Help cycling new salt water tank

[Piercy87]

Well i can already ex off 2 fish for you. Cleaner wrasses do horrible in aquariums so i highly suggest you dont get one, and the bicolor gets 6" long... And thats too big for a 20 IMO. Maybe replace the bicolor with a smaller dwarf? That sucks too because the bicolor is my favorite...

That is annoying. I didn't know that about the wrasses I was thinking for getting rid or parasites ect so not to fussed about getting rid that one. I didn't realise the bicolor got that big. I want an angel of some kind, any ideas?

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

That is annoying. I didn't know that about the wrasses I was thinking for getting rid or parasites ect so not to fussed about getting rid that one. I didn't realise the bicolor got that big. I want an angel of some kind, any ideas?

Yeah it sucks because i think the cleaner wrasse is super cool. You could get a flame angel, they look amazing and stay smaller... But i think the smallest is a cherub angel, they look cool too. Just search live aquaria's dwarf angel section and there will be tons of options

 

[spoonman]

I have a pygmy angel that I love and it doesn't get big. Perfect for a small tank!

 

[Piercy87]

Good plan! How much live rock did you start with?

When I got the tank he done a deal and gavel 5kg then I got another 3 kg and added a day later. Also my girlfriends little brother brought me a trophy ornament to put in for my birthday. I was against this but couldnt really not as it would upset him. Is this a good idea to put in the tank or will it affect it in anyway?

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Here... Look through these options click on them to see their specific requirements!

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/aquarium-fish-supplies.cfm?c=15+16

 

[Piercy87]

I meant gave* not gravel. I hate auto correct

 

[Piercy87]

Looks like it'll have to be the fireball angel instead the

 

[Piercy87]

Isit possible to over cycle the tank and the ammonia eating bacteria die off due to starvation then when you add fish it will cycle all over again?

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

Isit possible to over cycle the tank and the ammonia eating bacteria die off due to starvation then when you add fish it will cycle all over again?

This is more or less why I'm not a fan of needing to see 4 ppm Ammonia in a tank in a cycle. If your tank begins to show trates, then you are good to slowly start adding fish... The bb will slowly establish as you do this. Whether or not you cycle seeing .5 ppm or 4 ppm of ammonia, you can't just add an entire livestock of fish into your tank... It has to be slow either way.

 

[Piercy87]

How many cleaner crew is normall for a 20 gallon tank. Like how many shrimps carbs snails ect should I get?

 

[Ingy]

+1 on jumping the gun.
If your nitrates are 0 there's been no cycle. Adding fish is wrong IMO. And I don't like damsels, especially my 2 YT Damsels. Mean buggers. In a 20 they'll probably not let any other fish alone.
Wait

Wait

Wait

 

[Piercy87]

You obviously haven't read the posts properly. Who said anything about putting fish in now?

I'm
Starting to get a nitrate reading but when the test colors show only between 0-5ppm as the first one it's hard to tell. There's deffo an orangy tinge there tho. But with hardly any ammonia there will
I even see the nitrates rise. Is there a rule of thumb for how many nitrates are produced to every 0.1 ammonia? Like my ammonia being 0.25 when that gets to 0 what will I expect the nitrates to be? 0.25 or more?

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

Hey Piercy- I don't think there is a rule of thumb but it's a great question. The thing is, is that because if your live rock and the bacteria, you may never actually get a large ammonia spike. This is how I did it too, which is why I wanted to reply originally to your post. If you are seeing NITRATES, then your tank is converting ammonia. Nitrates also build slowly, which is why some cycles take weeks, even a month or more... Maybe check your water tests again today and post a pic of the results?

 

[Piercy87]

I took a sample to the local fish store and there was nitrates and the ammonia was 0. So he said it was fine to start adding. So I got a flame back angel couple cleaner shrimp and hermit crabs. And couple corals. Came home done Water change then aclatised everything an they all seem to be loving there new home.

 

[Piercy87]

I mean fireball angelfish

 

[Beengirl]

Yea!! It's so exciting to get new fish!!

 

[Piercy87]

There a piccy I the set up and my first fishie. He's doing well eating everything off the rocks and the moving white dots from the back of the tank.

 

[Beengirl]

That's a Beautiful fish! Solid first choice!

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

How's the fish doin?

 

[Piercy87]

Fine happy as larry. Just swimming all over the place eating all the algae off the rocks. Re tested the water again today and ammonia, nitrite and nitrates are at 0 still so will just keep an eye on it every day and if they begin to rise I have plenty of water to do wc with. But I don't think that will happen.