beachy Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 Hey all, tank has just finished cycling. :bounce: Done a check tonight and i have 0 ammonia 0 nitrite 20 ppm nitrate, i had to double check because the nitrite decrese was so sudden. So i guess my next move is a couple of water changes to bring the nitrates down. What im keen to know is, when can i add fish, and how should i go about it? i guess its not a good idea to add to many all at once. Also when to add corals and so on. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tel Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 awesome i'll leave the advice to the experts but keen to see what they say, as i'm @ 2 weeks from my tank being cycled. i'm going 100% water change as my setup makes this real easy.(i can back my truck right next to my sump. how about some details on size and a pic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie extreme Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 add some leathers corals first! many add a small damsel but once in its hard to get out, so unless you want to keep it (i still have mine!) start with a couple leathers corals. they are very hardy, i have added one before my cycle even started. and it grew like crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trinity Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 Whatever you do, don't do what i did when my tank completed its first cycle and the readings were perfect I added 2 fish that are hardy and compatable. A few days later I added another 2 then a week later another 2. I didnt give the tank enough time to adjust to the first 2 and I had a mess to sort out. The readings went through the roof. Took a lot of time and water changes to try and get it right. In the middle of all this I had a whitespot infection in the tank. Lost my favourite fishs Learnt a very expensive lesson :evil: With any tank take your time, patience, patience, patience I purchased the Paul Talbot DVD Your instructional Marine Aquarium Guide For a beginner I found it very informative. And have taken Ideas from friends (very informative fish people) this forum and the DVD My tank is now beautiful to look at again with very healthy fish and one mushroom :lol: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tel Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 pic Trinity pic!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 Wouldn't get too worried about the 20 ppm nitrate at this stage. It actually takes a lot longer after cycling before the nitrate removing bacteria fully kick in, likely several months. But eventually you should be shooting for nitrate below 10, lower if possible. And heed trinitys advice, an excellent piece of advice! However as you have had the patience to wait till cycling is finished, and then actually seek advice before charging down to the lfs and "loading up", you obviously have the needed patience to succeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachy Posted March 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 Thanks heaps for the advice all. I was gonna wait another 4 weeks before adding fish, that would give the tank 9 weeks in total. Would that effect the cycle at all? i mean like would it just go back to 0 again, because of nothing to creat waste? I would be keen to add a fish, but as i have been warned, damsels are quite nippy, and hard to get out once in. A couple of leathers might be the go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drifty Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 I thought that if you added nothing the cycle can start all over again. You could add a cromis they arent as bad as some damsels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 Clowns are pretty hardy, would be a fish option that can stay in the tank. I wouldn't worry too much about the cycle restarting/stopping, there will be enough crud in your rocks etc to keep it going. Also if your rock came out of another tank, i.e. was live when you got it there should be heaps of critters in it, pod's, worms, shrimps, etc that will help keep a cycle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 You can safely start adding now, don't even need to add only hardy ones, 20 ppm nitrate is well within tolerance range for fish. Just do it gradually, and start with the least aggressive fish, adding the aggressive ones last. If you add the aggressive ones first they will get established then pick on any new ones added later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghostface Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 i started with a chromis and a leather, they both still alive today. i knew 0 about reefkeeping - i used tapwater to mix salt, and had a trickle filter with no skimmer, and didnt do a water change for about 5 months :oops: i would go with a chromis or 2, as they are only about $30 a piece, and they seem hardy as. a damsel may end up being a pain in the ass, some have a quite horrid temprament. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachy Posted March 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 sweet, il have to do some research on fish that will be compatable together. Thanks for all the good advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slappers Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 this is where the fun starts GEEESSS I FEEL I AM BEING WATCH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raeh1 Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 I would go chromis first due to being hardy and cheap... I would then add a fish a month/ or invertibrate.. This lets your tank adjust and gives you time to plan and research new additions... Also time to order of pick out healthy specimens.. It also impresses friends when everytime they visit there is something new to find and look at. Cheers and good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquatopia Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 awesome i'll leave the advice to the experts but keen to see what they say, as i'm @ 2 weeks from my tank being cycled. i'm going 100% water change as my setup makes this real easy.(i can back my truck right next to my sump. how about some details on size and a pic? Is a 100% water change wise ? You will be losing all the bacteria that are in the water column wont you ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachy Posted March 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 Hmmm, i was wondering that too. Im only gonna change a couple of buckets first(120 ltr tank), see how that goes with nitrates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tel Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 various theories about from 50%-100% water change. i've got 540lts display and alot of rock there and in sump. i figure there will be tons of bacteria in the rock alone to handle the first 2-3 fish(im guessing @ 40+kgs rock). any other excess would likely die off unless i feed ammo anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wasp Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 One line of thought, is that during rock curing ( cycling ), excess phosphate and other undesireables are released into the water from the rock. So at the end of cycling a 100% water change should be done so a fresh start can be made with good water. Good point about the bacteria. However consider this, if a skimmer is in use, it will be taking them out of the water continuously, and that is one way to export out of the tank the phosphate and other crud they have consumed. The main bacteria we are concerned with are on and within the rock, and from this source some bacteria will be constantly entering the water column anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachy Posted March 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 I have been using a skimmer during the cycle, and i have noticed that once the skimmer had started working(new), the skimmate was quite dark for the first few weeks, now it seems to be a little lighter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slappers Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 thats because all the crap from your tank is getting removed. its finding less crap in the tank to take out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trinity Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 pic Trinity pic!! As soon as I master the task of taking tank photos I will post some in the saltwater members tanks( hopefully this weekend). I have orderd a lens for my camera for close up shots. The tank looks a bit empty right now but The water is so crystal clear it is beautiful, I am in the process of adding 2 more fish, once they have passed the QT stage and are then in the tank for a month and/or I am happy with the tests and the water is crystal clear I will add an anemone. Than in another month I may add another 2 fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slappers Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 I would tend to wait a while before adding an anemone, they are a little more difficult to keep and must have clean stable water. If it died in the tank it could pollute the water and cause big problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trinity Posted March 9, 2006 Report Share Posted March 9, 2006 Thanks for the advice Suphew I am now starting to think the first anemone was part of the reason the tank fell over first time. It pays to get advice on these things, as the LFS said it would be ok ($180) I really want an anemone :bounce: :bounce: So I will wait and see what happens with the tank luckily I now have backup tank and a big tank in the making that hopefully will be ready sometime this year that I will turn into a reef tank. How much special lighting do Anemones need I currently have 1x25w Sera Actinic Blue 1x 25w Atman tri-power 15000k 1x25w Atman super light 10k They are all T5s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachy Posted March 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2006 thats because all the crap from your tank is getting removed. its finding less crap in the tank to take out Yea i had a slight case of brown algae, but that has gone now, tank and rock is looking good, hopefully wont have to many probs(touch wood). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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