Cycle Complete, Do a PWC?

[Grug]

Hi all.. im Confident that (thanks to all your great help and some good live rock) (albeit with some free aiptasia) my tank has finished its cycle.

im seeing constant ph at 8.3 ish.
Salinity at 1.024
Temp has finally settled at 26.5 degrees with plus or minus .5 degrees C
(79.7ish F)

Ammonia: 0
No2: 0
for a week now
No3: maybe 1-2ppm yesterday 0-1 today

So.. im ready to put my hand in the wallet again.. and buy a clown fish.
(yeah i know.. typical)

Should i be doing a PWC before adding live stock or leave it for a week or so after adding live stock?

Thanks again.
James.

 

[melosu58]

During the cycle dont worry about anything but Ammonia, Nitrites and nitrates. Once these are OK and back to 0 then do about a 33% PWC and then start checking out the other parameters. Once they check out then you can add a clean up crew and maybe a fish.

 

[limojica]

Hi Grug, good luck. Let us know how it turns out.

Great advice melosu58. I am still learning

 

[melosu58]

One thing I said was misleading. Your nitrates will not be at 0 but your ammonia and nitrites will be. You do the big PWC to lower the nitrates. Sorry.

 

[Grug]

Orright.. Success.. i went to the LFS and he told me that if i have an empty tank i should get the Blue tang first due to there ability to carry White Spot.. so we have new guests.. a v small blue tang.. (about 3cm long) whos found a nice hiding space with lots of alge to eat.. a hermit crab.. (dont know what kind will work it out but he has blue bits) and a cone shaped snail.

now to work out what white spot is.. GO GOOGLE POWER!

 

[Smitty]

My first guess would be ICK. Look it up and see if that matches.

Edit: Spelled ick wrong... sigh

 

[melosu58]

Your LFS gave you some bad advice on the tang. They need at least a 100 gallon tank. Yours is a 35 gallon tank? You might want to get take it back and get a fish more suitable for your tank. A tang in good enviornment will not come down with ick but a tang under stress from too small a tank will almost assuredly come down with it. I know it`s not want you want to hear but I would be doing you a diservice by not telling you.

 

[limojica]

Isn't it ich?

Ichthyophthirius

 

[mfdrookie516]

Isn't it ich?

Ichthyophthirius

its bad either way... some people call it ick, others call it ich.

 

[melosu58]

It`s this

Marine Ich/Cryptocaryon irritans - A Discussion of this Parasite and the Treatment Options Available, Part I by Steven Pro - Reefkeeping.com

 

[Smitty]

lol.... so I got it right? Either way it isn't good for the fish but is far from fatal or anything. Good water and treatment should help get it cleared up.

 

[Grug]

Okies..

yes.. i have a 34 ish US gal tank.. (i hope.. im confused between us and uk gal and why doesnt everyone just use metric these days anyway.. its SOOOO much easier..

and yes.. the Blue tangs usually like a larger tank.. but the size of this fish is suitable for my tank and by the time it gets big enough to freak out if im not upgrading.. (addicted now) ill find a new home for it.

just replaced my heater after some freak out sessions last night.. i think the thermostat in my cheap aqua one 150 watt heater was faulty.. the tank was 27.5 degrees and the heater was still kicking in and heating the tank..

anyways.. have 200 w eheim Jager now.. its looking more stable and should be able to maintain 26 degrees when the room is cold and the lights are off..

got a great photo of my lil blue tang and cone snail.. crab is hiding at the moment.. (or stuck.. dont know which one yet..)