# A great deal! & Live Rocks?



## Alex_Marx (Jun 24, 2012)

Me and my dad have always wanted to start up a saltwater tank! From the first time we saw the biocube, we loved! Although the reviews aren't great, we thought we would give it a go. At are local fish store a 29 gallon Biocube was $399.99! We didn't want to spend that much on a 29 gallon tank. A couple weeks later we went to petsmart to get a blue backing for my freshwater tank(Never would I buy fish there! Just tanks and such!) and they had the same biocube for only $149.99! We got it, isn't it a great deal!!!! We set it up today and i am excited to add corals, and fish(only 3-5) We got only 2 pieces of live rock, not to big, and not enough, how much do you think a 29 gallon biocube could look good with? Thank you!


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

At least 25 lbs, up to 35.


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## jlpropst00 (Jun 12, 2011)

TheOldSalt said:


> At least 25 lbs, up to 35.


I know there are no set laws of fish keeping(and I am no way doubting Your Saltiness), but I thought kind of a rule a thumb was 1.5-2 lbs per gallon. So somewhere around 44 - 58lbs or is that just more than the BioCube design can handle? I'm just curious since I'm planing a 40g and would love to not have to buy 60-80lbs of live rock.


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## jlpropst00 (Jun 12, 2011)

Where are you saltwater folks?


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## JayD976 (Feb 17, 2012)

I have a 29gal saltwater tank and I have around 25-30lbs of live rock


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

You want the tank to have 2/3 water, 1/3 rock. Whatever lbs that comes to.


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## Alex_Marx (Jun 24, 2012)

We ended up getting about 25-29 lbs of live rock, it looks pretty good! we got the cleaning crew and they are eating all of the algea and such off of the rocks! In a couple days we are going to get 1-3 damsels to start the cycle!


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## jlpropst00 (Jun 12, 2011)

Watch this video. At a the 6:10 mark he tells why you shouldn't cycle with damsels and that its kinda mean to cycle with live fish anyway. The short of it damsels can get aggressive. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA0rjh8GOOU&list=UUCzKPoHKV7TZal7Hf2aEGCA&index=6&feature=plcp


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## funlad3 (Oct 9, 2010)

Adding damsels to cycle a tank is like having you live in a dome, but the dome is around a septic facility. Things get toxic really quickly. It takes just as long to cycle a tank with a frozen deli shrimp, and you aren't left with evil damsels after you cycle.

And yeah, normally you go for a pund of rock per gallon. That all depends on the density though, "my dad's" 125 gallon (I told you he loved this hobby TOS!) has maybe 100 pounds of rock in it, as 40 or so pounds of it was ridiculously porous; it filled the same space as maybe 75 pounds of normal rock would have.

Show us some pictures of your tank, it sounds like a great start! Which lighting does your biocube have by the way? That dictates which corals you can have.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

NOOOOoooooo!!!
Don't cycle a reef with fish. That's what the rock is FOR. Just wait two weeks.


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