Newbie! Need advice.

[Turkey Slayer]

Hello everyone! Thank you for allowing me to join this group. I have been reading your threads for a while and am finally starting a new tank. I just set up a 40gal tank and would like to know what would be a good fish to cycle with? No damsels though, they seem mean! lol Once again, thanks for the invite and looking forward to a lot of fun!

 

[spspirate]

Welcome to REEF2REEF! Do Not cycle your tank with a fish. No need and the cycle is really hard on the fish. Use a little bit of frozen fish food. Microbacter7 works well from Brightwell Aquatics. Good luck!

 

[Ryan2428]

Don't use a fish put a shrimp in a net set it in the water to decompose it works the same if not better IMO

 

[ReeferIX]

I have always started with 1 or 2 tank raised clowns. They are extremely hardy and get along with everything. Just don't over feed. And watch all water parameters closely. Good Luck and happy Reefing.

 

[SCHMUSTIN]

Take a raw peice of deli shrimp and just throw it in. Once it is almost broke down pull out the remains. Caution... it may smell when you remove it LOL. And the feeling is not great.

May take a week or more. The tank should cycle pretty quickly. Mine went through in 4 to 5 days.

 

[dbg]

Hey!

Do not cycle with fish!!!! Just let your live sand and rock cycle the tank for a little over a month, and keep checking your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate until they are at 0 ppm! I know it sounds like it will speed up the process to cycle with fish, but in the long run, you'll have a happier, healthier tank if you let the chemistry do the work and not the poor fish!

 

[Mike J.]

Like others have said, use a deli shrimp to start the ammonia in your new tank. When your ammonia and nitrites are zero then you can add a CUC and fish several weeks apart. A cycle should look something like this:

 

[AaronTheBeloved]

if start with live rock you wont need to put your fish threw the apocalyptic nitrogen cycle. my 110 gallon system cycled in about 10 days

 

[HiddenUser]

Use some raw shrimp from the store, or you can add small amount of fish food each day to kick start your cycle. I would avoid using fish to cycle your tank.

I understand the desire to put livestock into your tank ASAP, but patience is virtue in this hobby. I find a good way to pass time while your tank is cycling is to pick out your livestock and determine an order in which you want to add them to your tank.

Otherwise there is plenty of other things to read about this hobby to pass the time as well.

 

[ReeferIX]

Agreed my LFS even gave me 2 cups of substrate to kick start the process. My cycle with 2 tank raised clowns 10 lbs of live rock and 2 cups of sand out of an established tank took right at 9-10 days. No casualties were taken and clowns are still doing great today. By the way remember that deli meats belong on sandwiches.

 

[Reefing Madness]