First post, first tank

[Stonycorals]

Welcome

Cycling a new Biocube 32

Hello all! My name is Daniel from Florida and I’m starting to get into the reef hobby. I have been cycling my tank for two weeks now and logging it into an app. I have recently been gifted a live rock with some good amount of coralline on it. I also got some water from and established tank. My...

www.reef2reef.com

you will want to consider that thread for sure, it’s how to bring up a dry start thirty gallon without fail. meaning any nano that runs the method will grow coral. *theres twenty ways to reef that’s not the best way, it’s just a certain way in a world of maybes

defined and practiced there:

when a cycle closes and allows you to add life


when to test and what


when to act on new growths, when to specifically allow.


case studies involving nanos using opposite means and the problems they face


how to not cause dinos that lasts for eight months


how to handle fish introduction


how to force a reef to work vs hope it works.

I'm watching that thread now so I explore a bit. I've been having trouble finding how to navigate r2r on my phone. Thanks you I appreciate you pointing me in the right direction.
I was planning on doing a no fish cycle with lfs bought ammonia and bacteria. Besides that I thought it just waiting and testing to see when cycle is done.

 

[brandon429]

Agreed that will do. After all thats assembled if you want a no-error cycle this works/easy:

setup tank with water and wet caribsea sand in a bag from the pet store, following pre rinse no cloud prep from that thread.

buy any brand of bottle bacteria used for cycling and add the dose it says

put in a little fish food and let it all swirl for two weeks doing nothing but top-off and temp controls. maybe a zip of bac again after week one


Change all the water in two weeks and begin like Daniel did. Your cycle can’t fail even if you didn’t test it, using that way above using any brand of cycling bac.


many ways to cycle a reef agreed, that’s just one way that is testless.

*everyone with dry rock has different levels of curing they go through, translated in Daniels thread it means access work varies tank to tank but in the end we can all select to run a clean, uninvaded, coral heavy nano reef.

#1 rule to save you headache: permit no uglies. My grandmother ran a two acre garden for forty years with not one dandelion and no weed spray, resolve + butter knife was shown to me long ago. It works for reefing too.

 

[Stonycorals]

Agreed that will do. After all thats assembled if you want a no-error cycle this works/easy:

setup tank with water and wet caribsea sand in a bag from the pet store, following pre rinse no cloud prep from that thread.

buy any brand of bottle bacteria used for cycling and add the dose it says

put in a little fish food and let it all swirl for two weeks doing nothing but top-off and temp controls. maybe a zip of bac again after week one


Change all the water in two weeks and begin like Daniel did. Your cycle can’t fail even if you didn’t test it, using that way above using any brand of cycling bac.


many ways to cycle a reef agreed, that’s just one way that is testless.

*everyone with dry rock has different levels of curing they go through, translated in Daniels thread it means access work varies tank to tank but in the end we can all select to run a clean, uninvaded, coral heavy nano reef.

#1 rule to save you headache: permit no uglies. My grandmother ran a two acre garden for forty years with not one dandelion and no weed spray, resolve + butter knife was shown to me long ago. It works for reefing too.

Would you recommend using fish food rather than bottled ammonia? I had planned on the process taking around a month or longer, and didn't plan buy food until I was ready for fish. I can easily buy the food before the fish if you think it will increase my chances of success.
Thanks again for passing on your knowledge on the subject!

 

[brandon429]

Either, it will not matter. Given that much time underwater literally any combo will cycle, the key is finding a non seneye ammonia tester you can trust to agree with something we already know will cycle.

after that lead up wait, change all the cycling water out and start his light ramp up CPR feed change trick and it will all run accordingly.

this is the stick-twisting and blowing and kindling it takes to start the reef fire, the action he does in his reef vs sitting back and measuring. We haven’t tested for any params, we are too busy acting. Thats why his thread isn’t like other threads there is no sitting back allowing the reef to decide its fate.


one day we can back off from the exercise, but not too fast lol/ white rocks starts have the most manual guiding to do of any type of reef.

 

[Stonycorals]

Thanks. Those seneyes are out of my price range. I have the API kit now to start me off. I've been reading it might not be the most user friendly, so I planned on bringing a duplicate sample to the lfs to know where actual levels are and hopefully calibrate my eyes to the API color table. This might be a stupid question but.
When you say change all the water are you talking about around 25% weekly for the month or all at once?

 

[brandon429]

We change it all on small reefs, this other cycle with an 80 gallon can do half to a quarter volume, solely for algae control ideals we will be dealing with controlled ammonia no matter what.


api can be used effectively for cycling the key is don’t require it to read zero, when it shows motion down, that confirms bacteria are set.

for example at 2weeks - 30 days whichever time you want to proof the cycle and not guess, you can dose liquid ammonium chloride to drive api ammonia to barely green not heavy green.


wait till next day it will be closer to yellow, the change is the proof. Whether you get an api that can read zero in a cycle doesn’t matter.

 

[brandon429]

See how different this style of reefing is: the cycle -will- be done by the dates stated, not maybe.


the corals -will- grow and reproduce with busy feed/change tank workouts


we do -not- have to test params in order to control nano reefs which should be the most shocking part of the claims. Daniels entire success centers around him knowing salinity and temp only.

phosphate fear and gfo was avoided by looking the other way.


you can test ammonia, or you dont have to, pretty neat options set. You can drive a nano reef into certain success if you stay busy with it right when most tell you to be passive with it. Busy first, cruise control later after earning, is the updated nano reef method. It does not fail but it wastes water until you get better at prevention reefing in time.

 

[Alanna102499]

Welcome to R2R!

 

[Stonycorals]

We change it all on small reefs, this other cycle with an 80 gallon can do half to a quarter volume, solely for algae control ideals we will be dealing with controlled ammonia no matter what.


api can be used effectively for cycling the key is don’t require it to read zero, when it shows motion down, that confirms bacteria are set.

for example at 2weeks - 30 days whichever time you want to proof the cycle and not guess, you can dose liquid ammonium chloride to drive api ammonia to barely green not heavy green.


wait till next day it will be closer to yellow, the change is the proof. Whether you get an api that can read zero in a cycle doesn’t matter.

See how different this style of reefing is: the cycle -will- be done by the dates stated, not maybe.


the corals -will- grow and reproduce with busy feed/change tank workouts


we do -not- have to test params in order to control nano reefs which should be the most shocking part of the claims. Daniels entire success centers around him knowing salinity and temp only.

phosphate fear and gfo was avoided by looking the other way.


you can test ammonia, or you dont have to, pretty neat options set. You can drive a nano reef into certain success if you stay busy with it right when most tell you to be passive with it. Busy first, cruise control later after earning, is the updated nano reef method. It does not fail but it wastes water until you get better at prevention reefing in time.

I definitely have a lot more to learn about all this. I've got no plans to go on Cruse control. I'm expecting this to be a responsibility just like any other living pet would be. I'm sure just like dogs there will be things needed to be watched more in the juvenile stage, then it will be in the adult stage, but you're always going to have to take care of poop (chores/ maintenance).
Still reading Daniel's story. I'm using my breaks to go over it. So hopefully I can take in more than one page at a time. I got side tracked with the beauty of your friends fish bowl.
I may or may not have a serious case of a.d.d. making it hard to have a conversation with me when there's anything colorful or shiney near by. Lol
Thanks again for taking the time to help!

 

[brandon429]

maybe I hv add + some pizazz

 

[reef lover]

Welcome to r2r and the salt life!

 

[Murica]

Welcome!!!

 

[Reefnman2]

Welcome to R2R, good luck!

 

[Stang67]

.WELCOME
I started up with the same tank. So it can be done and well. I recommend this inexpensive Rodi https://www.chewy.com/aquatic-life-ro-buddie-four-stage/dp/146155. I started with this and am still using it now for my 65. Inexpensive good salt is instant ocean. Get yourself a cheap pump and some 5g buckets and your set. This was probably the BEST thing i purchased and helped me to not rely on lugging buckets of water around.
Good test kits aren't really needed right away esp if your just keeping zoa's to start. API will do you just fine to start out.
I have a build thread as well for my 29.
Patience is key for sure. Don't rush. But also don't be surprised if after about 8m your looking to upgrade because your running out of room for all those awesome corals.

 

[Stonycorals]

.WELCOME
I started up with the same tank. So it can be done and well. I recommend this inexpensive Rodi https://www.chewy.com/aquatic-life-ro-buddie-four-stage/dp/146155. I started with this and am still using it now for my 65. Inexpensive good salt is instant ocean. Get yourself a cheap pump and some 5g buckets and your set. This was probably the BEST thing i purchased and helped me to not rely on lugging buckets of water around.
Good test kits aren't really needed right away esp if your just keeping zoa's to start. API will do you just fine to start out.
I have a build thread as well for my 29.
Patience is key for sure. Don't rush. But also don't be surprised if after about 8m your looking to upgrade because your running out of room for all those awesome corals.

I'm already planning on upgrading the tank (40-60 cube). Hopefully most of what's on this build will work with the upgrade.
Thanks for your advice! Rodi is definitely something I'll be get shortly after I get going. I'm sure it'll pay for itself doing regular water changes.