Post fallow catch up plan?

[Hiachi20]

Hello everyone! I am going to be completing my fallow period after ich and I am wanting to see what all everyone suggests for me to do to prepare my tank for fish again.

I have put a lot of put into my tank which has had an easy time breaking down. Obviously, ammonia and nitrite will be fine. I should probably check nitrate and phosphate. But instead of worrying too much, and because all of my elements are way off anyway, what about a 100% water change? Other than ammonia, phosphate, and salinity, what else comes into play when I'm looking at my fish's health?

 

[mcarroll]

What are you using for your main references on starting a tank, BTW? Any books?

Most folks I see here seem to start tanks the almost the same way as one another and end up having the same problems as one another. It seems like you might have started in that rut.

Any of the major books/book series will be good guides.

If you're limited to online, this is a nice one: The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium (you can start at the end of Section 4 if you want since your tank is already up)

In a nutshell: You need to go slow. Add fish 1-2 at a time, allowing at least a few weeks before the next addition. Allow that time so you can observe any changes in the tank or the fish, add CUC if needed, etc. If CUC is added, allow a few more weeks to observe the effects so you can add more if needed and bring things under control before adding more fish.