New Reef Stocking Order

[tlkng1]

Good morning...

The day is quickly approaching to start stocking both my nano reef and my 29 reef, however, a question has come to mind. What is the recommended order of stocking?

Fish, corals, inverts
Fish, inverts, corals
Corals, fish/inverts
Stock at will in any order

This takes into account the issue of slow stocking to allow for filtering bacteria to "catch-up" to the increased bio-load.

Thanks

Terese

 

[JustOneMore20]

I think it all depends on your tank. Some people stock inverts (the clean up crew) first and some stock fish first. I opted to start with fish because I didn't have any algae growth for a CUC. I know I could have just supplemented with foods, but I wanted to know that they had something in the tank to eat as well.

You could always start with a small fish, once you are cycled and then decide from there.

I added fish (2 small ones) and a coral the same day then waited a week and a half later for another fish and some corals in my 38g.

Are your tanks cycled or almost cycled?

 

[Flake]

I waited till my tank was cycled and I added a small fish and some snails (diatoms were horrid), then I just let it sit for a bit and kept adding little by little.

 

[tlkng1]

I am on day 26 of the cycling (liverock curing). All water parameters are at optimum and have been that way for 8 days now. I do not plan on stocking for another few days but I think I am safe in saying the cycling is completed. I do have some brwon algae growth...too much light I think for now just with the liverock but I was keeping an excited/impatient eye on what was coming back on the liverock and I couldn't resist the light

The pieces of liverock that have the algae on them are small and I can gently clean those with my ever present toothbrush without destroying the aquascaping..any algae "infested" pieces are on top of the liverock stack.

I am looking at a yellow clown goby to start off both tanks (the one goby will complete the fish stocking for the 8-gallon) but wasn't sure if I could work a coral or hermit crabs in there at the same time.

Thanks

Terese

 

[Flake]

you could probably do all of them at once with good water. I wanted a bit on my corals out of sheer paranoia, but you're not going to have much of a bioload with the clown goby, so I wouldn't stress it too much. Whatever you feel comfortable with.

 

[tlkng1]

Will see what happens. CUC coming for both the 40 (previously a 29, DON'T ask ) Water parameters off just a hair but am hoping to do a good RO/DI water water change prior to Saturday's delivery of the CUC. Nitrates and Phosphates are readable but low; calcium is a little low..everything else is optimum.