New Here

[GregJames]

Hi, I just wanted to introduce myself real quick as I just started my first tank, and I'm sure I'll have tons of questions. (I promise to search first before asking beginner questions).
I have a 29gal tank that I setup last night. I installed the tank, 2 powerheads, 1 dual bio-wheel filter, 1 heater, approximately 20lbs of live sand, and about 27gal of distilled water with instant ocean salt. The tank was extremely cloudy all day, but is starting to clear up. (I have a Current-USA LED light that will be here next Thursday.)

 

[GregJames]

I do have one quick question that I can't seem to find the answer to..
Like I said I have approximately 20lbs of live sand inside the tank, and it has been running since last night. To cycle the tank, do I need to add a dead shrimp for bacteria, or is the live sand sufficient for that?

 

[lmforbis]

You will need an ammonia source to feed the bacteria. Do you have any live rock. You can just ghost feed the amount you would feed a future fish.

 

[GregJames]

I do not have any live rock yet; however, I'm going sunday to look at some and possibly purchase. Would "Crab Cuisine" mineral sticks be sufficient to generate ammonia?

 

[lmforbis]

Probably.

 

[bang guy]

You will need an ammonia source to feed the bacteria. Do you have any live rock. You can just ghost feed the amount you would feed a future fish.

+1

What do you mean by live sand? Is it the wet sand you can buy in a store or is it live sand from the ocean?

 

[GregJames]

Alright, a few crab pellets and some fish flake food added. Anything else I need to do in the meantime, or just sit back and wait?
Also, should I run the filter and/or powerheads or leave them off. Theres a fair thick layer of very very fine "silt" resting on the bottom.

 

[GregJames]

The sand I have is "CaribSea Inc" "Ocean Direct Caribbean Live Sand". Does that answer your question? I didn't even know what live sand was a week ago

 

[lmforbis]

Run your filter. Continue to add fish food daily just like you had a fish in the tank. You need to start testing for ammonia first then as ammonia starts to fall you need to test for nitrite and nitrate when both ammonia and nitrite drop to zero yo can do a water change to dilute the nitrate.. Invest in some good test kits. Not API, I like Salifert kits. Ammonia will peak first followed by nitrite then nitrate. It can take any where fron a couple weeks to a couple months.

 

[GregJames]

OK thank you.
Does the thick layer of silt eventually all get picked up by the filter, or is the sand that I used too fine? I didn't want to rinse it first and lose the remaining bacteria, but it has about a 1/4" of sand that is textured like powdered sugar on top of the granulated sand.

 

[bang guy]

Don't worry about the silt. It will slowly sink into the coarser grains. It's good to have as it has an amazing amount of surface area.

After your cycle I'd recommend buying some actual live sand. What you have is fine for cycling but it doesn't have the "live" part needed to keep the sand bed healthy. We can worry about that later ;-)

 

[GregJames]

Does it not? dang. It says "Millions of natural living bacteria per pound"

 

[streamer]

welcome to the hobby, I have a couple of concerns tho, the bio wheel filter, try and find another filter, the bio wheels can sometimes hold the bad stuff, PO4, NITRATES and NITRITES. I know this from past experience..
To cycle the tank, its going to cycle anyway, what I use is flaked fish food, feed the tank a little bit 3 times per week...

 

[GregJames]

Ok thank you. Should I remove the bio wheels then? They just drop in.

 

[streamer]

yes, I would and I would also look at maybe getting another hob type filter,, I ran my 90 gal for years on an aquaclear 110... you can clean and if necessary change out the bio filter...