Captain.Morgan's 29 gallon Biocube

Captain.Morgan · Sep 28, 2017

Alright, totally new reefer here and this is my 29 Biocube thread. Hope you enjoy! Please feel free to leave comments, suggestions, and any upgrades you have done with your tank!

Purchase:

Purchase

Captain.Morgan
Sep 28, 2017

Day 1:

Day 1

Captain.Morgan
Sep 28, 2017

Tank started on September 12, 2017

Live Sand: 20 lb bag of Nature's Ocean Reef Sand
Live Rock: 10lbs of live cured Figi rock from LFS

Used 10 lbs of dry (dead) sand that came with the tank after rinsing with RODI water
Used about 25 lbs of dead rock that also came with the tank

Week 1:

Weel 1

Captain.Morgan
Sep 28, 2017

9/18/17

Water parameters-
pH: 8.0
Ammonia: 0.50 ppm
Nitrate: 5.0 ppm
Nitrite: 40 ppm
Salinity: 1.024

*** 30% water change

9/21/17

Water parameters-
pH: 8.0
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 5.0 ppm
Nitrite: 60 ppm
Salinity: 1.024

Week 3:

Week 3

Captain.Morgan
Sep 28, 2017

9/25/17

Water parameters-
pH: 8.0
Ammonia: 0.0 ppm
Nitrate: 0.0 ppm
Nitrite: 0.0 ppm
Salinity: 1.024
Ca+: 460

9/25/17

Captain.Morgan
Sep 28, 2017

MSB123 · Sep 28, 2017

Nice! Im glad that you are cycling it! How long do you plan on cycling for?

Captain.Morgan · Sep 28, 2017

MSB123 said:
Nice! Im glad that you are cycling it! How long do you plan on cycling for?

I think I am going to cycle for a month total (but we will see). As of right now, it's just been over 2 weeks and it looks like the first tank cycle is over. My ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites ramped up early in week 1 and then started to settle down last week. I am not going to do a water change for a week to see if the parameters change at all.

MSB123 · Sep 28, 2017

If I were you, I would do a 20% water change within a week. I'd also start to add food to start the nitrifying bacteria. I would also suggest a cycling process of at least 6 months. If you want to speed it up, I would add something like a used filter/media pad and/or a product that contains live bacteria cultures. You can ask reefers in your area for media pads- we are always getting new ones- and you can order the bacteria online. At the minimum, with all of those things, you should cycle your tank for 4 months. Remember, its about getting the bacteria that will sustain your tank later on.

MSB123 · Sep 28, 2017

MSB123 said:
If I were you, I would do a 20% water change within a week. I'd also start to add food to start the nitrifying bacteria. I would also suggest a cycling process of at least 6 months. If you want to speed it up, I would add something like a used filter/media pad and/or a product that contains live bacteria cultures. You can ask reefers in your area for media pads- we are always getting new ones- and you can order the bacteria online. At the minimum, with all of those things, you should cycle your tank for 4 months. Remember, its about getting the bacteria that will sustain your tank later on.

Things can always fluxuate

Captain.Morgan · Sep 28, 2017

MSB123 said:
If I were you, I would do a 20% water change within a week. I'd also start to add food to start the nitrifying bacteria. I would also suggest a cycling process of at least 6 months. If you want to speed it up, I would add something like a used filter/media pad and/or a product that contains live bacteria cultures. You can ask reefers in your area for media pads- we are always getting new ones- and you can order the bacteria online. At the minimum, with all of those things, you should cycle your tank for 4 months. Remember, its about getting the bacteria that will sustain your tank later on.

Yep, I received some established media from a friend and have added food into the tank like I have fish to jumpstart the process. The waiting game is torturous!