water testing....day 2
- Thread starter lickyricky
- Start date
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Did you use dry rock or cured live rock when setting up the tank. I would expect to see the ammonia to continue to climb and eventually you should be seeing nitrites. Both the ammonia and nitrites will peak and the numbers will slowly start to fall to 0.
ritter6788
Coral Fraud Private Eye
Cooper32803
Well-Known Member
Don't add any live stock until after your spike in ammonia and nitrites... The live rock will cycle the tank. People say to put a damsel in to quicken the cycle but then you are subjecting a living creature to unhealthy water parameters and if the fish makes it then ur stuck with a quick moving fish in your tank that will be hard to catch if you dont want to keep it... Be patient. That is the hardest part! 
OP
OP
lickyricky
Red Sea Max E-170
cured live rock
SeahorseKeeper
Where's the mysis?
The numbers look on point for where a newly setup tank should be.
chris13115
Active Member
if you have livestock, then you have ich. and ich isn't fun. But if you don't, then this is normal, let the filter do its job, and clean it up. In 2 weeks, get a damsel, if he is good then start adding more fish and then add some coral. so glad to see a new hobbyist
Keep Reefin
Chris
Keep Reefin
Chris
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OP
lickyricky
Red Sea Max E-170
how long should I keep the damsel before adding corals/inverts?if you have livestock, then you have ich. and ich isn't fun. But if you don't, then this is normal, let the filter do its job, and clean it up. In 2 weeks, get a damsel, if he is good then start adding more fish and then add some coral. so glad to see a new hobbyist
Keep Reefin
Chris
Unless you are planning on keeping the damsel I would not suggest getting one. Do you have plans of what fish you are wanting to keep. What fish you place in the tank first will be determined on what you want to keep rule of thumb is to start with your least aggressive fish first and add the more aggressive at the end. Also the first fish you add in the tank I would go with those that are hardier.
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lickyricky
Red Sea Max E-170
what would you suggest as a hardy fish? i wanted mainly corals/inverts and maybe a pair of clowns
Cooper32803
Well-Known Member
Clowns are part of the damsel family, but they are more expensive so if u lose one then that's money down the drain... Plus as I said before, it's just cruel to do to a living creature... Keep adding ur biological additive and be patient
Clowns would be fine to add once your tank has completely cycled. Are you thinking of doing any other type of fish or just the clowns only?
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OP
lickyricky
Red Sea Max E-170
I was thinking of doing 1 or 2 other fish but not sure what. What are your suggestions?? I kind of wanted a 6 line wrass
SeahorseKeeper
Where's the mysis?
I would be weary of a six line wrasse. They can be on the aggressive side.
chris13115
Active Member
Barbs right. Damsels suck. I would get a chromis, not aggressive, easy to keep, and pretty **** awesome. Only downside is they travel in schools, I actually have no idea if an old chromis would assault 2 new ones and i wouldn't test it. Remember this, slow and methodical for adding fish and coral. Make a list of what you want, and then start eliminating the ones that are problems.
Aquarium Fish: Tropical Freshwater Fish and Saltwater Fish for Home Aquariums
look at the easy, reef safe fish if your getting a reef. They also deliver fish, I had all my fish from them. Its tough to keep saltwater, but if you have patience and dedication, you can be something great.
Keep Reefin,
Chris
Aquarium Fish: Tropical Freshwater Fish and Saltwater Fish for Home Aquariums
look at the easy, reef safe fish if your getting a reef. They also deliver fish, I had all my fish from them. Its tough to keep saltwater, but if you have patience and dedication, you can be something great
.Keep Reefin,
Chris
With the chromis you could keep one singly, especially with the size tank that you have. In my 72gal I have 3 of them that have been doing very well together. Spend most of their time swimming around the tank with the other ones as they mature more will see if this continues or if things change. They are very active swimmers and I honestly could not imagine trying to keep all 3 of them in a smaller tank.
LGangway
Community Member
There are tons of fish you can add to a new aquarium that are hardy. Talk to some folks at your LFS. However, as others have mentioned, it is REALLY important to wait until your cycle has completed before adding livestock. Otherwise it is a sacrifice... I never like the idea of using live fish to start/complete a cycle. There is tons of info on the forum about tank cycles and it really depends on what you'd like to do. Some say a shrimp, others will tell you live rock, some will tell you throw damsels in. I have had success using live rock and being patient. This is probably the hardest thing to do now that you have everything going. This is also the reason a lot of people get in the hobby, then instantly shut down there tank. They don't wait for a cycle to complete, add a bunch of livestock at once. They go through the dramatic change of levels, get stressed, and then die. Then you see them posting their entire setup on craiglist or eBay...
Patients is a virtue! Take your time, do things right the first time, and you will be rewarded with an awesome tank!
Welcome to the hobby, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out!
Patients is a virtue! Take your time, do things right the first time, and you will be rewarded with an awesome tank!
Welcome to the hobby, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out!
Cooper32803
Well-Known Member
+1 Totally agree!!
