Lots of Misc. start up questions?

[Judi M]

Hello!

Sorry for the long post but so many questions!

Years back I successfully had a 14g biocube with both fish and coral (3-4 yrs until heater went while gone over weekend) but feel like I've forgotten most of the cycling process.

4.5 wks ago I started up my 32g biocube with dry rock, biosphera, live sand and lights on for 4-5 hrs. Sporadically put a pinch of food in (maybe 1x week?) I am using stock lights, and purchased a Cobalt 15o W heater. I also bought a Hydor circulation and wave pump I need to add to tank this week. (also bought a refractometer and back up battery operated air pump)

Last weekend tested and A=0 and N=5 so we added 2 clowns. I was using my old API kit but LFS confirmed these results. I have new tests (red sea & seifert arriving tmrw)

Now brown spots (diatoms?) have started to develop over the past 24 hrs and I am starting to worry that maybe the first cycle/month didnt really do anything/cycle?

I jumped the gun on a online auction and have 2 ricordea shipping out in 1.5 weeks :-( (I know I know-Ive been so patient until this!) I ordered CoralRX to have on hand too.

I feel like every question I have, I feel like I keep reading different answers-so coming here for help.

1. Any way to tell if the tank really cycled (1st stage) the first month?
   
2. How often should I be feeding and how much? I am feeding Hikari Marine 1-2x daily with about 12 pellets ea time. I also have mysosis frozen shrimp to feed every 2-3 days? Recommendations on a good flake to add to rotation?
   
3. I also extended my lights to 10 hrs (too long?)
4. We bought some Caribsea Life rock to add to tank. It has "fake" coraline but is supposedly infused with good bacteria. Will this cause any negative impact to take? (suppossedly it is a good thing to add at this point?
5. I have a media rack and fuge rack arriving this week. My plan is to have the heater in Chamber 1, Chamber 2: next to chamber 1-first the media rack with top-down: floss (may use up the old biocube filters i have on hand), then Chemipure, then purigen. Next to this in refuge, I will be adding chaeto (arrive in a week) with small LED light on all the time once in place...and possible dry rock rubble. Last Chamber has my pump with stock sponge. (Currently, I am not planning on a skimmer as previous experience, I didn't feel like it helped at all) Does this all sound ok?
6. Testing: I have the following kits (Salifert kit arrives tmrw) API=Amonia, Red Sea=NO3, PO4, Salifert=Ca, KH/Alk, Mg. Can you tell me how often I should be testing for each of these at my current state? Is there someplace you recommend to read about actions to take if one of these parameters is off?
7. I bought a bucket of Instant Ocean salt (not opened yet), but have been reading that some salts will work effectively enough to reduce the need of much additives for corals. Is Instant Ocean good for this? If not, any supplements you recommend I pick up asap? (and brands if there is a preference?)
8. Anything else you think I should be considering or am missing?

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR HELP!

 

[Flippers4pups]

Cycled when ammonia is 0.

Might be feeding a little heavy. Watch the pellets, they are full of nutrients. Only feed what they can eat in a couple minutes and catch. Food uneaten hitting the rocks and substrate can fowl the water.

Diatoms, as with nuisance algaes is expected with a new tank.

I use instant ocean salt, have been for decades.

No additional dosing of anything except kalkwasser.

I would recommend testing your water parameters weekly.

10 hrs for light period is okay.

 

[Matt Carden]

Welcome to R2R!
I'm a beginner so I'll leave advice for more experienced reefers.

 

[Brad Miller]

Wow, Judi !
Slow down...patience in reefing will serve you better

 

[PiggyPuffin]

Some quick answers:

1. Your ammonia is zero and your nitrates are rising so your cycle is finished and adequate for your current bioload.
2. Very little. Keep to your schedule but feed frozen daily not the pellets. Forget flakes. If you want variety - buy a different species of frozen food and change your pellets to an algae based pellet every so often.
   
3. Turn off your lights till you get coral.
4. Not needed but won't hurt.
5. That's a good combo, however your chaeto may not grow and will likely die till your bioload increases and your tank matures for a few more months.
6. Test Ammonia, P04 and nitrate weekly till your tank matures more...and certainly weekly after you increase the bioload. Ca/Alk/Mg need to be tested every other day until you know how much of each your tank uses, then weekly.
7. If you want Instant Ocean and coral, then the Reef Crystals version is what you want. BRS bulk additives are great for topping up between water changes.
8. 6 stage RODI system from BRS. Watch 52 weeks of reefing on YouTube (also BRS).

 

[ccombs]

I would recommend a frozen food that you thaw and feed. It is easy to overdose pellets if you try to get some more and your fingers are wet. Pellets (as stated above) are so nutrient dense and could overload such a new system if overfed. I personally have been liking LRS Reef Frenzy.

You will be best served if you slow down with stocking. Patience is hard in this hobby, but the best reefs around here are the ones that were built slow and steady.

Watching youtube for advice is hit or miss. Remember that a lot of people on youtube stock quickly so they can get shots that get them viral video status. There are very few youtube reefers that are probably having long term success.

Melev's Reef is a good channel, and CoralFish12g is another more lighthearted one. BRS TV is great as long as you realize it is a big marketing scheme. They are going to push their products to sell, that being said they provide really great information and will be the first ones to tell you that you don't need all of the gear they have for a successful reef!

 

[Marco S]

Having used Bio-Spira several times now, I can say that you need to add fish the same day you put it in or at least start dosing ammonia right away. Feeding once a week probably killed a lot of the bacteria since it had no ammonia to eat right off the bat and then just in little dosses. The whole point of that product is for a very quick cycle, (with fish or ammonia dosing) and it should only take 5-8 days.

The ammonia should spike within the first few days, (usually not enough to even notice) and then Nitrites spike and stick around for a few more days then Nitrates arrive and you are done. Diatoms are a normal part and when using bottle bacteria they are usually more intense and last a bit longer in my experience.

As far as the questions go...

1. Any way to tell if the tank really cycled (1st stage) the first month?

If your ammonia is 0 and your Nitites are 0 and you have some Nitrates...you are cycled. Diatoms, (brown patches) are a normal part and mean you are doing good.

1. How often should I be feeding and how much? I am feeding Hikari Marine 1-2x daily with about 12 pellets ea time. I also have mysosis frozen shrimp to feed every 2-3 days? Recommendations on a good flake to add to rotation?

I feed frozen (mysis, brine and krill) in the morning and flake or pellet at night with seaweed on a clip throughout the day, (seaweed mostly for Tangs, Foxface and Coral Beauty). Any brand you trust and your fish will eat is good enough in my mind.

1. I also extended my lights to 10 hrs (too long?)

10 hours is fine.

1. We bought some Caribsea Life rock to add to tank. It has "fake" coraline but is supposedly infused with good bacteria. Will this cause any negative impact to take? (suppossedly it is a good thing to add at this point?

From everything I've read, you will most likely see a bigger algae bloom, but the benefits of having no chance of hitchhikers on the rock is worth it to me.

1. I have a media rack and fuge rack arriving this week. My plan is to have the heater in Chamber 1, Chamber 2: next to chamber 1-first the media rack with top-down: floss (may use up the old biocube filters i have on hand), then Chemipure, then purigen. Next to this in refuge, I will be adding chaeto (arrive in a week) with small LED light on all the time once in place...and possible dry rock rubble. Last Chamber has my pump with stock sponge. (Currently, I am not planning on a skimmer as previous experience, I didn't feel like it helped at all) Does this all sound ok?

I have no experience with BioCubes, so I will leave this to those who do and can help.

1. Testing: I have the following kits (Salifert kit arrives tmrw) API=Amonia, Red Sea=NO3, PO4, Salifert=Ca, KH/Alk, Mg. Can you tell me how often I should be testing for each of these at my current state? Is there someplace you recommend to read about actions to take if one of these parameters is off?

During the cycle process I normally test once, (or even twice) a day, but after that I do about once, (or twice) a week. If the tank is established and the tests are very consistent you can probably do once every other week, but I wouldn't push further than that. You should always know how your tank is doing and be proactive to avoid any problems.

1. I bought a bucket of Instant Ocean salt (not opened yet), but have been reading that some salts will work effectively enough to reduce the need of much additives for corals. Is Instant Ocean good for this? If not, any supplements you recommend I pick up asap? (and brands if there is a preference?)

I use Instant Ocean myself, but don't have any corals yet so I couldn't help with this one.

1. Anything else you think I should be considering or am missing?

Probably...

Welcome to R2R!!!

 

[crusso1993]

Welcome to R2R, Judi, and back to the hobby! Looks like you've already received some sound input and suggestions. Wishing you all the best with your tank!

 

[Judi M]

Wow! Lots of great information thank you all! Will go back through this after work to better absorb!

Someone commented about slowing down... other than my mistake with the 2 ricordia, is there anything else I am doing wrong?

 

[Judi M]

I also tried canceling my amazon order of chaeto lay night and it hasn't shipped yet ( plus someone had to be there to accept pkg) hoping they cancel it for now.