Should I/can I put a shrimp and fish in my 40 gallon tank?

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bigfuzzymonster777

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Should I/can I put a shrimp and fish in my 40 gallon tank? Here are the nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, and salt levels:

Nitrate: 40 ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Salinity: 1 .024


Here is my tank:

image-3799318143.jpg
 
40 ppm might be a bit high for some inverts, I wouldn't go dropping 30 bucks on a blood shrimp, but go get yourself a clean up crew if you don't have one already. How old is the tank?
 
It's my first fish tank. ever. It's, like, two and a half weeks old with live rock, live sand, and a dead shrimp. Also, 5 snails
 
Cool! 40 ppm is still a bit high but it should be dropping. I'd wait a week, do a water change, and you should be good to go. What are you using for filtration? How many gallons is it?
 
Well welcome to the hobby then! :) Its always exciting right before you get to add new stuff to your tank :) As ross suggested already, a clean up crew is a good first step. I would wait a bit to add some shrimp to the tank.
 
You said you've had it for two and a half weeks? How did you cycle it? Typically that takes a month, or so and you end up with zero ammonia and nitrites and your nitrAtes are high. Do a water change to lower those trates and you should be good to go. You do not want to add anything with 40ppm.

CUC are not necessary, unless you really like all the little critters. They do clean, but they still add to the bioload. What goes in, comes out. It does not magically disappear just because a crab or snail ate it.

Make sure that you clean that filter regularly once you get fish, as it will become a nitrate factory if waste builds up inside. Once a week, maybe more often depending in what you get.
 
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