29g Reef tank in cycling - 1st pic

Shelby2012 · Jan 17, 2012

So I finally set up my tank on Saturday.

I have:

30 lbs of Dry Rock
2 x 20lbs of Aragonite Live sand
Filled with Distilled water + Red Sea Pro Salt
Reef Octopus BH-100 protein skimmer
2 Hydor Koralia Nano 425
Aqueon Pro Heater 100W
Marineland Reef Capable LED lighting system

For the last 3 days my ammonia reading is 0.50 ppm. I added 2 raw shrimps on the first day but I removed them the next day after reading some scary info on possibility of Saprolegnia infection or heterotrophic bacteria. I am trying to do what some people call "soft cycling". I run my skimmer without light. (I used lights only for taking this photo). I realize that cycling will probably take a long time but it's OK. I read different opinions on cycling using only live sand. I purchased 1 bag from an online retailer and 1 from a local store. Do you think it is enough for cycling the tank?

Pkunk35 · Jan 20, 2012

Hi Shelby2012,

I'm new here on this forum (2nd post!) but have a decent amount of experience in SW reef keeping, thought I'd give some input...

First off, nice tank! I like the black background and open rock structure, it will most certainly help with water flow throughout the tank. I used to have a similar setup with a 29g and I truly believe that the 29g size is really perfect for a small reef tank. I loved it so much that I have helped turn many people onto the 29 gal size when they are starting out and it was one of my own most successful tanks.

Have you ever checked out garf.org? They make a product called "Garf Grunge" that will help your tank out with seeding bacteria as well as adding a bit of color (in the form of coralline algae) and critters. I usually recommend that or a product similar to that when tanks start...it really helps to get the critter and bacterial populations going plus adds interest to the tank when not much is going on.

I also think that a slower cycle is fine and what you are currently doing will work, the live sand will be enough to seed the tank with bacteria (the more live sand the merrier IMO).

Any ideas as to what will be going in the tank?

BTW I love Brooklyn. My fiancÃ© is from there.

Shelby2012 · Jan 20, 2012

Thanks for your response. I am monitoring the water everyday and I hope to get to the end without buying anything else (except RO/DI filter). I am glad the sand would be enough to cycle the tank. I hope I am on the right track. As for the life inside the tank. I am still researching the possibilities, compatibilities, etc. so it's really to early. I want to make a plan, this is for sure. I don't want to find out one day that the fish or coral that I really like is not compatible with what I already have. Of course it may happen any way.
I live in Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn, by the way.

revhtree · Jan 20, 2012

Shelby the tank is looking great!

Pkunk35 welcome to R2R and thank you for sharing your knowledge!

Squared · Jan 22, 2012

i really like your scape, and will keeping up with your thread

Shelby2012 · Jan 23, 2012

It is the 8th day in the cycling and the ammonia keep decreasing from the innitial 0.50. Today I measured around 0.10 ppm however the nitrite is not increasing as it supposed to. It is still 0. the nitrite never went up. Now I am afraid the cycle never started. What do you think?

Pkunk35 · Jan 23, 2012

I think the nitrite cycle may be tough to detect as it is so fast? That could be (and probably is) wrong.

IMO if you've got disappearing ammonia levels then you have bacteria consuming that ammonia, so don't worry the process has started.

I would pinch in some flake or food to help increase some ammonia levels and let it sit for a good couple of weeks (or until ammonia and nitrite are consistently zero) then add live stock very slowly.

Ah! Makes me want to start a new tank!

Shelby2012 · Jan 25, 2012

2 days ago I added some fish food to the water. I measured ammonia the next day and today and it's 0. I think there are enough nitrifying bacteria to correct the ammonia. I'm still not convinced. I've ordered OneandOnly and ammonium chloride from Dr.Tim and it will arrive tomorrow. I decided to add it to my tank. If in fact this solution works, I should be back at zerio level in a few days. I will keep you posted on the progress.

fsu1dolfan · Jan 25, 2012

Nice new tank Shelby!! I have a 29g myslef that i love. Also Pkunk thanks for the grunge info...never heard of it before.

Shelby2012 · Feb 5, 2012

Update

So the tank was set up 01.14.12 Here are the readings so far:
Day 1 Ammonia 0.50 Nitrite 0
Day 2 Ammonia 0.50 Nitrite 0
Day 3 Ammonia 0.50 Nitrite 0
Day 4 Ammonia 0.40 Nitrite 0
Day 5 Ammonia 0.40 Nitrite 0
Day 6 Ammonia 0.30 Nitrite 0
Day 7 Ammonia 0.30 Nitrite 0
Day 8 Ammonia 0.10 Nitrite 0
a small amount of fish food added
Day 9 Ammonia 0.0 Nitrite 0
Day 10 Ammonia 0.0 Nitrite 0
Day 11 Ammonia 0.0 Nitrite 0
Dr.Tims One andOnly added to the tank together with 1.5ml of Ammonium Chloride to make Ammonium level 2.0
Day 12 Ammonia 2.0 Nitrite 0
Day 13 Ammonia 1.75 Nitrite 0.25
0.75 ml of Ammonium Chloride added to the water
Day 14 Ammonia 2.0 Nitrite 0.25
Day 15 Ammonia 1.75 Nitrite 0.25
Day 16 Ammonia 1.75 Nitrite 0.25
10% water change
Day 17 Ammonia 1.0 Nitrite 0.25
Day 18 Ammonia 1.0 Nitrite 0.25
Day 19 Ammonia 1.0 Nitrite 0.25
Day 20 Ammonia 0.9 Nitrite 0.25
Day 21 Ammonia 0.6 Nitrite 0.25
Day 23 Ammonia 0.25 Nitrite 0.25

It looks like I am on a right track now. What do you think, is it a good idea to add ammonium chloride (1.5 ml) after ammonium and nitrite will show "0"? If I have the right bacteria in the tank the bacteria should remove the ammonium chloride very fast. This will prove that the cycling process is completed and I am ready to add livestock.

pagerocks · Feb 6, 2012

love the scape got a 20 high now in the process of doing a 29

jessie717 · Feb 25, 2012

Hello Shelby, fist of all, the 29 is the perfect tank for Nano's. Belive me I should know I've had 5 reef setups in the past and even thought bigger tanks are nice the 29 is very easy to maintain. But here's the deal in setting up a tank. When I set mine up I was able to put whatever live stock I wanted in 3 days flat. Here is how it should be done. I bought the live rock, yes live rock not dead, from another hobbiest who was getting out of the hobby. I even went ahead and took his water and live sand. I put everything in the tank started to run it and the second day I did a 10% water change and that is it, ready to go. I've had this same tank now for over 2 years. The live stock I have is SPS, LPS and softies lots of high end corals, like rastas, blue and red hornets, Strawberry shortcake, deep water SPS, awesome branching LPS green Duncans. Here is another advise that I always offer and it falls under my rule of thumb. One pound of live rock for every gallon of water, at least. No more than one fish for very 5 gallons of water. In my system I have around 50 LBS of live rock because I also keep some in my sump. In all the systems I've had in the past I have never dealt with nitrates or amonia, heck I don't even own those types of test kits. The only things I test for in my water are Calcium, DKH and Magnesium. Also don't believe all the hype about LED's I get almost 1/4 inch grow out of my SPS with my 150 Watt HQI metal halide and I love it. I have been in this hobby for over 16 years and adding, I love this hobby. Heres more on my tank, I built the custom canopy and stand my self pure oak wood. My e-mail is [email protected] so any body who want to see amazing pictures of an established 29 reef system just email me. My system also has a reefkeeper controller, CPR CY192 cyclone filter with two 50 watt ice probe chillers. Well, good luck to all and remember I love chatting about this hobby so anyone wants free advice I'm here, in South San Francisco California.

Regards Jessie