Loaded with lots and lots of live copepods for a few months. Then added a couple bottles of pods once a month for maintenance. Fortunately she she seems to have started eating frozen pods and such. I don’t necessarily target feed but mix it with the frozen that the other fish get. My corals seem to appreciate the pods too. I am moving up to an IM 60SR Nuvo Pro in the next few weeks, so more room for a stable pod population.
I agree and that is it's great appeal. If it was going to be my only tank I would have gone for it and made the necessary modifications to make it a good tank. The issues with heat and modifications with the hood on knocked it off my list though.This . One other thing, not mentioned is territory space. Many fish have discreet territory preferences. And the longer tank will make it more likely there won’t be deathmatches if you get fish that disagree with each other. I’ve got clowns, a yellow tail damsel and splendid Dottyback (as well as few others including a mandarin) in the 30 long that I have. Couldn't do that in a cube probably. Some eye candy below.
I know how excited you are. I started my reef 7 years ago using only petco live rock from their systems, never had any issues and skipped the cycle process because of the live rock I still have today.
I would get a small skimmer mainly for oxygen/gas exchange. I have my skimmer in the sump and I have the skimmate draining into the filter basket to catch the large particles and release the nutrient rich water back into the system.
I would still get a small skimmer mainly for oxygen/gas exchange. I have my skimmer in the sump and I have the skimmate draining into the filter basket to catch the large particles and release the nutrient rich water back into the system, if you can do it this way.
I bet if you add live rock and a fish you will most likely not go through the cycle. But it is still a good idea to wait and check for ammonia before you add fish. I first started with a 46 gallon bowfront, bought a few pounds of live rock and 2 clowns. I still have them today, 7 years old fat and happy.
How high is your water level? You do not want it too high, you will have water movement from the wave maker and will splash over the brim.Well folks I did it. Finally pulled the trigger. Got the 32 Gal Biocube and now it's up and running.
Really could not have done this without this boards members amazing advice.
It's in that dusty sandy phase right now, but definitely plan on posting my aquascape once it clears up.
Used 8 Liverocks from petco cause that was really my only options on love rock. They had all kinds of critters on them. Hope I didn't kill them in transport or setting up the tank. Found some vermetid snails on the undersides of the rock I bought and smashed the ones I saw to the base. Hopefully a few weeks with no food, kills off the rest.
Used 20lbs of live sand
Lastly I only ended up using 22 gallons of the 35 Gallons of Nutriwater I bought and it is filled to the brim!
Is that normal?
Really didn't feel like I added a ton of sand or liverock.
I will start a thread on my journey into developing this tank, just wanted to say the ball is officially rolling and to personally thank you all
Well I already have measurable nitrates. Is the amonia level anything to be concerned about? I know the goal is 0. Is that low of PH ok?
<2 is pretty much nothing for nitrates. Once they get up around 5, you’re in business. You want ammonia to be zero, but there’s a little margin of error at the bottom end of some of those colorimic test kits. I’m not familiar with Red Sea, though.
Do you have a good suggestion for more accurate/efficient test kit? Honestly felt kind of stupid playing high school chemistry for about an hour taking all of those measurements. Like there should have been a better way.
