How long do you let tank cycle for?

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Fishies2019

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jul 10, 2019
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Hello I have a 3 G salt water tank pH currently 7.5 0 nitrates, and SG 1.025
I just purchased live rock and 2 snails and 2 crabs. The tank is 3 days old. At what point is tank ready for clown fish? Also how do I raise my pH of my tank as it is low?

Thanks!
 
Don't chase numbers like pH. It'll go up and down as the day goes. Trying to dose for 'perfect' pH in a tank can easily crash a system 6 times larger than what you are working with.
As for ensuring your cycle is done, dose the tank up to 2 ppm of ammonia. If the ammonia and nitrite levels are undetectable in 24 hours you are cycled. Then you simply do water changes until the nitrates are 0 and you are fish ready.
 
Hello I have a 3 G salt water tank pH currently 7.5 0 nitrates, and SG 1.025
I just purchased live rock and 2 snails and 2 crabs. The tank is 3 days old. At what point is tank ready for clown fish? Also how do I raise my pH of my tank as it is low?

Thanks!



Clowns aren’t a good option for a 3 gallon tank. Clown goby would be great or a small shrimp goby like a Randall’s or yasha and a pistol shrimp would be great for this tank so you could really see the symbiotic relationship. Also one of the small mantis could make a cool occupant, the species are slipping my mind at the moment though
 
Thank you so much! Why do you think I shouldn’t have clown fish? Is the tank too small?
 
Indeed. The size requirements for clowns is about a 20 gallon tank. These small systems are difficult to stock for saltwater. The goby route as mentioned would be a good recommendation, but there just aren't many options for tanks below the 10-20 gallon range on the saltwater side of things...and in reality they don't really open up until you get into the large systems.
 
I was going to say 10 for a single clown assuming it’s the only fish, but 20 for a pair. Female clowns usually get in the 3” range which is just to much fish for a 3g like sniper said.
 
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