what i heard

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MERCTECH

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Dec 13, 2005
Messages
54
Location
MIAMI, FL
i heard that you can add damels or clown fish after you have the salt and have the level correct. i heard that they are very "hardy" fish. see i just started a tank and my other have is dying to put some fish in. i known that i am supposed to wait a month till i am done with the cycle. i also know that now will be the time to be adding some live rock to the tank. right now my salt level is ok, but ammonia ppm is the around 3.0. just looking for some opinions.
 
Nothing good in this hobby happens fast....patience is a virtue....good things happen to those who wait. All these phrases aptly apply to the saltwater hobby. Even though the fish MAY survive a cycling process, it is cruel to any fish to submit it to the toxic waste dump that is your tank until the cycle is complete.

Cycle your tank with a piece of shrimp, use this month to read and learn more. Browse through tons of online stores looking at the different fish and choosing what is right for your tank and by all means, ask questions here.
 
what about live rock??

you said piece of shrimp....not live......frozen.....i dont understand??
 
Read about fishless cycling: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=15

You add a piece of raw shrimp to the tank, it decays, creates ammonia, causes the tank to cycle properly, and then you can safely add fish.

No one here is going to advocate cycling a marine tank with live fish. Its 100% un-necessary, because a fishless cycle will make the tank healthy without ever endangering the lives of any fish.

Live rock can help speed up the cycling process if it's already cured. You'll pay more for cured LR than uncured (from member's posts, I'd say cured LR is 50-75% more per pound than uncured, which around here is all I can get, and its $5/lb. you are lucky to live near the coast...LR is gonna be cheaper and abundant at your LFS's).
 
you said raw shrimp will add ammonia....but from the test i did i have too much ammonia. so why add a piece of raw shrimp??
 
anytime u have ammonia means ur tank is not at good condition to put fish in. To put raw shrimp in there just to speed up the cycle . Ammonia is just one stage of the cycle. Give it sometime or u will end up with few dead fish a couple sad faces.
 
MERCTECH said:
i heard that you can add damels or clown fish after you have the salt and have the level correct. i heard that they are very "hardy" fish. see i just started a tank and my other have is dying to put some fish in. i known that i am supposed to wait a month till i am done with the cycle. i also know that now will be the time to be adding some live rock to the tank. right now my salt level is ok, but ammonia ppm is the around 3.0. just looking for some opinions.

An option is to add Bio-spira. Cycles within days, not months. I've used numerous times with sucess.
 
When I first started my tank I heard many debates about adding "starter" fish or not.. also the shrimp idea including many other ways of starting it. I purchased 2 blue damsels and they're still doing great. All my levels have been fine and haven't run into any issues so far. I suppose everyone does have different views. I would not suggest clowns personally, simply the blue damsels IF you chose this path. Either way, your tank will cycle reguardless of fish or no fish.
 
how do i firgure out how many watts i need for my tank. planing to have live coral. tank size is a 55 gallon 47 5/8 inches long, 13 inches long, and 20 inches tall. i really enjoy the power compacts
 
An option is to add Bio-spira.
This is not the best option out there. Bio-spira is expensive and your tank is much better served by adding more LR instead. It will appreciate it in the long run. Quick cycle products such as Bio-spira really do nothing to prepare the tank for good long-term habitation. The colonization of beneficial bacteria in your tank just takes time. There is not suspitute. Slow down, take your time and let your tank cycle properly. It will save you tons of problems in the future.
 
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