Cycle done - let’s go!

[Lucastank]

Cycle has finished ! With the help of live sand and Fluval cycle bottle. All parameters seem good. Might do a decent water change and possibly Sunday get some corals and a pair of clowns for my son. Thinking a few mushrooms, possibly 2 Duncan’s and maybe a small zoa rock - I may try and get green star polyp to grow up a rock onto the side. Any thoughts, advice all welcome, thanks.
Also should I wait on CUC? Or get a few snails/crabs to start?

 

[dstockwell]

Welcome to the Reef

First thing slow some, if you tested and all is good a couple fish. Doesn’t look like you have anything for a CUC.

 

[LRT]

I'd actually get a cpl hermits and nassarius snails in there immediately with a small fish or 2. Feed only what the fish can eat with only a tiny bit dropping to the crabs to keep them content.

 

[Lucastank]

I'd actually get a cpl hermits and nassarius snails in there immediately with a small fish or 2. Feed only what the fish can eat with only a tiny bit dropping to the crabs to keep them content.

So no coral frags? Just the 2 clowns and a few cuc.

 

[LRT]

Should be able to start putting those coral in now as well

 

[LRT]

So no coral frags? Just the 2 clowns and a few cuc.

Add corals now

 

[Lucastank]

Welcome to the Reef

First thing slow some, if you tested and all is good a couple fish. Doesn’t look like you have anything for a CUC.

Yea nothing rly yet for the cuc. Have been testing and everything seems good I will do water change and test again to confirm. The cycle bottle has helped and speed up process. It’s been 3 weeks and stable.

 

[Lucastank]

Add corals now

Any coral ideas? Anything you like dislike?

 

[JLReef]

nice choice of rock. and nice placement to! i realy like this rockscape, you put a lot of depth into it

 

[LRT]

Any coral ideas? Anything you like dislike?

It's been said that I may be a little favoritive towards shrooms

 

[Lucastank]

nice choice of rock. and nice placement to! i realy like this rockscape, you put a lot of depth into it

Really appreciate, did a lot of trial runs before we got it all together!

 

[Lavey29]

Something to consider. I recommend leaving lights off the first 4 months. Fish don't need lights. This gives your tank time to develop biodiversity and microfauna which when you add coral and light will make your ugly phases the first year much more manageable.

 

[LRT]

I think it more comes down to not overfeeding tank especially through stages of tanks early life cycles while establishing biodiversity. I think you can overfeed and overwhelm a new tanks biodiversity. Corals should help establish biodiversity much faster and starting with a small cuc to clean up whatever food that may fall while feeding small fish or 2 for first few weeks should carry it through those early stages of life cycles.

 

[Lucastank]

I plan on doing 2 clowns and like 4 frags. Vry small cuc and that’s it maintain and watch it grow, trying to get my 2 year old into it and so far has been a blast. Appreciate all the help!

 

[LRT]

I plan on doing 2 clowns and like 4 frags. Vry small cuc and that’s it maintain and watch it grow, trying to get my 2 year old into it and so far has been a blast. Appreciate all the help!

Epic. Your off go a great start I can yell you have put alot of thought and work into it. Perfect stocking list. Yep just take it super easy on feedings for first few weeks and let the tank break itself in and you should be gold. Especially if you keep that same plan of attack throughout the life of the tank.