New nano reef Biocube 8

[Jayridge]

Hello everyone!

So I am starting my first tank and I chose a Biocube 8. I am just starting to learn the basics, current marine bio student taking aquarium science this semester. I bought and filled my tank, live reef sand, today and live rock to be introduced this weekend. Any thoughts on cycle time as of today and once I add the live rock? Also I have no clue on which inverts I should get. I assume once you narrow the list down to what will go well in my tank it is all personal preference. I really want to add fish eventually but how long should I wait after cycle time and the addition of my inverts? I have a refractometer and seachem multi test kit on the way. I'm not to sure on which inverts. I got a deal at the coral shop on the tank so I am getting a few free and I don't know which ones I'll be getting. I know I want a goby of some sorts for fish maybe even a mated pair and one other fish and maybe some small shrimp or who knows. I will know more once I figure out which corals I'm getting. Any advice or tips are very welcome. Thanks all!

 

[Zero Nitrates]

Welcome!
Congrats on the new tank!
You might wait a month or so for the tank to cycle. Then add some clean up crew, snails and crabs.
Have fun reefing!

 

[Hydrahawk]

Read, read and read. Your tank should cycle anywhere from 3-4 weeks. The way to tell is from testing the water. Since you only have an 8 gallon, I would stick to smaller fishes; gobies, bleenies, etc. What type of light do you have over the tank? That might limit what corals you can get.

 

[Jayridge]

I have one 18W 10,000K florescent and one 18W true actinic 03.

 

[Jayridge]

So I picked up my live rock today from a shops holding tank and there is a few small(less than a dime) sized nodules of blue algae. Should I be concerned about them? Also thoughts on a clean up crew. I would like some things that I can keep in the tank once I add my soft corals, getting a few frags of green star polyps and Kenya trees for free , and then eventually a couple small gobys?

 

[Jayridge]

Here is the largest node.