Good time to buy inverts?

[dinotrex]

Is there a good time to start getting inverts? I'm 4 weeks into my cycle and it's not fully completed yet... but is it safe to at least get 20-25 little hermit crabs? I have live rock so I guess they can eat off of that right?

 

[Biggen]

You don't need to put anything in the tank until the cycle is completed, especially inverts.

Wait till the ammonia and nitrite fall to zero, do one large water change, and should be ready to go...

 

[quarryshark]

2nd that. The crabs would die.
What I did is what Biggen suggested, wait until ammonia and nitrite are 0, then put in a few snails to "test things out".

 

[flynnternet]

Will Nitrate always fall to zero? My ammonia and nitrite has been at zero for almost two weeks, with my nitrate holding steady at 10ppm. Did a 20% water change last weekend, but the levels have stayed the same.

I have LR, a few small hitchiker snails (though I am seing more of them as time goes on) and a few (literally three) individual polyps.

 

[quarryshark]

If you nitrites and ammonia are 0, you can start adding livestock, slowly. A 10ppm nitrate won't hurt your animals.
You can combat the nitrate by feeding lightly, doing routine water changes, cleaning out any filter media, etc.

 

[dinotrex]

Sweet!!! Thats what I wanted to hear.... I thought I was having the same problems with the nitrates as well, turns out it's not a big problem.

 

[quarryshark]

Don't get me wrong, you would strive to get your nitrates to 0, but it will not hurt your fish. If you want to get corals and such, then it becomes more important.