Is this enough to cycle with?

[mdjxt39]

Hi guys this is my first post here, I just setup a 55 gallon salt water tank last Wednesday.

On the night I put the water in I put 2 bags of live sand in, then last Friday I added 12 pounds of live rock, then this past monday I got 5 damsels. However one of them died on Tuesday morning and the smallest of them ended up get sucked onto and stuck against my Fluval's intake pipe (ultimately killing it while I was at work) today. So this leaves me with 3 damsels, 12 pounds of live rock, and 2 bags of live sand in the tank for cycling. Also I am using the bacteria supplement called Cycle by Nutrafin. Do you think that this is enough to complete my cycle or do I need to go buy a few more damsels?

 

[lando]

Welcome to AquariumAdvice.com!!!
My suggestion is that you do a "fishless" cycle. There is some good info in the Articles section at the top of the page about it. Cycling with damsels is a pretty "old school" technique and now considered out-dated. Plus, it is very hard on the fish to be exposed to toxic and poisonous conditions. You would be best to bring them back to the LFS. Cycling using the fishless method is very easy and usually takes less time then using fish. Simply go to the grocery store and buy a raw shrimp. Throw one or two in the tank and wait. As the shrimp decays it will feed the cycle. Test water parameters (NH3, NO2 and NO3) every couple of days to see your progress. There is no need to do any water changes during this time as there are no fish in the tank. This is what makes it faster. The "Cycle" product will not really do much to prepare your tank for long-term habitation but will not hurt much either. I would consider adding more LR if you can, or purchasing BR at the very least. Good Luck!

 

[melosu58]

I agree go with the fishless cycle. Welcome to AA

 

[mdjxt39]

What is BR?

 

[SCFatz]

BR is base rock that has never been alive.Its just plain white porous lumps of rock that will eventually become live or seeded by your existing rock.

 

[roka64]

I got 5 damsels. However one of them died

The others might not make it.

WELCOME TO AA!!!

Keep posting your questions, here and I believe you will find a wealth of experience!