for them to munch on.
You will want about 1.5-2Lbs of rock per gallon for best filtration.
I run my lights 8 hours (2-10PM).
The moonlights are LEDs, they look pretty cool when the lights are off.

 

[rschare]

So, how's my setup? Like I said...first attempt at any of this. I actually totally rearranged things tonight. I wasn't happy with my first attempt. Also, it's been 4 full days. Doesn't look like cycling has happened as ammonia levels were low, basically everything was low. Oh..and I had a stowaway! Some little thing crawling around in there.

Thanks for any advice on the setup.

 

[fijiwigi]

The fan only comes on when the daylight lamp is on I believe because it produces much more heat than the Actinic light usually most people have the actinic on 1 hour before the 10k and one hour after the 10k So when the 10k daylight lamp is on both lights are on so the fan only comes on then to prevent overheating. Also starting with 1 bulb and then after an hour a second bulb is not an intense blast of light for the corals.

 

[roka64]

That looks like base rock, what is your ammonia source? You will need one to start your cycle. I like the scaping!

 

[rschare]

Thanks. I wasn't aware I needed an ammonia source. Please advice. The guy at the store (a very good one), said, add live sand and live rock, and let it go and it'll start the cycle by itself in 3 days. Is that wrong?

 

[fijiwigi]

Well sometimes if the live rock is cured already than the beneficial bacteria is already converting ammonia into nitrates but that bacteria has to be developed. Depending on your bio-load amount of fish waste to be converted you need a different amount of bacteria. I would add an ammonia source and test it just to be sure if you test for ammonia or nitrite than the tank needs cycled if the test show up as nitrates only than your good to go. But as you add more bioload you may see another mini-cycle just make sure you are testing consistently. you can use a store-bought shrimp (RAW), fish food, or they sell pure ammonia concentrate

 

[rschare]

Will some old goldfish flakes work? I've got some of those laying around?

 

[fijiwigi]

Yes they will produce ammonia for sure you don't need a huge amount just a generous feeding worth.