Beginning of a new 29g tank and questions

mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
Since it has been awhile (6 years) since I have started a new tank that I thought I would go ahead and ask some questions that I am not 100% sure on the answers. I recently purchased the 29g oceanic biocube. I have one 20lb bag of live sand and I still have plenty of base rock that I took out of my 120g awhile back.
 
My plan is to add the sand and possibly another bag and then arrange the rock work. I will then fill it up with water (probably tap) since there won’t be anything live in it for awhile. Once all that stuff is in, I will plug it in and see what happens. If all is going well is …
 
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This when I should put in a piece of shrimp to get the cycle going?
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Should I keep the light off or should I go ahead and set it up to come on for a couple hours a day?
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Once I get a spike in ammonia and let it cycle out, is that when I should add a CUC?
Since I am using base rock, would it add any benefit if I scraped some corraline algae out of my other tank and add it to this tank?
What time frame am I looking at before I can add fish and coral? 6 weeks?
The tank comes with a small refugium but I didn’t order the light for it yet. Once I get a light, should I go ahead and add macro algae or wait for the cycle to complete?
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That’s all I have right now. The tank won’t come in until next week but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to go ahead and start asking questions.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrdc http:///forum/thread/380104/beginning-of-a-new-29g-tank-and-questions#post_3307167
Since it has been awhile (6 years) since I have started a new tank that I thought I would go ahead and ask some questions that I am not 100% sure on the answers. I recently purchased the 29g oceanic biocube. I have one 20lb bag of live sand and I still have plenty of base rock that I took out of my 120g awhile back.
 
My plan is to add the sand and possibly another bag and then arrange the rock work. (Rocks first then fill in around them with sand to prevent any critters from diggin under the rock and causing landslides later) I will then fill it up with water (probably tap) (Why take the chance use RODI or distilled IMO) since there won’t be anything live in it for awhile. Once all that stuff is in, I will plug it in and see what happens. If all is going well is …
 
[list type=decimal]
[*]
This when I should put in a piece of shrimp to get the cycle going? (You could use shrimp, fish food, a pc. of rock from you other tank, anything really to put a source of ammonia in the tank)
[*]
Should I keep the light off or should I go ahead and set it up to come on for a couple hours a day? (with nothing in there not need for lights)
[*]
Once I get a spike in ammonia and let it cycle out, is that when I should add a CUC? (Yup)
Since I am using base rock, would it add any benefit if I scraped some corraline algae out of my other tank and add it to this tank? (Yup if you want coralline)
What time frame am I looking at before I can add fish and coral? 6 weeks? (Approximately)
The tank comes with a small refugium but I didn’t order the light for it yet. Once I get a light, should I go ahead and add macro algae or wait for the cycle to complete? (IMO I would wait on the macro algae until after cycling)
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That’s all I have right now. The tank won’t come in until next week but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to go ahead and start asking questions.
 
mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
Thanks Spanko. I thought about the rock and sand order yesterday and remembered rock first. Your answers were basically what I was thinking but I wanted some confirmation. Would it add any benefit if I took a few gallons of water from my 120g and added to the new tank?
 
speg

speg

Active Member
wow..you said nobody was answering you and then I come here to see that all your questions are answered..wtf!!!
 
Going back to bed...
 
kylev

kylev

Member
Sorry to ask questions in your thread mrdc but just curious (spanko) would it be worth having lights on with the rock in a new tank to help establish some algae or get a start on controling the initial algae bloom?
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Speg http:///forum/thread/380104/beginning-of-a-new-29g-tank-and-questions#post_3308004
I could answer that for you, but you asked for Spanko...so I'll respect that and let him answer it. Good luck!
Respect! Respect on the interweb? I think Al Gore needs to know what has become of his invention!!!!!!

 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kylev http:///forum/thread/380104/beginning-of-a-new-29g-tank-and-questions#post_3307888
Sorry to ask questions in your thread mrdc but just curious (spanko) would it be worth having lights on with the rock in a new tank to help establish some algae or get a start on controling the initial algae bloom?
Unless you have something in the tank that requires light why waste the energy during a cycle. Now if you really want to establish some algae sure go ahead. Putting the lights on will not IMO help to control the initial algae bloom.
 
kylev

kylev

Member
Lol the question was for anyone to answer it was just that spanko stated to leave them off so i asked him, but thanks for the answer I'm going to leave my lights off then until after the cycle cause as stated why waste the energy
 
scopus tang

scopus tang

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kylev http:///forum/thread/380104/beginning-of-a-new-29g-tank-and-questions#post_3307888
Sorry to ask questions in your thread mrdc but just curious (spanko) would it be worth having lights on with the rock in a new tank to help establish some algae or get a start on controling the initial algae bloom?
If the rock in the tank is LR and has coralline algae on it which to wish to maintain, and you are soft-cycling as recommended elsewhere by Spanko, then there is a benefit to keeping the lights on during the initial start-up phase.
 
mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
Thanks. Won't be putting any macros in anytime soon but it's nice to know what to get and I already found someone locally that will give me all that I need when I am ready. I put the stand together last night. It's missing two metal pegs for holding in the shelf. Don't you hate it when parts are missing. Guess I will head to Home Depot after work. I will work on setting the tank up tonight.
 
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