freshandsalty
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I just added the substrate today What's is the appropriate Wait time for adding fish
Best time to add fish
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redfishbluefish
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Is this a new setup? If so, you need to cycle the tank and measure to make sure there is no ammonia and you have the presence of nitrate......a good month.
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freshandsalty
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Yess its new.
Thank you I took it to get my water tested and the saltwater employee sayed everything was in the green
Thank you I took it to get my water tested and the saltwater employee sayed everything was in the green
pugcrush
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Did you go to a reputable store? I might suggest going to a new store. If they're only in it for the money & want to sell you something, they would be seeing green too!
As mentioned, you gotta cycle the tank. Do you have any filtration that we can't see in the picture? Liverock? Livestock is the last thing at this point. Sorry, probably looking at over a month.
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freshandsalty
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I went to petco, and I also coralline covered rock and some others I found at the beach
Diesel
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Rock from the beach?
Can we see a picture?
Also shoot us a picture from your full setup.
We here don't want to be critical but we want you to be successful in this hobby.
Can we see a picture?
Also shoot us a picture from your full setup.
We here don't want to be critical but we want you to be successful in this hobby.
redfishbluefish
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I'd suggest you check THIS out. The part about cycling a tank is about 2/3 of the way down. Basically it involves introducing ammonia (common way is with a fresh dead shrimp from you grocery). This releases the ammonia which kicks off the bacteria to start up your biological filtration system. Testing is a must. Hope this helps.
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freshandsalty
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Ok ty will do
Hi, FreshandSalty!
If the guy at Petco tested your water shortly after you poured it into the tank, it probably tested just fine. Zero ammonia, nitrite or nitrate. That's going to be a bit misleading, though . . .
Living things produce ammonia, and the ammonia to begin your nitrogen cycle won't be in your tank, because there's nothing living (or anything that ever was living, such as a cocktail shrimp) in there to produce it. Bacteria digest ammonia, converting it to nitrite and nitrate, but they're not there in large numbers yet, because they have nothing to eat. It seems strange that we all keep pet bacteria - but we do! The fish we feed, in turn feed the bacteria. The porous liverock we bring in from Florida or Fiji provides those bacteria with places to hang out and do their bacterial things.
Adding fish before the bacterial colonies are at decent strength would prove to be pretty hard on the fish. Maybe harder than they can survive.
Take good care of your bacteria - and welcome to one of the most endlessly fascinating hobbies on the planet! (Oh - and read the stickies, too. They're awesome!)
~Bruce
If the guy at Petco tested your water shortly after you poured it into the tank, it probably tested just fine. Zero ammonia, nitrite or nitrate. That's going to be a bit misleading, though . . .
Living things produce ammonia, and the ammonia to begin your nitrogen cycle won't be in your tank, because there's nothing living (or anything that ever was living, such as a cocktail shrimp) in there to produce it. Bacteria digest ammonia, converting it to nitrite and nitrate, but they're not there in large numbers yet, because they have nothing to eat. It seems strange that we all keep pet bacteria - but we do! The fish we feed, in turn feed the bacteria. The porous liverock we bring in from Florida or Fiji provides those bacteria with places to hang out and do their bacterial things.
Adding fish before the bacterial colonies are at decent strength would prove to be pretty hard on the fish. Maybe harder than they can survive.
Take good care of your bacteria - and welcome to one of the most endlessly fascinating hobbies on the planet! (Oh - and read the stickies, too. They're awesome!)
~Bruce
