Newbie with a biocube

[PrincessGumdrop]

First pic is week one. Second is week 2. No cycle has started. Thinking about adding bio-spirA and ghost feeding to speed things up... is this ok? Also do I have the uglies? Also also should I be doing water changes?

 

[Ocelaris]

Looks like it's progressing, have you tested for ammonia or nitrites? When those drop to zero you're ready to start adding hardy things. Biospira is fine, ghost feeding isn't a bad idea. But if the rock was from the ocean and is cycling, you don't need either of those things. If you don't have any critters yet, you can turn the lights off until the cycle has completed.

 

[Nanologist]

First pic is week one. Second is week 2. No cycle has started. Thinking about adding bio-spirA and ghost feeding to speed things up... is this ok? Also do I have the uglies? Also also should I be doing water changes?

Looking good so far! Make sure when you get stock that those rocks are secured.

Personally I would throw a couple pellets/flakes in and then bring the ammonia up to 1-2ppm using Dr.Tims or pure ammonia from Ace Hardware. Then continue to fishless cycle it until the ammonia and nitrites are 0ppm after 24 hours. Lastly you'd want to do a large water change and monitor it a few days before adding stock.

How do you test your water parameters?

 

[PrincessGumdrop]

Looks like it's progressing, have you tested for ammonia or nitrites? When those drop to zero you're ready to start adding hardy things. Biospira is fine, ghost feeding isn't a bad idea. But if the rock was from the ocean and is cycling, you don't need either of those things. If you don't have any critters yet, you can turn the lights off until the cycle has completed.

I test every couple of days haven't seen anything change. It's live rock from the lfs.

 

[PrincessGumdrop]

Looking good so far! Make sure when you get stock that those rocks are secured.

Personally I would throw a couple pellets/flakes in and then bring the ammonia up to 1-2ppm using Dr.Tims or pure ammonia from Ace Hardware. Then continue to fishless cycle it until the ammonia and nitrites are 0ppm after 24 hours. Lastly you'd want to do a large water change and monitor it a few days before adding stock.

How do you test your water parameters?

Thank you I wasn't sure if I was supposed to start weekly changes or wait till the cycle completed. I am testing with the basic saltwater master kit?

 

[Nano101]

Thank you I wasn't sure if I was supposed to start weekly changes or wait till the cycle completed. I am testing with the basic saltwater master kit?

The API kits (saltwater and reef master kits) are alright to start, if you want to add coral, I wouldn't recommend them for Calcium or alkalinity. I've used them for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate for years though.

 

[Nanologist]

Yeah, that's a great kit to have for cycling but look into Salifert, Red Sea, or Hanna tests for Calcium, Alk, and Phosphate when you get into keeping coral.

You just need to spike that ammonia up to 1-2ppm to make sure the tank can process it to nitrates within 24 hours and you'll be good for now. Then I'd let the tank mature for a couple months before adding coral. You can definitely get CUC and some fish after it finishes cycling though!

Also, as far as water changes, I start doing weekly 25-30% water changes immediately to get in the habit and it's never hindered the natural cycle process. It's important in a nano setup and often you won't even need to supplement kalk or anything. Just depends on what you end up stocking.

 

[PrincessGumdrop]

Yeah, that's a great kit to have for cycling but look into Salifert, Red Sea, or Hanna tests for Calcium, Alk, and Phosphate when you get into keeping coral.

You just need to spike that ammonia up to 1-2ppm to make sure the tank can process it to nitrates within 24 hours and you'll be good for now. Then I'd let the tank mature for a couple months before adding coral. You can definitely get CUC and some fish after it finishes cycling though!

Also, as far as water changes, I start doing weekly 25-30% water changes immediately to get in the habit and it's never hindered the natural cycle process. It's important in a nano setup and often you won't even need to supplement kalk or anything. Just depends on what you end up stocking.

Got it. I just tossed some food in there I'll start testing water daily for that spike. Hopefully I can get a clean up crew in there soon! I think I'm just gonna go for some clowns and a mandarin goby but I know that one needs a mature tank so in time he will be mine. And then to make upgrades in lighting for some kick butt corals

 

[Nano101]

Got it. I just tossed some food in there I'll start testing water daily for that spike. Hopefully I can get a clean up crew in there soon! I think I'm just gonna go for some clowns and a mandarin goby but I know that one needs a mature tank so in time he will be mine. And then to make upgrades in lighting for some kick *** corals

A mandarin will require naturally proliferating copepods. You can buy live ones, but it's tedious. The best option if you want a mandarin is to have a refugium where the copepods can reproduce. You may be able to squeeze some chaeto and a light in one of your back chambers, but it could be a challenge. A mandarin can take months to starve to death while looking for copepods. Just do some research if you want to get one.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

If it was live rock (wet) it's quite likely already cycling. So you may not see an ammonia spike.

If you would like to test, the pure ammonia pictured above can be used.

Here's a good link to some cuc.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/choosing-cleanup-crew-critters.258695/#post-3063945

It's tough to tell if you have ditoms(dusty brown) or just some brown algae.

 

[PrincessGumdrop]

A mandarin will require naturally proliferating copepods. You can buy live ones, but it's tedious. The best option if you want a mandarin is to have a refugium where the copepods can reproduce. You may be able to squeeze some chaeto and a light in one of your back chambers, but it could be a challenge. A mandarin can take months to starve to death while looking for copepods. Just do some research if you want to get one.

I have read that they can be a challenge so it'll just stay on my wish list for a little or if I decide to upgrade to something bigger with a refugium under the tank

 

[Ocelaris]

A mandarin will require naturally proliferating copepods. You can buy live ones, but it's tedious. The best option if you want a mandarin is to have a refugium where the copepods can reproduce. You may be able to squeeze some chaeto and a light in one of your back chambers, but it could be a challenge. A mandarin can take months to starve to death while looking for copepods. Just do some research if you want to get one.

There are similar fish to mandarins in the dragonet family which aren't so delicate. Or if your tank is large enough a leopard wrasse, which nibbles similarly to mandarins, but also eat prepared foods. These ruby red dragonets are often tank bred, and are hardier.

 

[PrincessGumdrop]

If it was live rock (wet) it's quite likely already cycling. So you may not see an ammonia spike.

If you would like to test, the pure ammonia pictured above can be used.

Here's a good link to some cuc.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/choosing-cleanup-crew-critters.258695/#post-3063945

It's tough to tell if you have ditoms(dusty brown) or just some brown algae.

Thank you good read! I was totally off on what I was thinking for a cuc.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Thank you good read! I was totally off on what I was thinking for a cuc.

Your welcome! Theres a lot of myth and myth-information in the hobby. Its nice Renee did that write up.

 

[PrincessGumdrop]

If it was live rock (wet) it's quite likely already cycling. So you may not see an ammonia spike.

If you would like to test, the pure ammonia pictured above can be used.

Here's a good link to some cuc.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/choosing-cleanup-crew-critters.258695/#post-3063945

It's tough to tell if you have ditoms(dusty brown) or just some brown algae.

Also I have live rock and sand in there if I don't see an ammonia spike how will I know if it's cycled?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Also I have live rock and sand in there if I don't see an ammonia spike how will I know if it's cycled?

To be absolutely sure, you would add pure ammonia and see how quickly it is processed.

http://www.drtimsaquatics.com/resources/how-to-start
http://store.drtimsaquatics.com/Ammonium-Chloride-Solution-for-Fishless-Cycling_p_190.html

Or add food to the tank, then a small number of cuc. They add ammonia and you trust that it's cycled.
It's such a natural process many don't like the trust part. If you know what I mean.

 

[ZJedi945]

Also I have live rock and sand in there if I don't see an ammonia spike how will I know if it's cycled?

You will have to test N03 and N04... once you see that the ammonia and those 2 are 0 across the board you are cycled!

Oh welcome and your setup look pretty awesome!

 

[Ocelaris]

I agree with that article on hermits, they basically just run around and eat the snails if they can catch them. I got a mix of them when I started, and they basically mauled all the snails that they could grab. I now have like three left, and they won't be replaced. One which I caught trying to eat a snail three times it's size got banned to the sump. After a few weeks I felt bad and put it back in the display tank. The next day caught the same one trying to eat another trochus, so the hermit has been permanently banned from the tank.

Snails are much more effective, lately I've been big on tuxedo urchins, they are phenomenal, but probably not require unless you have really bad algae problems, in which case you have other things to worry about. Trochus snails are my favorite, and don't have to be flipped back over. The ones that can't right themselves to me are pointless.

 

[Alpha Fishstick]

I like your setup. Welcome to the hobby!

 

[Reef_Tank_Fan_SC]

I have don't the fishless cycle on the last 2 tanks that I have started. Both times I used Dr. Tim's one and only and the ammonium chloride. If your not sure wether or not your tank is fully cycled then you can buy the two products and use them together. You can even pull up a guide online that will tell you how much ammonium chloride to dose into the tank each day of the cycle and what you should be checking for. Both times I have used this process my tanks have cycled in 10-14 days. Me personally I like to wait two weeks after the cycle parameters check complete before I add my first fish. In that two week period I check the parameters every other day for stability. I know that sound like overkill but you can never be to sure of yourself when it comes to your tank parameters. Plus my OCD make me an absolute control freak.