Got a newbie Question? Come join me every week for a newbie chat
I’ve joined forces with Austin Reef Club to offer a weekly newbie roundtable chat! During the chat, you can ask your questions and get real answers from me and other Austin Reef Club staff members!
Note: An username on the Austin Reef Club is required. There is no charge for user names…just register on the forum!
What: Newbie Roundtable Chat with Mr. Saltwater Tank and the Austin Reef Club Staff
When: Every Tuesday night, 7-7:30p
Where: www.austinreefclub.com
Why: Because getting real time answers to your questions is priceless.
Hi Mark,
I love your site and I’ve watched all of your videos on Youtube. I’m new to marine aquariums/fish keeping and I have a couple of questions.
First, I just added live sand, live rock and premixed salt water, all purchased from my LFS, to my 29 gallon Oceanic Biocube. The live rock is very porous and doesn’t weigh very much. I was only able to add about 20 pounds and still leave room to clean the glass and allow fish some space to swim. I’ve heard/read that I should have at least 1 pound per gallon but I can’t imagine adding more. My tank would be almost completely full. Considering I have a 29 gal tank, am I going to be ok with only 20 pounds of LR or should I add more?
Second, what should I use to start my tank cycle. I don’t want to use live fish. I’ve heard of people adding a piece of frozen shrimp. Is this a good idea or should I use something else?
Thanks for your help,
Greg
Greg…20 lbs should be fine if it is very porous.
And…use this and this to cycle your tank. They will cycle it in days and you don’t have to waste your time with shrimp. I used it to cycle a tank last week and it worked great.
Do you still do this weekly?
Grant…not anymore.