Fish in cycle questions

[MaxxChopped]

Hello!
This is my first post and I am new to the community and hobby! Go easy on me!
This is my first ever saltwater tank. I am running a Biocube 32 with 20+ lbs dry (previously cycled) rock, 20 lbs of Ocean Direct and one saltwater Molly my daughter named Mohawk Molly.
After watching a BRS series on the importance of building a strong biome, I found one of the most positive results came from Ocean Direct sand and dry rock. The outcome being the ocean sand produced some of the best types of bacteria to create a good biome.
With no experience in my boots I pressed on in my journey with the plan to use only the Ocean Direct sand and a hardy saltwater Molly for my cycle (LFS endorsed).
After 14 days my ammonia is 0 (well .25 but it’s an API test) and my nitrite and nitrate are maxed out for this test kit.
I have read and researched a lot on when people feel the first water change should happen and I am looking for all of your experience and input.
My tank lights are off and I have no algae growing but I fear an out break of algae if I leave nitrates so high. ( I am semi aware that nitrate test for API is unreliable when nitrites are present)

When should I do my first water change?

Am I just being a newbie who REALLY wants to go get the super storm clowns his LFS is holding for him and should be patient and wait until nitrites go to zero before water change?

When would you feel comfortable replacing the Molly with your first ever expensive clownfish?

This thread is not for the discussion of fish in vs fishless cycle. I have read the mine field of posts about it, chose to accept this updated way, researched endless before going with it and I am where I am lol.

Thanks for any knowledge I can absorb!

 

[brandon429]

the feed you gave the molly cycled the tank by now, you can stock.

reading up on adding non disease prepped fish to a dry start system is your next venture...skip disease preps, you'll replace that fish before December. If you acclimate those clowns correctly and add them to the system, they'll live, swim and eat normally (if they're acclimated correctly, not raised up from .012 salinity in two hours, that's bad acclimation and the pet store likely keeps them that low to suppress disease)

you need to do a water change because that's reefing, exchanging old nutrient-laden water for new, very often until things start to mature which is 1-2 years out given this type of start.

they didn't try to sell you bottle bac? the pet store? they usually sell 3x different ones just to be sure...

Has anyone done coral/inverts only and no fish at first?

Fish seem to be the main cause of disruption in a display tank, given the current circumstances in the hobby with pests (ich, velvet, parasites, etc.). I have been in this hobby for 18 years, and the amount of pests that are showing up lately is much more (could also be the fact that we have...

www.reef2reef.com

read that thread for the win: ideal order of stocking to prevent fish disease wipeouts. your current plan is bone opposite of that good one (fish go in last, not first unless you have your own double-tank quarantine setup to both acclimate and observe/treat before going into the display)

the cycle isn't your issue, disease is

 

[brandon429]

the way your cycle usage date was determined was by the number of days you've been feeding it/ with water in the system

if you never fed the molly it needs longer, a month. but if you've fed it, two weeks contact time is plenty. your tests are useless with this type of cycle, it's a duration/number of days-count event only.

 

[MaxxChopped]

the feed you gave the molly cycled the tank by now, you can stock.

reading up on adding non disease prepped fish to a dry start system is your next venture...skip disease preps, you'll replace that fish before December. If you acclimate those clowns correctly and add them to the system, they'll live, swim and eat normally (if they're acclimated correctly, not raised up from .012 salinity in two hours, that's bad acclimation and the pet store likely keeps them that low to suppress disease)

you need to do a water change because that's reefing, exchanging old nutrient-laden water for new, very often until things start to mature which is 1-2 years out given this type of start.

they didn't try to sell you bottle bac? the pet store? they usually sell 3x different ones just to be sure...

Has anyone done coral/inverts only and no fish at first?

Fish seem to be the main cause of disruption in a display tank, given the current circumstances in the hobby with pests (ich, velvet, parasites, etc.). I have been in this hobby for 18 years, and the amount of pests that are showing up lately is much more (could also be the fact that we have...

www.reef2reef.com

read that thread for the win: ideal order of stocking to prevent fish disease wipeouts. your current plan is bone opposite of that good one (fish go in last, not first unless you have your own double-tank quarantine setup to both acclimate and observe/

the way your cycle usage date was determined was by the number of days you've been feeding it/ with water in the system

if you never fed the molly it needs longer, a month. but if you've fed it, two weeks contact time is plenty. your tests are useless with this type of cycle, it's a duration/number of days-count event only.

Thanks for all of that information. It’s hard to learn all there is but I’m trying. I have been feeding for the duration of the 14 days. I should be doing my first water change tonight? 50%?

 

[MaxxChopped]

the feed you gave the molly cycled the tank by now, you can stock.

reading up on adding non disease prepped fish to a dry start system is your next venture...skip disease preps, you'll replace that fish before December. If you acclimate those clowns correctly and add them to the system, they'll live, swim and eat normally (if they're acclimated correctly, not raised up from .012 salinity in two hours, that's bad acclimation and the pet store likely keeps them that low to suppress disease)

you need to do a water change because that's reefing, exchanging old nutrient-laden water for new, very often until things start to mature which is 1-2 years out given this type of start.

they didn't try to sell you bottle bac? the pet store? they usually sell 3x different ones just to be sure...

Has anyone done coral/inverts only and no fish at first?

Fish seem to be the main cause of disruption in a display tank, given the current circumstances in the hobby with pests (ich, velvet, parasites, etc.). I have been in this hobby for 18 years, and the amount of pests that are showing up lately is much more (could also be the fact that we have...

www.reef2reef.com

read that thread for the win: ideal order of stocking to prevent fish disease wipeouts. your current plan is bone opposite of that good one (fish go in last, not first unless you have your own double-tank quarantine setup to both acclimate and observe/treat before going into the display)

the cycle isn't your issue, disease is

So to attempt to follow this advice conducive to my current set up, would you leave the Molly in during step 2 of the introduction of frags?

 

[MaxxChopped]

So to attempt to follow this advice conducive to my current set up, would you leave the Molly in during step 2 of the introduction of frags?

I already have an arrangement to return this fish to LFS when I get my clowns so I could return it anytime and be fishless

 

[brandon429]

if that was my setup I would add in ten pounds of cured live rock from a pet store, specifically from a pet store, then stock frags until reasonably full up/then fallow out the system. refusal to use any real live rock is going to be a real tangible challenge for sure. the frags you add bring in more cycling bac too...one more thread below to read that is 100% relevant

adding in some real live rock makes your coral keeping go much easier, everything is better with it vs without it

a feed-only cycle, stocked out to a full reef using only dry rock. this is a fine method to copy (he got away without any disease preps here/rare/awesome cycling example though)

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whether or not you keep the molly going forward won't matter much overall.