Head's 29G Biocube journey

[BHead707]

Hello all! I just graduated college yesterday and received a 29G Biocube as a gift from my dad. Ive been a freshwater guy for the duration of my time in fish-keeping but here i am starting a marine tank now. Currently the tank is setup on its stand with everything running and all is well. only have a small amount of live rock at the moment because they were charging a ridiculous amount for it. I will be doing a fishless cycle and going to start dosing ammonia tomorrow(if i find any). If you all have any pointers or suggestions feel free to add them in here.

Thanks,
Brandon

 

[Gboy66]

Congrats on the graduation and on the tank!!!

Pointer-i'd just add mysis or a raw shrimp to cycle. Easier than dosing IMO

Plus, you only need a bit of live rock. But the rest as base rock

 

[Convict2161]

Congratulations on graduating!! And awesome that you got the "cube"

Good luck with it!! The possibilities are endless!!

 

[BHead707]

Congrats on the graduation and on the tank!!!

Pointer-i'd just add mysis or a raw shrimp to cycle. Easier than dosing IMO

Plus, you only need a bit of live rock. But the rest as base rock

ok, i may try to look around craigslist for some rock someone is trying to get rid of, and looks like the grocery store is in my future

Congratulations on graduating!! And awesome that you got the "cube"

Good luck with it!! The possibilities are endless!!

thank you i am very excited! and im very bad with making decisions so we will see how all these possibilities mess me up

 

[Gboy66]

Well you decided to go SW..so you have gotten off on the right foot withthe decisions! (lol fw people may be angry at that) lol

 

[Convict2161]

Well you decided to go SW..so you have gotten off on the right foot withthe decisions! (lol fw people may be angry at that) lol

Haha I'll let that go....

To the OP don't stress it too much. I did and it was for nothing. I totally gutted my BC29 and upgraded everything and couldn't be happier. Your gonna love it.

One thing I can say, a lesson I learned. Plane it out, know what corals you want and what care they need then you can lay your tank out accordingly. I didn't and wish I did. It turned out just fine but probably would have been easier of I had laid it out first. Just my 2 cents.

Again Goodluck and don't forget the pics

 

[BHead707]

With a test kit should i just go with and API Master salt kit? or go with a different brand? i believe there is one called Redsea or something like that.

also what is a good price for live rock the cheapest lfs is i think $7 a pound(might be 6), but is that a good price?

 

[Schism]

That is the going rate for premium live rock. Dry rock goes for about half the price but you dont get the life that live rock has. If you wanted you can go half live rock half dry rock. Eventually the dry rock will become live but it will take longer.

Use a shrimp for cycle. Remove shrimp once the cycle completes do a 25% water change or more and think about adding your first members of your clean up crew.

Also dont use tap water. 0 TDS Ro/Di is the what is used in reef tanks. Its usually mandatory for a longterm successful reef tank. Tap has too many unwanted features and is simply not pure. Many contain phosphates, heavy metal, contaminates and even nitrates. Good water and good salt is the foundation of a great reef tank.

 

[Therealgijoe]

$7 is cheep for live rock. I pay $12. U only need a few pounds of live the rest can be base rock. And deff look at ur long term goal. I have a 29 and am always changing it. I originally bought it for my fiancé bc she wanted one in her apartment and since then I sold my 75 and have just been upgrading the biocube which Is a prodominatly a SPS tank now. And RODI is overrated if u ask me. Mine has been up for a year now and I use tap. I just do water changes every week and run a protein skimmer on it. Get some pics up an let us see. This is my 29

 

[Therealgijoe]

Here is another pic

 

[ChizerBunoi]

Congratz on graduating. If your father only knew what type of a reef junkie he would be creating by giving you that one present.

And RODI is overrated if u ask me. Mine has been up for a year now and I use tap. I just do water changes every week and run a protein skimmer on it.

Good advice. Lots of people have long term successful reef tanks with tap water only. My local tap water is 0 nitrate and phosphate, but over 140 TDS. I have absolutely no problems growing corals.

 

[Schism]

Congratz on graduating. If your father only knew what type of a reef junkie he would be creating by giving you that one present.

Good advice. Lots of people have long term successful reef tanks with tap water only. My local tap water is 0 nitrate and phosphate, but over 140 TDS. I have absolutely no problems growing corals.

It depends where you live, your water source among other things. Tap water can be used successfully but just because it works for one doesn't mean it will for another 1000 miles away. Tds is a measure of dissolved solids, these can be anything under the sun. Your 140tds may not be anothers 140tds and so on. That 140tds could be heavy metals, you just dont know. Its a risk you have to decide for yourself, and the repercussions of the livestock and money that could be lost. I myself wont risk it, and i would never advised anyone else to. Best advise is to use Ro/di bottom line. It can work with tap if its good enough but it will work way better and no risk with rodi.

I have thousands of dollars invested and to risk it on something as cheap and simple as water would be foolish and a nightmare. Thats just me and my experiences talking. Its different for everyone.

 

[Therealgijoe]

That's not exactly true. I volunteer at my LFS on my days off. Have been since I been in the hobby. They have never used any RODI water in the store in the three years I've been there. With over a hundred tanks and every diff mixture of fish and coral we don't see any problems in any of the tanks unless it is a disease one of the fish bring in. I will never waste the time or money messing with a RO unit. And I use to have a 50 gallon breeder that was SPS only. And if anything the tap water would have had the biggest effect on that if any.

 

[Schism]

That's not exactly true. I volunteer at my LFS on my days off. Have been since I been in the hobby. They have never used any RODI water in the store in the three years I've been there. With over a hundred tanks and every diff mixture of fish and coral we don't see any problems in any of the tanks unless it is a disease one of the fish bring in. I will never waste the time or money messing with a RO unit. And I use to have a 50 gallon breeder that was SPS only. And if anything the tap water would have had the biggest effect on that if any.

Like i said it depends on location and water source, fact not all water is the same. Just because it works for some doesn't mean it works for everyone. I dont know why someone would recommend tap. There is a reason for Ro/di.

 

[Abugg]

I don't know why someone would recommend tap either. I tried to start off with tap, and my 90 gallon saw a ph swing that killed all of the fish. that's a mistake I learned from!!

 

[Therealgijoe]

I also want it known that I mix water a week b4 I use it. So ph stabilizes and some of the metals and impurities naturally leave the water.

 

[Schism]

I also want it known that I mix water a week b4 I use it. So ph stabilizes and some of the metals and impurities naturally leave the water.

The metals and impurities dont just magically leave the water. They are always there, dechlorinator only "neutralizes" them. Its great you can use tap but many many many people try the same thing and fail. Tap is not the same around the world or country.

 

[BHead707]

Hello all was on vacation back home for a while and now have finally returned. I See there has been a RO discussion going on. I bought a unit while i was away and it has already arrived at my house. Im going to be adding some more rock tomorrow after i go to the lfs so ill post a pic then. Test kit will be on the way soon. and its only been two weeks so im going to assume the cycle isnt done yet

 

[Schism]

Do your regular water changes during the cycle. It does not prolong your cycle, and helps with nitrate reduction so you dont end up with large amount during the end stage of the cycle that can feed algae. Ive done this with most of my tanks and it seems to be the best way to go. No water changes during the cycle just does not make logical sense.

 

[spoonman]

I disagree. Changing water during the cycle takes away the things that you need in there for the bacteria to develop. Why would you dose ammonia then change water and take it out?