Hey everyone im new here and this is my first saltwater tank. Ive had plenty of experience with freshwater, I know its harder to care for a saltwater, however my fw experience is keeping stingrays and hard to keep fw fish. So testing water parameters and keeping water healthy is not new to me. I had a question though, im running a 90g oceanic tank with 100lbs live rock, 3 inch sand bed, im running two canister filters that each support 100g, and I have a 50g sump under the tank with some live rock rubble in it. I have had the tank going about 5-6 weeks now and for the past week or two my levels have been zero, 0 ammonia 0 nitrite and 0 nitrate im using an api test kit. Is it safe to say I can add a few inverts and maybe a fish or should I give the tank a little more time? I assumed with my levels being zero it would be safe to add a few and wait a while to add more. Also wgat would you all recommend my first purchase being? I was thinking chromis and some snails and hermits? Recomendations welcome
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- Thread starter cynikal
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Speaking from personal experience. I find that API kits for ammonia, nitrates and nitrites are very reliable.
What is your calcium, alkalinity, magnesium, salinity and temp reading? These are very important!
What is your calcium, alkalinity, magnesium, salinity and temp reading? These are very important!
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Paul B
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Cynikal, first of all, Welcome. It is nice for you to post here and describe your tank. Of course you will get many opinions no matter what or who you ask, but for me, I would say it is fine to add a couple of small animals now. That will help build up the bacteria needed so you can add more animals. If you add to many, you will be the first to know as the water will become clowdy due to a bacterial bloom. Salt water is a little different than fresh and here you will not need those canister filters and you would be better off just using them for circulation or occasionally to stir up the tank and clear it up. In freshwater you can keep those canisters running on the tank with no problems but salt water does not require a filter and they will eventually be more of a detriment than a benefit as the organics that acumulate there will rot causing your organics to rise in yout water. That is something we try to avoid in salt water. For now, in such a new tank, they won't hurt anything but I would remove them soon. That is probably the only thing many people will agree with.
Paul, I understand about removing the filters, I was told through the cycle to keep them on and they will be removed as soon as I get some life in there. Nanareef my salinity is 1.024 my temp is 74 , I have not tested calcium , alk , and mag I need to find a kit to test them , later today im going to a few salt water specialty lfs around and going to see if I cant find a different kit there
Paul B
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You will not need those test kits just yet. Your water should be fine as it is new and there are no corals in there to use any calcium.
All the caccium you need is al;ready in the water you started the tank with and it is not important for the fish at all.
All the caccium you need is al;ready in the water you started the tank with and it is not important for the fish at all.
Paul B
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Nothing is written in stone (or live rock). There is no set time limit but the longer you wait to add corals the better as the tank will get more stable over time. New tanks are not very stable and are prone to crashing, no one really knows exactly why but for some reason new tanks with all new, presumably perfect water just don't support life as well as more mature tanks. It would be wise to wait a while until you see a little algae, some creatures growing in the sand and the fish thriving, not just living.
Palting
Active Member
Agree with Paul. You do not need alk, calcium, nor mag tests this early. If all you plan to have are fish and CUC, you will probably never need them.
You do not need those canister filters either. You have enough biofiltration: 100 lbs liverock, plus a sump with more rock. However, at this time the canister filters are already part of your biofiltration. I would slowly take the biomedia out of the cannisters, a little each week, to let the rocks take over the biofiltration completely. You can then leave the canisters simply for chemical filtration with GAC or GFO, or replace them with powerheads in the DT and a skimmer in the sump.
As to what you should get first as livestock, start with CUC and maybe 1 easy fish to make sure your system is working well. I prefer a clown to a chromis, but that's up to you. After a few weeks and everything looking good, you already have experience with difficult to keep FW fish, so you can probably get fish you definitely like rather than just any easy fish.
Looking ahead, do you plan on having coral? Adequate lights, a skimmer, and the alk/cal/mag then become important. You can start adding easy coral, like mushrooms, zoas, etc, if your tank is stable with the first fish.
GL!!
You do not need those canister filters either. You have enough biofiltration: 100 lbs liverock, plus a sump with more rock. However, at this time the canister filters are already part of your biofiltration. I would slowly take the biomedia out of the cannisters, a little each week, to let the rocks take over the biofiltration completely. You can then leave the canisters simply for chemical filtration with GAC or GFO, or replace them with powerheads in the DT and a skimmer in the sump.
As to what you should get first as livestock, start with CUC and maybe 1 easy fish to make sure your system is working well. I prefer a clown to a chromis, but that's up to you. After a few weeks and everything looking good, you already have experience with difficult to keep FW fish, so you can probably get fish you definitely like rather than just any easy fish.
Looking ahead, do you plan on having coral? Adequate lights, a skimmer, and the alk/cal/mag then become important. You can start adding easy coral, like mushrooms, zoas, etc, if your tank is stable with the first fish.
GL!!
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WhoKnew
Well-Known Member
Welcome to one of the most rewarding hobbies I know. You have gotten a lot of information from experienced reefers. Take your time, enjoy, put what you LIkE in your tank.
I do agree that the filters should slowly be discontinued. This early in your journey, save your money on all those elaborate testing kits, you may need them later when your tank is stocked more, whether with fish or corals. I would consider staring off with some CUC and a clown, as stated before, this will start the good bacteria in your tank. It will be nice to see some pictures as you move through the stages of your tank.
I do agree that the filters should slowly be discontinued. This early in your journey, save your money on all those elaborate testing kits, you may need them later when your tank is stocked more, whether with fish or corals. I would consider staring off with some CUC and a clown, as stated before, this will start the good bacteria in your tank. It will be nice to see some pictures as you move through the stages of your tank.
