Cycling 29 Biocube

[DAY1995]

Hello everyone! 

This past Saturday I started cycling my 29 gal biocube. In it I have 21 pounds of dry rock, and 20 pounds of live aragonite sand. Also using rodi water with a salinity of 1.021. I added frozen krill to the water to help start the cycle as well. My question is this: how high do I want the ammonia to reach before I do a water change? Do I even need to do a water change during the cycling period? Does every tank get an algae bloom? I have tried researching it myself however I find so many different answers. I'm not sure if this matters but I only plan on keeping a fowlr tank right now. Any advice helps! Thanks alot

[Clown79]

The salinity needs increasing. 1.021 is too low. You want 1.025 or 1.026.

 

Ammonia dosing is best with dry rock, food is inaccurate, you can't determine the correct amount to add to produce ammonia.

 

Buy pure ammonia with no solvents or perfumes.

 

Ammonia increases and processes then drops to 0

Then nitrites do the same

Once both ammonia and nitrites sit at 0 a water change can be performed.

 

Research cycling with ammonia dosing. There is a ton of threads on here and lots online.

[DAY1995]

Thanks for the input. I will definitely follow your advice!

[Pjanssen]

Here is a link that may help you

http://www.drtimsaquatics.com/resources/fishless-cycling

[Ohsofoineazn]

I'm going to try that too 

[fishfreak0114]

Pretty much every tank get an algae bloom after cycling. Diatoms will go away on their own once they've exhausted their food source. Keeping lights off during the cycle will help minimize algae growth until you get some CUC in there. I kept my lights on during cycling, what a hair algae mess!