Newbie cycling new AP24

[SaltLife]

hey everyone...new to the forum...first post.

just bought my new aquapod 24 and i find myself just staring at it in my room for minutes at a time...really looking forward to putting some cleaners in there in a few weeks...im posting on here for any tips anyone can give me that i havent already read...i pretty much know the basics from what the LFS told me, but that isnt really much even though they were very nice...the booklet that comes with the aquapod is pretty much worthless as far as setting up goes, so ive just been going on what ive read online...

my system is completely stock so far. i plan on buying a more powerful jet in a few weeks...ive got my aquascape, live sand, and RO mixed saltwater all setup and sitting there for two days now...took only a few hours to settle...it crystal clear and looking pretty...

i was wondering why at the time that the clerk at the LFS store told me i didnt need to have a kit to check my levels, because they want me in the store while they do it for me...ill be buying my own tomorrow because i have no clue to whats going on in there...

something im not understanding is the bio balls...the black black balls that open up...along with the media...the LFS told me to just put them in the right back compartment? and what about the slots in the back right compartment? all closed except the top one? how i have it now it all slots closed and filtering in through top. media in bottom of comp and bio balls floating in top...hope its right...anyhow, enough rambling...ill post some photos of my new tank. let me know if my aquascape is acceptable...id rather make changes now...

[blue_eyes53813]

Hello ,Welcome to RS.. You are on a very good start. Im not sure why the pet store person said not to test your own levels... the only thing I can think of is they want to you to bring your water in and test it for you which is fine but some store are only in this for the money. They will tell you the levels are all good and sell you livestock and they may die. I may be totally wrong but just be cautious. I would buy your own test kits, Which you will need ammonia,nitrites and nitrates.... Post your readings on here and we would be glad to help you. Also post tempature and salinity readinds as well. Here is a good article on cycling a new tank. You can do a search on here or the web for nitrogen cycle for aquariums and find tons of info.

What is the Nitrogen Cycling Process?

I just wanted to add and maybe you know already is not to add any livestock during the cycle- Even if the pet store says your tank is ready.And remember to go slow.

Im not to framiliar with the 24 gallon but you probably dont even need the bio balls in the tank. In the long run they will be a nitrate collector and you may have water problems down the road which could lead to algae problems. You can use that space in there for bags of carbon at times or even hide a heater in there.. Good Luck and ask if you have any questions

[goldenmean]

Howdy Hooooooo!
Welcome to RS.

Your aquascaping looks great. but While you are cycling do not be surprised if you do not change it around some. We all do.

A good early lesson is that you cannot always trust what your LFS tell you.
That is unfortunate but true. They need to earn your trust. I have one LFS i trust but only if one specific employee is working. The others I can now honestly say know less than I do.

You do not need the bioballs at all. In todays reef systems the Living rock does the filtration job that the bioballs were designed for. 1-2 lbs of LR per gallon is suggested and it looks like you are okay there. In fact if you leave the bioballs in they will eventuall becon detrius traps and start producing nitrates then you will get algae problems.

Please do not hesitate to ask any questions as RS is a very helpfull place.
Read a lot of the threads in the beginners forum. You will find a lot of great information.

Welcome again and Good Luck!

[SaltLife]

awesome...i love this site, i posted only an hour ago, ordered pizza and ive already got some good questions answered. i feel much better now...bio balls are gone...thanks for the heads up! what about the media? / little mesh bag with 30 to 40 white pellets. do i even need it?

and yes i know not to add anything yet, until cycled, then i can add shrimp,snails, etc.

[blue_eyes53813]

Dont need that media either. Filtration can be live sand, live rock and maybe a skimmer down the road is a good idea.

[emj35]

Hi and welcome!

I have an aquapod 24 as well, it has been up for a little over 2 months now. I removed all the media and opted to use filter floss instead of the sponge that comes with it. I had read on some other threads that the sponge clogs up and gets dirty quite quickly and you have to really stay on top of cleaning it. With the filter floss it is nice and easy since you can just toss it and add fresh. But that is really just personal preference. I also covered up all the grates expect the top one to get surface skimming. Another thing I did was to replace the stock pump with a maxijet 1200. That way you get more flow with slightly less wattage. Another option would be to use the maxijet 900 and add a koralia nano. I got all of the ideas from reading lots and lots of threads from people who have the same tank!

Feel free to check out my thread if you are interested in how I set it up. This is my first SW tank so I am a definite newbie, but I'm happy to compare notes and experiences with you anytime!

My advice would be to read as much as you can on these forums and to ask any questions you come across. It's much easier than making a big mistake and then having to fix it!

-Erika

[lcstorc]

Welcome to RS! Sounds like everybody has covered most of the bases. I agree about removing the blue sponges and replacing with filter floss. It is a lot easier to change out the floss than it is to keep cleaning the sponges. If you remove them don't forget the one way down on the bottom of the first chamber.
It's great that you already know not to cycle with fish. What are you using as an amonia source? Most people around here use table shrimp from the grocery store. Once it starts to decompose you have your amonia source and the start of your cycle.
Take it slow and do lots of research before buying anything. Be very wary of the LFS at least until you can go armed with research. Some are good but some are just looking for a fast buck. Some are also stuck in their old habits even though there have been a lot of emprovements in the hobby in the last 10 or 20 years.

[SaltLife]

Originally Posted by emj35

Hi and welcome!

I have an aquapod 24 as well, it has been up for a little over 2 months now. I removed all the media and opted to use filter floss instead of the sponge that comes with it. I had read on some other threads that the sponge clogs up and gets dirty quite quickly and you have to really stay on top of cleaning it. With the filter floss it is nice and easy since you can just toss it and add fresh. But that is really just personal preference. I also covered up all the grates expect the top one to get surface skimming. Another thing I did was to replace the stock pump with a maxijet 1200. That way you get more flow with slightly less wattage. Another option would be to use the maxijet 900 and add a koralia nano. I got all of the ideas from reading lots and lots of threads from people who have the same tank!

Feel free to check out my thread if you are interested in how I set it up. This is my first SW tank so I am a definite newbie, but I'm happy to compare notes and experiences with you anytime!

My advice would be to read as much as you can on these forums and to ask any questions you come across. It's much easier than making a big mistake and then having to fix it!

-Erika

hey erika, thanks for the info on your thread...it was helpful...im starting out very similar to you...ive got already cured rock also with live sand....my tank has been wet for a week now and my nitrite and nitrates are already at 0, ph is good and my SG is at 1.022 from 1.017 when i first tested it....im starting to see that i cant trust my LFS...they gave me a bad mix, i want to buy my own RO setup...im going to get a skimmer as well...

im thinking mine has just done a mini cycle and i might need to add some dead shrimp in there, but ive already added some CUC...3 snails, 8 small blue legged hermits, and a blood shrimp...as recommended by the LFS, im starting to really dislike them...LOL

[lcstorc]

Yep the lfs is there to sell you things. They may or may not be a good idea. Did you cycle your tank at all?
I would keep an eye on the amonia and raise the salinity to 1.025.
You can also buy RO or RO/DI water and mix the salt yourself.

[SaltLife]

Originally Posted by lcstorc

Yep the lfs is there to sell you things. They may or may not be a good idea. Did you cycle your tank at all?
I would keep an eye on the amonia and raise the salinity to 1.025.
You can also buy RO or RO/DI water and mix the salt yourself.

well, according to the lfs it was cycled...ive only had it a week...all my levels are good...nitrites and nitrates 0 ph good...need to raise salinity though its at 1.022...i guess it leveled off quickly because i used cured rock and live sand...even though my levels are good does anyone think i should still drop a dead shrimp in there?

[kracker]

I also have the aquapod 24 and just set it up less than a week ago.After reading this thread I took out the bio balls and bag of white stuff.My question is when I take out the stock blue filters where does the filter floss go?I have all vents blocked except the top but even with the vents in water can still get by the blocks since it's not water tight.Seems to me that all vents blocked or not need to be filtered.

[lcstorc]

Originally Posted by SaltLife

well, according to the lfs it was cycled...ive only had it a week...all my levels are good...nitrites and nitrates 0 ph good...need to raise salinity though its at 1.022...i guess it leveled off quickly because i used cured rock and live sand...even though my levels are good does anyone think i should still drop a dead shrimp in there?

You can't have a cycle without first having an amonia source. Put the shrimp in and let it rot for a couple of days. Then you can watch the amonia and nitrite rise and fall. When both are at 0 check your nitrates and do water changes to bring them down.
I know you are anxious to get started and I would be as well. Patience is the key ingredient in any reef. Take your time now and get a good solid base of good bacteria and you will save yourself a lot of headachs.

[lcstorc]

Originally Posted by kracker

I also have the aquapod 24 and just set it up less than a week ago.After reading this thread I took out the bio balls and bag of white stuff.My question is when I take out the stock blue filters where does the filter floss go?I have all vents blocked except the top but even with the vents in water can still get by the blocks since it's not water tight.Seems to me that all vents blocked or not need to be filtered.

Put the filter floss in the first compartment where the blue sponges were. Be sure to get the sponge all they way in the bottom. (I missed that one.)

[kracker]

I understand where the filter floss goes but my question was even with all the slots filled with the stock blockers except the top doesn't a little water still flow in them?The reason I ask is because i'm about to fill the first chamber with some lr but if I do that how do I filter those blocked ports i'm talking about that still leak some water?I read where people put filter floss on top of the lr which makes perfect since other than the water getting through the lower ports unfiltered.What am I not seeing here?

[lcstorc]

I forget how the baffle is from the first to the second chamber. If it is over then the water will go through the floss when being raised. If it is an under then I guess that is just not filtered through the floss. The floss only removes fairly large particles so I wouldn't worry about a small amount of water not going through the floss. Most of your filtration is in the Live Rock. Not the floss.