29g Bio-cube, my first salt water tank

d-dzel

d-dzel

Member
Originally Posted by nissan577
http:///forum/post/2902516
maybe its dying off

Should I be worried about this? Is it normal or is something wrong with my water?
These are the last results I got:
Sp: 1.022
pH: 8.0
Alk: 1.7 - 2.8 normal (I don't understand this one very well)
Ammonia: 0.145 (is this bad?)
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20
 
d-dzel

d-dzel

Member
I think I might be upgrading to a bigger tank...A 120G!!! I got a sweet deal from a friend. $100 for the tank with the stand, he just has to make sure his brother doesn't want it, if not, then it's all mine and HELLO BIG REEF TANK!
 
nissan577

nissan577

Active Member
congrats man! well the coraline algae to me is from the calcium levels. what is it at? and your ph is low and trate high
 
cal559

cal559

Member
Originally Posted by D-Dzel
http:///forum/post/2903057
I think I might be upgrading to a bigger tank...A 120G!!! I got a sweet deal from a friend. $100 for the tank with the stand, he just has to make sure his brother doesn't want it, if not, then it's all mine and HELLO BIG REEF TANK!

Hope you get it and post lots of pictures for us
 
whisk

whisk

Active Member
Originally Posted by D-Dzel
http:///forum/post/2902981
Should I be worried about this? Is it normal or is something wrong with my water?
These are the last results I got:
Sp: 1.022
pH: 8.0
Alk: 1.7 - 2.8 normal (I don't understand this one very well)
Ammonia: 0.145 (is this bad?)
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20
i would get your pH up a bit. Your ammonia is fine for now, you will eventually want it zero but its common to see some reading on it during the cycle period. Your nitrates value is a result of your ammonia, meaning that the bacteria in your tank is converting the ammonia to nitrites to nitrates. Your ammonia and nitrates will drop as the cycle completes. Let it play out for now. When you start to see diatoms you are getting close!
 
d-dzel

d-dzel

Member
I'm going to do a water change tomorrow and take another test and see the results. I don't have a calcium kit test yet, the one that I bought didn't come with one
-What exactly are diatoms? I googled them but I couldn't find a pic, just some microscope photos.
-I just notice that my return water from the back chamber is throwing a lot of bubbles(micro-bubbles?), is that bad? How can I stop this?
And I will definitely post pics of the 120g tank if I get it!
 
cal559

cal559

Member
Maybe there's air bubbles trapped in your back chamber try squeezing any sponges in the back chamber while there under water to release any big air bubbles...
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Bubbles from the return on a 29 are usually the result of one of two things
The water is low in the back chambers and the pump is sucking air.
The green hose that comes from the pump up to the 90 degree bend to the tank is loose or the little black connector pipe inside the hose is seated to one end or the other.
You don't need a calcium test right now as you have nothing to use calcium and your water changes will replenish anything needed right now. I don't think your Ph is too low. you will also get different readings if you do it at the end of the day as opposed to first thing in the morning. Just leave everything be, except your water changes if you are doing them, and let the tank cycle. You are doing well!!!!!
 
d-dzel

d-dzel

Member
Originally Posted by cal559
http:///forum/post/2903934
Maybe there's air bubbles trapped in your back chamber try squeezing any sponges in the back chamber while there under water to release any big air bubbles...
I just did that and it started spitting bubbles like crazy!!!
 
cal559

cal559

Member
Originally Posted by D-Dzel
http:///forum/post/2903953
I just did that and it started spitting bubbles like crazy!!!
Well then there's definitely a problem in your back chamber somewhere...Spanko knows more about this than myself he owns a biocube...
 
d-dzel

d-dzel

Member
Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/2903961
Google this
CHEMISTRY AND THE AQUARIUM by RANDY HOLMES-FARLEY
And have a read.
Now I have something to not get bored at work tonight!

I did check all connections and they all seem very tight. I'm thinking about removing that pump and adding a maxi-jet 1200. That might hopefully get rid of them.
I'm doing the water changes or starting to do them, and will be doing them once a week, just to be on the safe side for now. Thanks!
 
d-dzel

d-dzel

Member
Originally Posted by cal559
http:///forum/post/2904018
Is your tank cycled yet?
I don't think it is yet, I just started it last week. I don't know how long it'll take, the only thing I know is when every parameter is going to be normal
Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/2904028
Where is the water level in the 3rd chamber where the return pump is?
It's just about in the middle between the minimum and maximum level, maybe just a 1/4 inche above the middle
 
nissan577

nissan577

Active Member
i would read everything to help you out but im to tired! lol sorry dzel!
so how is it going buddy? pics?
 
d-dzel

d-dzel

Member
Originally Posted by nissan577
http:///forum/post/2904073
i would read everything to help you out but im to tired! lol sorry dzel!
so how is it going buddy? pics?
Hahaha thanks a lot! lol
Well, apparently I have lost my camera and now I have to wait until I get a new one
On the bright side, it gives me an excuse to finally buy a digital SLR and take mych better photos of my tank later one

I noticed brown spots appearing on my LR and the sand, I think it's algae. Is that normal during the cycle? How can I remove it?
 
whisk

whisk

Active Member
yep, thats very normal to see brown spots. You will see them on your sand too. Your clean up crew (CUC) will eat it. I recommend cerith snails, they really enjoy the stuff. You probably dont want to add them yet if you have ammonia but possibly next week. I added my CUC two weeks into the cycle.
 
nissan577

nissan577

Active Member
some good CUC is:
cerith snails, counch (if you want), nass snails, turbo snails, and i think thats it! ONE THING FOR SURE! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO HERMIT CRABS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY KNOCK DOWN EVERYTHING AND DO ABSOLUTLY NOTHING!
its true
 
d-dzel

d-dzel

Member
Glad to know it's normal

Would one of the skunk shrimps work too as a CUC? I mean not for the algae, just as CUC.
I have a little project that I'm thinking of. I saw these Hydor flo deflectors that rotate and add better current to water. What if I add a Y connector to the pump I have in the back and place 2 of these on each side of the tank through each end of the Y? It'll add better flow to the water, I think or hope...
Any thoughts on it?
 
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