Tank cycling... Help me

[Poseidon84]

also nitrifying bacteria cannot uptake nitrates directly from the water column, i believe you need algae and or a mechanical removal for that. ie a reactor. a skimmer only removes the solids before they become nitrates. so i have read.

 

[MamaLovesHerReefTank]

So I have been checking my parameters every 3 to 4 days and they have been holding as steady as I could have hoped for.

Salinity 1.025
Ph 8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
Temperature 78°-80°

I went to my LFS today and picked up a pretty nice sized piece of live rock that is completely covered in purple coraline alge so that I could start putting some color in the tank. I also picked up 4 little camel shrimp because my son loved them. I am going to hold off on fish for a few more weeks still just to be extra sure that nothing changes. I just feel like that at 6-8 weeks if I still have solid and consistent parameters then I can start place a fish or two in there. Thoughts?

Seems like your tank is doing well so far. I'm sure you're getting advice from a lot people and I'm going to give a bit of my own as well. Please research all your purchases before actually buying. Decide if this tank is going to be fish only with live rock (fowlr) or if you're planning on adding corals down the road. If you're adding corals eventually, there are some livestock you will need to avoid. Ask questions at your lfs and if a fish peaks your interest, look it up on live aquaria. It will give you a quick description on it and if it is compatible with other fish. Last but not least, take your time. Patience is one of the hardest things for new reefers. It gets very exciting once you can start adding fish and it's very easy to go too fast (been there done that and have lots of regrets but lots of lessons learned). Have fun. This is a very addicting hobby but very rewarding when you see all your hard work pay off with healthy livestock and a beautiful clean tank.