29 gallon reef tank build.

[Reefer805]

So I'm one week into my first ever build.
Equipment
Tank- aqueon 29 gallon
Filter- Aquaclear 110 HOB, intank media basket
Skimmer- Tunze 9001 in HOB filter.
PowerHead- 2 koralia 425 nano, 1 aqueon 750
Heater- Hydor 100w in HOB filter
Lighting- soon to be ecotech 72DX
Media used- floss, carbon, purigen, phosgard
Decor-
30lbs live rock
40lbs live sand
Current livestock-
1- ocellaris clownfish
1- scooter blenny

Question is been cycling using seachem stability for 1 week and my parameters haven't changed. Is this normal?
Nitrate 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Ammonia 0ppm

 

[NickNiz]

I'd give it another two weeks or so just to be safe. Keep an eye out for an ammonia spike! Also that's a great looking tank...

Also for the light, did you mean to say EcoRay? Not to pry, but at that price point there are a lot of more popular lights with more features. Check out Aqua Illumination. Their Hydra 26 or even Prime HD would suffice for a 29. They also come with the wifi capabilities to change the intensity of each color and set a lighting schedule through a smartphone app.

 

[Reefer805]

I'd give it another two weeks or so just to be safe. Keep an eye out for an ammonia spike! Also that's a great looking tank...

Also for the light, did you mean to say EcoRay? Not to pry, but at that price point there are a lot of more popular lights with more features. Check out Aqua Illumination. Their Hydra 26 or even Prime HD would suffice for a 29. They also come with the wifi capabilities to change the intensity of each color and set a lighting schedule through a smartphone app.

The ecoray* sorry, is free. My buddy wanted it to go to a good home. I'll watch for an ammonia spike. I have well established fresh tanks. I'm assuming the nitrogen cycle works the same.

 

[Reefer805]

Update. Day 8 of cycling.
Brown diatom algae has started to appear.
Is this normal for this stage?
When should I add a clean up crew?

 

[Reefer805]

bump.

 

[Reefer805]

bumping for further help?

 

[Reefer805]

Update day 10 of cycle, rescaped my tank and added more live rock. No too overcrowded though. Added two more power heads on controllers for a more natural wave like action. Parameters are still showing no ammonia, nitrate, nitrite. Gunna give it another week.

 

[Drew_79]

Looks good. Thanks for putting this together, Robert. I'm planning to copy this almost verbatim, so I'm very interested in seeing how it goes. Trying to figure out lighting right now. Want something sub $200. Been looking at Current USA Orbit LED lights, not sure if they're any good.

 

[Reefer805]

Looks good. Thanks for putting this together, Robert. I'm planning to copy this almost verbatim, so I'm very interested in seeing how it goes. Trying to figure out lighting right now. Want something sub $200. Been looking at Current USA Orbit LED lights, not sure if they're any good.

Drew it all depends what corals your going to put in your tank. The light is for corals and the look. You could get by with a dual t5ho light. Good luck and thanks for checking out my build.

 

[Ranjib]

Update. Day 8 of cycling.
Brown diatom algae has started to appear.
Is this normal for this stage?
When should I add a clean up crew?

Diatom blooms are common. I won't worry about it. If you still didn't detect ammonia,then its risky to have fish in there. Did you try ghost feeding ? Or any other means of testing that cycle is completed ?

 

[Reefer805]

Diatom blooms are common. I won't worry about it. If you still didn't detect ammonia,then its risky to have fish in there. Did you try ghost feeding ? Or any other means of testing that cycle is completed ?

Using api test kit everyday

 

[Drew_79]

Drew it all depends what corals your going to put in your tank. The light is for corals and the look. You could get by with a dual t5ho light. Good luck and thanks for checking out my build.

Going mostly softies to start. I figure once I get those down, I can look at upgrading the light (assuming I need to) and going with LPS and then SPS.

 

[Reefer805]

Update. Day 14 of cycle.
Parameters:
0 Ammonia
.25 nitrite
10 nitrate
After rescape and new positioning of my powerheads I noticed some crown type creatures on my new live rock. Rock was cured and inspected before placing in tank. A picture has been attached.

 

[Reefer805]

Another picture of potential hitchhiker:

 

[Reefer805]

Update: got my Ecoray 72DX reef light back from Ecoray and I couldn't be happier. Finally some real reef lighting!

 

[Reefer805]

Day 16 of cycle:
Parameters
Ammonia-0.25ppm
Nitrite-0.00ppm
Nitrate-0.25ppm
Phosphate-0.25ppm
Calcium-420ppm
dKh-14
ph-8.3

 

[Mr.Rocc]

Day 16 of cycle:
Parameters
Ammonia-0.25ppm
Nitrite-0.00ppm
Nitrate-0.25ppm
Phosphate-0.25ppm
Calcium-420ppm
dKh-14
ph-8.3

Your Params are looking good. Rule of thumb, atleast for me, as a beginner I would wait a month until I add things to the tank including CUC. Also, most people would tell you theres no need for the light during the cycle since that would only create a larger bloom. How are the koralias working for you? I had them on my super old 20 gallon and seemed to be super loud.

 

[lightningreef2690]

Going mostly softies to start. I figure once I get those down, I can look at upgrading the light (assuming I need to) and going with LPS and then SPS.

For the price of the Current USA Orbit, you are better off getting a chinese black box type light or even a SB Reeflight 16". They have a light that comes with a built in timer for right around $200, and either of these lights will definitely outperform the Current Orbit USA, and you wont have to upgrade, because the black boxes can grow anyting. i have 2 over my 75 gallon system and my corals are growing great.

 

[zachxlutz]

Looking good! I like how you hung your light... I had to hang my 48" T5 lights from the ceiling and ended up having to add a support to the ceiling. I wonder if I could have implemented your method somehow. Keep it up!

 

[Mr.Rocc]

For the price of the Current USA Orbit, you are better off getting a chinese black box type light or even a SB Reeflight 16". They have a light that comes with a built in timer for right around $200, and either of these lights will definitely outperform the Current Orbit USA, and you wont have to upgrade, because the black boxes can grow anyting. i have 2 over my 75 gallon system and my corals are growing great.

SB Reeflights 16" Extreme Wifi for 250$ is the ticket. You can control it from your phone, is as intense as the radions and kessles, and can be connected to other sb lights.