Cycle Question?

[bcfiskins]

I set up my 75gal tank 2 weeks ago with 40-45 lbs live rock and another 40lbs dry, a SWC skimmer, and a refuge with Chaeto (sp?). I tossed in a tiny clean up crew (8 hermits and 3 snails) and 1 green chromis. I just test my water with a Salifert Ammonia and Nitrate kit and both levels are at zero (I do not have Nitrite). My question is, where am I?? After spending a few weeks on this forum, a huge underlying theme is slow and steady wins the race. I'm not going to go out and buy the farm, but could I slowly start to add_________(fill in the blank..another fish, softy etc)? Or, is it too early and wait another couple of weeks?

ps...no water changes yet either.

 

[REEFKEEPER10]

I would not chance it. there is a good chance that the ammonia is not started building up yet. if this is the case you would lose it all. it may have cycled I don't know. maybe someone else will tell you different.

 

[bcfiskins]

Any other thoughts? ps, thanks reefkeeper

 

[Bubbabobobbrain]

I would keep what you have in there for another week or two and monitor your levels. If they remain at zero for a few more weeks I would start to add fish very slowly, a maximum of 1 or 2 per month all the while monitoring your levels. I would not add coral in for a few months as most corals are more fussy than most of the fish out there. Just my opinion though. Good luck with your tank.

 

[Goofball310]

Give it a few more weeks while monitoring your tank. It's really important to be patient and not rush into things to guarantee the success of you tank.

 

[Shelby2012]

I don't have anything to add as I am starting a new aquarium also, although much smaller, 29g, but I want to ask something. The more I read about it the more confused I am. So after a few weeks when all the paramitters are OK, what do you recommend to add 1st, 2nd etc,. My guess is:
1. cleaning crew
2. some hardy fish, one by one
3. corals (soft, mushrooms?)

Although I remember someone recommended to add corals first before the cleaning crew as the cc would not have anything to eat at this stage. Can someone elaborate on this, please. My shippments started to arrive today so I hope I will start aquascaping at the end of next week and the game will start.

 

[REEFKEEPER10]

if you use live rock your clean up crew will have stuff to eat plus algea. i have read that it is better to add cuc then corals then fish but not sure which is better. if you add coral first it can adjust and settle in before fish start bothering them. i guess that is the reason behind that. i hope this helps.

 

[bluwinghawk]

imo it depends what you want? coral dictate fish, load dictate cuc, i have sand and had min. corals so in the begining i started more so with fish and sand shifters like enginener goby but whenever i added something new i rearrange the tank to distact the older ones and it seemed to work very well for me everybody ended up playing nice together in the sand box lol hope this helps