First saltwater setup

[oodog]

Hello everybody,
I have recently purchased a biocube 14. The pump they were selling it with was broken. I have replaced the stock pump(185 gph)
with a generic pump i had laying around(420gph) I have kept the bioballs in.
Many people suggest you take them out, I plan on doing this soon enough because I am on a budget haha. I am having free chaeto offered to me, i was wondering if I would be able to incorporate that into the tank now, I also have filter floss before it goes to bioballs ( quilt bedding)

All i have in the tank now is some live sand(CaribSea Arag-Alive Bahamas Oolite) 20lbs and i have about 5lbs of dry rock coming in the mail tomorrow
would the live sand be enough to seed the dry rock? I am able to buy a lb or 2 of live rock from the lfs($10 an lb though ) My friend has offered to let me have some of his established tank water if that would do any good.

One last question, should I buy any fish after i get all the rock in there? (some have suggested getting a fish to help cycle) I would assume no but this is my first saltwater so not sure.

Thanks for any help.

 

[GimpyFin]

You could add a small bottle of Instant Ocean's bio spira (Live bacteria) when you get your rock in with the sand. It works really well for starting a tank quickly without going through a traditional cycle. You would be ready to add a small fish pretty much instantly. If you were using some sort of refugium/sump you could grow the chaeto in there but I wouldn't add it to the tank.

 

[Kentech5]

There is a mod for biocubes where you scrape the back of one chamber and place a light there to grow chaeto.

I know some people have had success with bio spira and other bottled bacterias but I am still wary of them. I think its a good idea to frequently test ammonia if you go that route and be ready to do water changes.

Personally I would get some live rock, add a small piece of shrimp, and let the tank cycle naturally. There are stickies in this section that can help with that.

 

[oodog]

You could add a small bottle of Instant Ocean's bio spira (Live bacteria) when you get your rock in with the sand. It works really well for starting a tank quickly without going through a traditional cycle.

I know some people have had success with bio spira and other bottled bacterias but I am still wary of them. I think its a good idea to frequently test ammonia if you go that route and be ready to do water changes.

Personally I would get some live rock, add a small piece of shrimp, and let the tank cycle naturally. There are stickies in this section that can help with that.

Do either of you think adding water from an established tank would help boost the cycle? thanks for the replies too

 

[oodog]

I added the dry rock, I plan on adding atleast one or two pounds of live rock then too, does this look like it will be enough?

 

[uncleL]

I would add some more rock twice as much

 

[gone fishin]

I would add an ammonia source such as a deli shrimp, pure ammonia or ghost feed the tank to get the cycle going. Adding water from another tank will not help in cycling your tank.

There is a good sticky at the top of the forum, look for the big red arrow, called setting up. It full of good info.

 

[oodog]

Does this look like a better amount of rock? I had 5lbs of dry rock, Then added about 7lbs of rock from someone elses sump(not very live rock though.)