Brightwell NO3 Brick During cycle?

Chbix · Oct 19, 2020

I just got a Brightwell NO3 brick and microbactor 7 from a raffle I won. My tank is currently cycling, about 8 days in.

Current readings are:
Temp: 84.4
Salinity: 1.015
(Temp and salinity is based on Dr Tims recommendations)
Ammonia 2ppm (API)
Nitrite 1 ppm (API)
Nitrate is between 50-100 (salifert)

Cycle is using Dr Tims one and only along with his ammonia chloride. Tank is a 180 (Closer to 220 gal with sump) with dry rock and sand (Sand was labelled as "Live" but was sitting in Ro/di water for like 3 days as it filled so probably dead now.)

First question is should I put this brick in now or wait till cycle is over?
Second question, the directions say to put it a container with aquarium water and let soak in microbacter 7 for 24 hours and then add it. If I should put this in now, should I do that or just add it to the sump?

Spare time · Oct 20, 2020

You can put the brick in the tank whenever. It is not a bad idea to soak it in microbacter or another product but it is by no means necessary. I would wait to dose microbacter till after you have 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite. However, I would like to share my personal experience with those bricks.

They tend to be very easy to crumble and after a while get caked in detritus. I would only put it in if you have an area where it will not be bumped or touched or anything and will not get any sort of detritus on it.

Chbix · Oct 20, 2020

It would be going in the second chamber of the sump where I plan to have my refugium. Currently I have some rubble rock and my 2 heaters in there but eventually will be chaeto. I will be running socks or filtercups with floss on the drains and the first chamber will have the skimmer as well which flows into where the brick would be. So in my opinion detritus would be at a minimum.