Advise Need Please

Gears · 01/04/2015, 05:00 AM

Hi all my name is Cole,
I just bought and set up my first tank set up. It is a 60 gallon cube with built in overflow. It came with a AGA mega flow wet/dry sump, LED light with built in timer, a Rio 750 gph pump and a heater. We filled it with 40 pounds of live sand and 20 pounds of what the pet store called dry live rock. I purchased RO water from the pet store to fill the tank. My salinity is at 1.023, my PH is 8.3. my tank has been running for about 2 weeks now and we have been adding flake food for the last 3 or for days in an effort to start it cycling. We have been testing the water everyday since we filled it and all of our levels are still at 0. The only thing we have noticed that has changed is now there is some algae starting to grow on our rock. I'm considering adding a fish to the tank do you think its safe to do so?

viper12775 · 01/04/2015, 05:23 AM

throw a frozen table shrimp in it and let it start the cycle

Gears · 01/04/2015, 06:24 AM

I'll give that try thanks. roughly how long should it take before the ammonia levels start to rise?

thegrun · 01/04/2015, 08:14 AM

With a shrimp you should start to see ammonia in 4-5 days. I would also advise adding at least another 20-30 pounds of rock. 20 pounds of rock will only provide you with enough surface area for the bacteria to support a small amount of fish.

Gears · 01/04/2015, 09:03 AM

Thanks we are planning on adding more live rock 20 was all we could afford at the time. I also have some other questions. First the sump that I was sold with the tank says it's good for 55 gallons and mine is a 60 so I'm afraid it's going to be to small even with my live sand and rock? Next the tank is going to be a FOWLR should I invest in a in sump protein skimmer? If my sump is to small could I plumb in a second sump without issues. I would just buy a bigger one but my stand is only 24x24 and all the bigger units I've found are to long.

01/04/2015, 05:00 AM	#1
Gears Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 6	Advise Need Please Hi all my name is Cole, I just bought and set up my first tank set up. It is a 60 gallon cube with built in overflow. It came with a AGA mega flow wet/dry sump, LED light with built in timer, a Rio 750 gph pump and a heater. We filled it with 40 pounds of live sand and 20 pounds of what the pet store called dry live rock. I purchased RO water from the pet store to fill the tank. My salinity is at 1.023, my PH is 8.3. my tank has been running for about 2 weeks now and we have been adding flake food for the last 3 or for days in an effort to start it cycling. We have been testing the water everyday since we filled it and all of our levels are still at 0. The only thing we have noticed that has changed is now there is some algae starting to grow on our rock. I'm considering adding a fish to the tank do you think its safe to do so?

01/04/2015, 09:03 AM	#5
Gears Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 6	Thanks we are planning on adding more live rock 20 was all we could afford at the time. I also have some other questions. First the sump that I was sold with the tank says it's good for 55 gallons and mine is a 60 so I'm afraid it's going to be to small even with my live sand and rock? Next the tank is going to be a FOWLR should I invest in a in sump protein skimmer? If my sump is to small could I plumb in a second sump without issues. I would just buy a bigger one but my stand is only 24x24 and all the bigger units I've found are to long. Last edited by Gears; 01/04/2015 at 09:05 AM. Reason: spelling

01/04/2015, 05:23 AM	#2
viper12775 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: clearwater fl Posts: 1,151	throw a frozen table shrimp in it and let it start the cycle

01/04/2015, 06:24 AM	#3
Gears Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 6	I'll give that try thanks. roughly how long should it take before the ammonia levels start to rise?

01/04/2015, 08:14 AM	#4
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	With a shrimp you should start to see ammonia in 4-5 days. I would also advise adding at least another 20-30 pounds of rock. 20 pounds of rock will only provide you with enough surface area for the bacteria to support a small amount of fish.