SaltWater BioBubble is finished Cycling

Well it's been about a month, Tank has finished cycling, and is now safe for inhabitants like fish/snails/crabs/shrimp.

Will update once again when the livestock arrives.

Initial Saltwater Setup

A saltwater tank really isn't difficult, aside from making sure the salt level stays stable and within parameters its alot like a fresh water tank.

The BioBubble can make a great saltwater setup and in the following post I'll guide you through the steps needed to get it running

First step is the lay down the sand or gravel you've chosen. Aragonite based substrate works best as its naturally found in the ocean sand bed and can be found in various sizes from sugar sized sand to larger gravel.

Next comes the decor, I went with Artificial Coral/Rock and an artificial saltwater plant. The fake coral can be pretty close to the real thing, adding beauty and color to the aquarium without the high cost and high maintenance of the real thing.

The water and salt should be mixed before adding it to the Tank. It's important to keep the salt level consistently stable and mixing it in a separate bucket, testing before adding it to your tank. Ill be using a Salinity (Salt level) of 1.018 which is within recommended levels for fish

Pop the sides of the BioBubble up and slowly pour the salt water in, try to aim for the filter in the middle, It helps disperse the water and minimizes stirring up the sand.

Water will be cloudy, its just the fine particles from the sand in the water column, Give the tank a day or two for the sand to settle.

Place the top on the BioBubble, clamp down the four clips, ( See the Freshwater review for a more in depth explanation of the mechanics of the BioBubble ) and press down making sure it locks into place and doesn't leak, go ahead and fill it up the rest of the way.

One day later and this is what the final setup looks like. Like freshwater, Saltwater tanks also have to go through the cycle process, there really isn't anything out there to bypass this natural step. Using Live rock and sand from an exsisting tank will help speed up the cycle but really all you need is time.

I will be seeding the tank with live rock. Once the tank cycles I will actually be adding dwarf seahorses, Snails, Shrimps, and crabs.

So check back often As I will be keeping up with two BioBubbles Now. Feel free to post comments and questions below.

Saltwater BioBubble

Writing up the initial review of the saltwater BioBubble now, Photographed is Saltwater Sand, Salt, Hydrometer (Used to measure the salt level) and Decor.

Check my older posts for the freshwater BioBubble which is still doing fantastic.

Saltwater BioBubble Coming Soon!

Now that the freshwater BioBubble is a month old and going strong I will be setting up the gray unit as a salt water habitat. I plan on using natural decor in that setup as well, Aragonite Sand, Live Rock and Macro Algae (Saltwater plants)

I will be doing a thorough walk through as while its not too difficult to setup a saltwater habitat there are a few extra steps and its even more important to check water parameters, especially the salt level as the inhabitants are sensitive to changing salinity levels.

Almost Time for Maintence!

During a cycle its recommended not to do any water changes, you need the ammonia produced by the fish waste so beneficial bacteria will grow and break it down.

The tank has now been running for almost a month and while the "Start Zyme" I used was supposed to bypass the cycle all together, it didn't. Ammonia built up I lost three fish, So I had to let the tank cycle the old fashioned way

Tuesday Ill be doing a water change, Walking you through the process with photos like Ive done every other post.

Fish Added, Start Zyme Not reccomended

Usually I would recommended a fishless cycle, boring yes, but you don't needlessly kill fish.

With the Freshwater Biobubble I decided to use Start Zyme, which supposedly adds the beneficial bacteria to the tank from the start so its safe for fish from day one, making the cycle instant.

Well one week into having fish, I notice two are unfortunately dead, I test the ammonia, and its at 2ppm NOT safe for fish. the Start Zyme effectively did nothing, tank is still cycling like normal

So save your money, kill less fish, don't use Start Zyme

Setting up the BioBubble

Here is the Decor I'm using for the freshwater setup, I prefer more of a natural look so I went with natural looking gravel, Stones, and Silk plants (When wet Silk plants look real). Along with the decor I picked up a bottle of water conditioner, Which if your using tap water you'll want to use at it neutralizes the chlorine. Also I picked up a bottle of "Start zyme" which is supposed to help seed new tanks with the beneficial bacteria needed to break down fish waste and keep it from building to toxic levels during the tanks cycle.

Gravel

Extra Stones

Artificial plants

The Base is opened up and the lid is off, Time to fill the BioBubble.

Once the BioBubble is close to full you can put the lid back on and close the four latches, locking the dome down and making a water tight seal

Now that the dome is pressed down and locked into place it can be filled completely. To be honest I was a little weary when pressing the Dome down, watching the water fill it in, I was checking for leaks making sure the domes gasket was doing its job, and it was, No leaks

The tank Looks great and is ready to go. Conditioner and Start Zyme have been added. Fish will be added in a day or so.