Cycling a new Biocube 32

[brandon429]

Hey post a pic of your setup let’s compare it to when Daniels setup was at the same # of days underwater. Post pic, we have a way to shore up your cycle plus relate it to Daniels cycle

i bet your tank is safe for frags let’s see overall pic update


*post 139 above that is excellent guiding of live rock, did you not get the algae challenge phase??

 

[Defff21]

Hey post a pic of your setup let’s compare it to when Daniels setup was at the same # of days underwater. Post pic, we have a way to shore up your cycle plus relate it to Daniels cycle

i bet your tank is safe for frags let’s see overall pic update


*post 139 above that is excellent guiding of live rock, did you not get the algae challenge phase??

I'm not home at the minute but I took a pic just

before I left to send my friend. And I sent a pic yesterday to Daniel with white light on.. I'm going to upgrade my light soon to, to the Ai prime
I'm still waiting for my intank media rack and I think I will get soem chaeto like Daniel did above

 

[brandon429]

hey great, that's plenty of surface area + living animal

how many days underwater for it all, what kind of bottle bac did you add and is that wet pack sand/wet in bag caribsea sand

*be sure and read this thread from page 1, it pre-answers what Daniel was saying about starting with extra filtration beyond rocks and sand. That will cover all the filtration angles for your cycle, if you do choose to run them that that's ok but its a different method than this tank here is using


after finalizing time underwater + boosters we will have all the bases covered for a good start.

 

[Defff21]

hey great, that's plenty of surface area + living animal

how many days underwater for it all, what kind of bottle bac did you add and is that wet pack sand/wet in bag caribsea sand

I think it has been under 31 days
I used Dr Tim's one and only nitrifying bacteria.
I have 4 hermits and 2 snails in the tank one hermit is from 3 days ago the rest today
The sand is just dry coral sand and dry rock
Should I get live Rock?
I havent dose ammonia in 3 days now and nitrates still high
A friend of mine has some frags ready for me to take
If all my other params OK can I add them still or wait to get nitrates right?

 

[Defff21]

Sorry not under 31 days about 32 32

 

[brandon429]

Your rocks and sand match Daniel's rocks and sand before he began the feed/change cycle, its now coloring up his surfaces. Your two tanks will have really similar tracking, if the same general approach is applied from the prior pages, nice tank you have there!

that long underwater, plus nearly a month using bacteria designed to get things ready in a week, plus plenty of sand and rock, means you can begin. You'll notice we haven't been using test parameters much here, nitrite, nitrate etc.

You can just begin, add frags like Daniel did/feed and water change like he does you'll be set

your readings for cycling parameters wont apply, we are starting due the timing and boosters used. add frags, follow his lighting schedule details and feed details from prior pages and you will be ready for a start, can add frags.

 

[Defff21]

Okay thank you il be in touch with my results if he has 4 frags could I add them all at once?

 

[brandon429]

yep for sure, guide them with spot feeds and water changes, even though the tank is new, just like D is doing and it will guide the rocks and corals into growth for sure.

if someone wonders if your bottle bac are dead, the posted nitrate ~ reading confirms they are not.

Beyond just that one reading, we can discern all your other parameters by referencing a common cycling chart, and seeing the duration period on the left. That solves for params on the bottom portion of the chart at day 30...your tank is cycled due to the boosters you've added and the confirmations in place, it can't fail to be fully cycled. That is exactly how Daniel cycled his tank as well, so now these two are ready to go/can begin.

the old rules would have had you meticulously confirm ammonia, nitrite and nitrate in an exacting manner, and wait until they all three allow the start. We have not done that here at all, twice now.

 

[brandon429]

a summary on how this thread differs from most:


-Dry rock start, no lanthanum chloride detailing or endless waiting for phosphate to drop, we aren't measuring phosphate. we are hand guiding by visual sight and feel of the rocks.

-not requiring any test kit other than ammonia reducing down to some degree overnite from a higher intial dose. that proves cycling bac are alive and ready. we change water, and begin an active, not a passive, reefing method. a few weeks in after you've began if asked how many water change/feed pairings you've done, have done some


- reading the first page through this page of work answers all questions, it's important to read the thread completely so that ways we're different stand out. You have a roadmap to success here, read pages 1-7 before posting questions as we cover lots of ground leading up to page 8


-not starting off using any filtration designed to uptake nitrate or phosphate, since we are not measuring for params here, so far. we think that action is linked to the constant stream of dinos outbreaks in new bare rock tanks.

-we arent tolerating any takeover of rocks or sand here, Daniel has been cruising so far with hardly any intervention needed. That changes home to home, he's rather lucky on the start so far but should the sandbed show a brown covering on the top, that would be totally cleaned out with disassembly cleaning, we wouldnt leave it in place 3 months. Active reefing is active feeding paired with light water changes for the first few months sustained, then in time you back off to normal work. We would remove all bad growths if they arise, and only allow the pigmentation changes shown on the rocks as things sit in place.

Should any extra challenges show up, we still hold course with the water and the params, we act on the target directly if needed.

This reef cycle is basically opposite of every reef tank if you think about it...results are showing strength in this approach.

 

[Defff21]

OK thank you brandon
Tomorrow I will ad 2 fire and ice zoas and one candy zoa (I think).. Do I need to light acclimate also? With black tape what hours do you reccomend with light?
And will I feed once a week only before a water change
Can you burn algae off the rock when u see it with your corals also on said rock?

 

[Defff21]

I have a pretty bright white light and blue too.. Only 2 set lights I can't dim.

 

[brandon429]

you can just tape it off as you see fit, to reduce the lighting there is not a fully set way. we are just reducing it

when algae comes you lift out the rocks and do what you need to remove it or kill it, no defined steps just be creative no problem.

 

[Defff21]

Thanks for the help il be In Touch

 

[Defff21]

1 more question haha I no I need to work toward 10 hours light but will starting with 2 hours of blue suffice for first few days as to acc

 

[brandon429]

With corals in place a nice welcoming ramp up might be taped off a little to reduce intensity, and then perhaps 4 hour light cycle a few days then six. Nine hours start to finish is how long my total light cycle is

 

[Defff21]

I got some artemia in my store, there live should I freeze them to then spot feed my coral once a week?

 

[Defff21]

 

[brandon429]

Those are more like snacks to corals, we had discussed other foods on the prior pages mainly rods food frozen be sure and read all the pages there were lots of details covered/saves retyping

small frags you are about to add cannot catch or eat those. On the first few pages we covered in detail ways to feed + water changes a few months, if you want to change up the approach it’s ok but what we discussed earlier is my recommend

 

[Defff21]

Those are more like snacks to corals, we had discussed other foods on the prior pages mainly rods food frozen be sure and read all the pages there were lots of details covered/saves retyping

small frags you are about to add cannot catch or eat those. On the first few pages we covered in detail ways to feed + water changes a few months, if you want to change up the approach it’s ok but what we discussed earlier is my recommend

Okay thank you I will buy the rods and spot feed once a week thanks you il let u know how I get on

 

[#1Fellowreefer]

There is article out there by Jake Adams about corals don’t really need a cycle of the tank. Don’t quote me on that but I have also heard and read in a few places about that. As far as your parameters are concerned yes they are too high for sure for the fish and maybe even corals depending on what you are planning to add to the tank. However what @Daniel266jz and I think a few others have said let the cycle complete and as much as I have researched and read “Patience Is The Key To Success” in this hobby. We all want everything fast and instant but let Mother Nature do what it does best and let the cycle complete. Let’s the Amonia and Nitrites come to undetectable levels and Nitrates to drop below 10PPM and then check your PO4 once you have some results close to the “red field” ratio then you are ready for Corals. Don’t rush as you will only find yourself going down south with time, effort, finance, and energy. Hope my two cents help here. Good luck..