Tank Cycled.. ? Need to add something

[fishlips12]

If I don't get anything in this tank soon I will self explode

Okay This morning my Ammonia and Nitrates were at 0 the Nitrates are at about 15-20ppm. My tank has been in :”cycl”e now for 2 ½ weeks . I would like to get a clean up crew in there first before any fish . Is this a good idea. If so what and how many would you recommend in a 55 g tank?. If not what fish would you recommend and how many? Or should I wait until the Nitrates are at 0?

[BillyZ]

2 1/2 weeks seems awefully fast. Did you get an ammonia spike?

if so, then I would suggest, first, a 20% water change. It's good to "freshen up" your water after the cycle, it will help some with the nitrates. You could add a clean up crew, they'll help scavenge the remaining bits of die off from your LR (assuming you have LR/LS as you're bringing up a clean up crew) what and how many.. personally.. I love the black banded brittle star.. he just looks cool and he's easy to keep. A handfull or two of hermits (some don't like them, I do) and a couple of snails.. turbos are good choices.

The fish you put in your tank are your decision. These should be something that you research well before purchasing. There are a lot of beautiful fish out there, and there are a good number of them with special needs that must be attended to. I would suggest nothing fragile until your tank has matured at least a month or so... remember patience is the most important quality to have with a SW tank.. i know it's tough. belive me.. I've had 1 damsel in my tank for 6 months now because I know i'll be making some drastic changes and don't want to risk subjecting fish to those changes if I don't have to.

[OUfishman]

Many people throw in damsels to help cycle tanks because they are very hardy lil guys and they are cheap. Some people think this is mean by subjecting the fish to sub-par water conditions (I do). I would do the water change suggested by Billy, wait about 2-3 days and test your water again. If everything is fine go buy some damsels. My LFS sold me two when my tank was about 3-4 weeks old, they told me to keep them for about a month or so then I could take them back to the store and they'd gimme a little store credit for a new fish. Just some suggestions. Also turbo snails are very good at keeping alge to a minimum and hermits will cleen up dead materials on your substrate (perferably sand and even better LS). HTH!

[fishlips12]

Thanks all for the advice