Need help starting up my 29g BioCube for a salt water setup!

[crc2k]

Hey Guys.. I just got my 29g Biocube and need some pro advise on how to set it up. The people at my local pet store dont seem to know what they are talking about. I would like this to be a Reef tank and also some salt water fish.. I just need some basic help on how to start it up.. So far I filled it with water, filter and the protein skimmer setup thats about it.

Is live sand the best way to start the tank? Also, did I make a mistake by filling the tank first? (i got over anxious!!) lol..... Im a newbee to salt water so any help would be appreciated!!

Thanks
Chris

[DaveK]

STOP!

Yes, you already made a mistake by filling the tank. With reef systems you need to take you time. Rushing things will (not might) result in a tank of very dead livestock.

What you need to do at this point is get yourself several books on state of the art reef systems, then read and understand them. This way you will have some idea about what you are trying to do.

Do not thing that you can get it all from the net. While the information is there, it's all over the place. You need a few introductory sources to develop a good solid background.

Here are two good books to start with and they are not expensive -

The New Marine Aquarium by Michael Palette

The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert Fenner.

This is the best possible advice I or anyone else can give you.

[Tru2nr]

DaveK- Please don't take offense to this but he did not make a mistake already and you should have been a bit lighter on him, especially being a newbie into an hobby which can be very intimitdating and exciting at the same time. I would NOT speak for everyone else though. Personally when every i cycle a new tank i put water in first and alot of people will agree with me. You reccommended some excellent books that would be a great way to pass the time while the tank cycles.

[Tru2nr]

crc2k-
first watch the type of water you use if you used tap water then i would empty out the tank and wipe it clean(tap water contains phosphates and silicates which will create algae blooms that will almost never go away) i would buy an RO/DI unit or just purchase your water from the LFS if you can. Also with all new saltwater you want to mix it up to roughly the salinity you are looking for and then let it aerate for 24hrs via a powerhead or pump
it will take you some time to cycle your tank so your going to have to wait anyways which is an excellent time to start reading those books, there are some debates between live sand and not...personally i prefer the live sand but i do not feel it is absolutely essential. I would not run the skimmer and only run the mechanical filtration(i.e. the carbon and sponge) after you have added the sand. Once the water clears from adding the sand i would go and purchase some live rock being very careful on the peices you choose look at a bunch of peoples aquascaping and see how the best way to arrange your rock work would be in your own eye and buy peices of rock that will help make that setup then also buy a full test kit(alot of times you can get deals with ones that have ammonia,nitrAte,nitrIte, ph, alkalinity(carbonate hardness..KH) as you are going to want to watch these levels testing every 3 days there are many articales about the ammonia cycle on this forum and will be in those books. The LR will cycle your tank for you because it will not be cured...i would make sure to have plenty of saltwater on hand that has been sitting for over 24hrs to be able to do your water changes

[BigAl07]

Hello and welcome to RS Chris! We're glad you're here!

KUDOS to you for researching from the get-go. Your tank and your wallet ($$$) will be better off in the long run for it.

• A) My first piece of advice would be to spend some time in this area
• LOOK! Frequently Asked Questions~ Take some time and go thread by thread and read/understand all you can. Learn the Nitrogen Cycle (commonly just called "THE Cycle"). You need to understand it fairly well because it's going to be with you every step of the way. You either understand it and work WITH it or you spend the rest of your hobby time fighting it and it will win Mother Nature is WAY better at this than any of our inventions/gadgets ever could be.
  
• B) Read!! Dave gave some good reading tips. Those are excellent books. I think every serious aquarist needs to have some books on hand for reading.
  
• C) Look around at tanks that are similar in design/size to this tank and try to come up with a long-term "Game Plan" of how you'd like your tank to look in a year or two. Then slowly work towards that goal. Thinking long-term will help you not make costly mistakes (wasteful equipment purchases etc) in the long run. Been there done that (a few times actually).
  
• D) Start slow and learn as you go. This is a learning process and you'll always be learning. When you know it all it's time to wake up and smell the coffee. There is more UN-known in this hobby than known and we learn new things all the time. Embrace the experience and cherish it.
  
• E) Keep in mind that you can't have EVERYTHING now. If nothing else this hobby will teach you (possibly through LOTS of beatings) patience. It's a waiting game but SO worth the wait!!
  
• F) Learn and follow the "Golden Rule" for beginners... 1" of ADULT size (think Long-Term here) fish per 5 gallons of ACTUAL (not company/manufcturer stated) water volume. The lighter your bio-load the happier you and your tank will be.
  
• G) Research each and EVERY purchase well in advance of buying it. Impulse buys are a huge pitfall for all of us.
  
• H) Don't ever think you should buy an animal to "Save It" from bad LFS conditions. If you buy it (regardless of how CHEAP it is) you're telling the LFS that it's ok to get more of these and keep selling them. Buy smart!
  
• I) Enjoy what you're doing. This is the beginning of a long (hopefully) and slow journey. It's not about a "DASH" to the finish line but a steady and directed course that can span over many MANY years. It can give so much enjoyment to you, your family and anyone who has the pleasure of coming into your life and seeing your "Piece of the Reef"!
  
• J) There are MANY ways to accomplish the same goal. Granted some are BETTER than others but this is part of what makes this so much fun. Don't be afraid to experiment some and "think outside the box" but always research and do things with a purpose.
  
• K) Teach someone else about the hobby every chance you get. Sharing this hobby is by far the BEST part of it. If your wife is interested embrace it and let her learn with you. It's AMAZING to have someone at home enjoying your passion.
  
• L) Don't be afraid to ask those "dumb" questions. We're ALL asked them ourselves and they aren't dumb.
  
• M) Look into local SW/Reef Clubs. You may just make some new friends and SCORE on some inexpensive equipment, supplies and ANIMALS!
  
• N) Go ahead and buy a complete test kit from the beginning. Some of those tests you wont need today but you WILL need them soon.
  
• O) This is one of my personal rules that some people don't use but it's done me so much good... . If you DON'T test for it don't DOSE for it. Reefing is a balance of many things and the more you "tamper" the more your chance of messing up the balance.
  
• P) Don't believe everything (hardly anything sometimes) that the LFS tells you. Sometimes they may just be mis-informed and sometimes they need the SALE. Always keep that in the back of your mind. They can be a very valuable resource but you need to be armed with some knowledge before making purchases. If you have a good one tell them so and use them often.
  

Wow! I got carried away there!

Welcome to RS

[Tru2nr]

yeah because you don't have that template sitting around lol but seriously

P) Don't believe everything (hardly anything sometimes) that the LFS tells you. Sometimes they may just be mis-informed and sometimes they need the SALE. Always keep that in the back of your mind. They can be a very valuable resource but you need to be armed with some knowledge before making purchases. If you have a good one tell them so and use them often.

with the LFS i agree unless you find that rare LFS that will smack you in the face for even thinking about putting an anemone in a tank that is only a couple of weeks old(there is one about 50mins away from me that when i was lookn' at my BTA he drilled me about the maturity of my tank the other inhabitants and my lighting) so there are some out there but most especially chains don't give a crap

[DaveK]

Originally Posted by Tru2nr

DaveK- Please don't take offense to this but he did not make a mistake already and you should have been a bit lighter on him, especially being a newbie into an hobby which can be very intimitdating and exciting at the same time. ...

Originally Posted by Tru2nr

crc2k-
first watch the type of water you use if you used tap water then i would empty out the tank and wipe it clean(tap water contains phosphates and silicates which will create algae blooms that will almost never go away) ...

Yes, he did make a mistake, not by buying the biocube, but as you point out, in your own post, by filling the tank.

As I point out in my post, I'm not trying to come down on the guy. However, this is someone that is just starting out and has no knowledge of what they are getting involved with. I apologise if I sounded harsh, but consider that it looks very much like the person was all set to rush out and buy all sorts of things, and quickly end up with a tank of very dead livestock. Some things just need to be said, just to save someone from wasting a lot of money.

[crc2k]

Thanks everyone. I do appreciate all the info and advise. I have already picked up a few books and im in the process of reading them. Its nice to see such a nice community of people here to help! I know rushing isnt the way way to get a stable tank up and running, so I am taking my time. Thanks again for all the info!

[Tru2nr]

if he filled up the tank with RO water from an LFS or picked up a RO system and used that to fill it up then no he did not make a mistake at that and with the cycle taking a while he would have plenty of time to read up on what the next step would be i understand just how it is to be impatient which is why was trying to give him to have somethig to look for and watch that wouldn't harm anything at the same time also give him time to read and do his research.