Questions about new 30g long

blackwing013 · Oct 22, 2022

Hi all, after owning freshwater my whole life, I have finally made the move to saltwater with a 30g long I picked up off of Facebook marketplace. I just have a few questions

1. I got some dry rock with the tank that I purchased and it has a dark red hue. Is this just coloration on the rock or something to be worried about?
2. I just put my saltwater in today and bought some bio-spira to go with it but don't have a test kit yet. When should I be able to know it's safe to add inverts and then fish?
3. What are some good beginner fish that I could add once the tank is cycled. I'd like to stay away from the basic things like clowns or gobies but nothing too extravagant or hard to keep.

blaxsun · Oct 23, 2022

1. Sounds like coralline algae - but we'd probably need an image or two to verify.
2. If you're using Bio-Spira, you're good to go the minute you add it.
3. Bio-Spira insta-cycles the tank, so provided you have the right salinity, temperature and your flow is good - you can basically start adding fish right away. Dottybacks are one of my favorites. They don't get too large, they're very inquisitive - and some of the neon varieties are quite spectacular.