ohiosaints
New Member
what are some beginner fish? for someone just starting out
Beginner Fish
- Thread starter ohiosaints
- Start date
lion_crazz
Active Member
Well before you put any fish in the tank, it must be cycled first. Is your tank cycled, or is there nothing in it.
ohiosaints
New Member
i dont even have a tank yet first i wanna do some research on fish and everything else
lion_crazz
Active Member
A fantastic book to pick up is The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert Fenner.
One thing to keep in mind: the more money you put into your tank in the beginning, the less you will have to put in during the process of maintenance and sick fish. With a fish tank, always get the biggest tank you can afford, even if it means waiting a few months to save a little more money up. Bigger tanks in saltwater can house a lot more fish, and they are much easier to maintain.
One thing to keep in mind: the more money you put into your tank in the beginning, the less you will have to put in during the process of maintenance and sick fish. With a fish tank, always get the biggest tank you can afford, even if it means waiting a few months to save a little more money up. Bigger tanks in saltwater can house a lot more fish, and they are much easier to maintain.
ohiosaints
New Member
ok thank you
speg
Active Member
You'll start off with something like Damsels when you are first cycling your fish tank.. sadly you cant jump right into the good stuff.
The reason you cycle is to start building bacteria inside your fish tank.. benifical bacteria that helps you 'clean' out harmful ammonia that would normally keel your fish. After you got the sand/rocks/water in your tank wait like 24 hours and then start adding 'damsels', they'll be what starts your cycling process. Damsels can stand bad conditions very well unlike most other saltwater fish. If the Damsels die that isnt a bad thing.. its actually good if they do (but not important.. so dont purposely kill them!) you want these lil dudes to poop and create ammonia to start feeding your bacteria. Every week check your ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels, when they are all zero (or *VERY* close) you're at the end of your cycle (usually 6-8 weeks). Try to add all the rocks you plan on adding at the beginning of your cycle.. if you add too many uncured rocks during the cycle your process will be longer! If you add rocks after your cycle you may start another cycle! So add what you plan on adding right away..
You probably knew all this.. but now you know again!
The reason you cycle is to start building bacteria inside your fish tank.. benifical bacteria that helps you 'clean' out harmful ammonia that would normally keel your fish. After you got the sand/rocks/water in your tank wait like 24 hours and then start adding 'damsels', they'll be what starts your cycling process. Damsels can stand bad conditions very well unlike most other saltwater fish. If the Damsels die that isnt a bad thing.. its actually good if they do (but not important.. so dont purposely kill them!) you want these lil dudes to poop and create ammonia to start feeding your bacteria. Every week check your ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels, when they are all zero (or *VERY* close) you're at the end of your cycle (usually 6-8 weeks). Try to add all the rocks you plan on adding at the beginning of your cycle.. if you add too many uncured rocks during the cycle your process will be longer! If you add rocks after your cycle you may start another cycle! So add what you plan on adding right away..
You probably knew all this.. but now you know again!
fishmamma
Active Member
Don't start with Damsels. If you run a tank with a heavy load of live rock you will get a "minicycle". It is best to the shrimp thing to get in to a full blown cycle though. IMO a pair of Clark or False Percula clowns are great starter fish. Also check out Gobys and Royal Gammas. Good luck and enjoy!!
firefish21
Member
My LFS told me that I needed to use damsels to start my tank, but I've read enough on here to know not to do that...
but what exactly do I need to do?
I'm picking up all of my supplies tomorrow
and I will be using LR and LS, but as far as letting it cycle, what exactly is involved in that?
There was a post on here that said it in detail one time, but I cannot find it since the forum changed.
Thx
FireFish
but what exactly do I need to do?
I'm picking up all of my supplies tomorrow
and I will be using LR and LS, but as far as letting it cycle, what exactly is involved in that?
There was a post on here that said it in detail one time, but I cannot find it since the forum changed.
Thx
FireFish
malounsbury
Member
It usually depends on what type of rock you have. If its cured, most likely what you'll get from the LFS, when you put it in your tank it may have a little die off, but not enough to cycle your tank. You can cycle it by feeding the tank with fish food on a daily basis, or throwing in a raw dinner shrimp from the grocery store to start. The ammonia from the food or shrimp will start the cycle. If the rock is uncured, you just put it in your tank and it will start the cycle all on its own.
You'll need to have test kits for ammonia, nitrate and nitrite to see what your levels are at during the cycle, and so you know its over. The salifert kits are the recommended brand as they are the top of the line.
As for the cycle, the ammonia will spike, start to come down, followed by the nitrite spike, which will then come down and then the nitrate spike. Once the ammonia and nitrites are at 0, your cycle is over and you can add inverts.
Also like said above, don't cycle with damselfish. Once they're in your tank, you'll want them out because they harass anything that isn't themselves. And good luck getting them out. They're fast little suckers.
You'll need to have test kits for ammonia, nitrate and nitrite to see what your levels are at during the cycle, and so you know its over. The salifert kits are the recommended brand as they are the top of the line.
As for the cycle, the ammonia will spike, start to come down, followed by the nitrite spike, which will then come down and then the nitrate spike. Once the ammonia and nitrites are at 0, your cycle is over and you can add inverts.
Also like said above, don't cycle with damselfish. Once they're in your tank, you'll want them out because they harass anything that isn't themselves. And good luck getting them out. They're fast little suckers.
mudplayerx
Active Member
Once you have cycled your tank, do not dismiss damsels as a good 1st fish. They come in a variety of great, beautiful colors, are hardy, and are VERY inexpensive compared to other saltwater fish. They are highly aggressive, but personally I find that the wide colors and patterns of damselfish available to be as beautiful as many of the docile fish.
lion_crazz
Active Member
Originally Posted by malounsbury
If its cured, most likely what you'll get from the LFS
Just wanted to clarify this for readers. Most rock you get at a lfs is uncured. Most stores often order it in bulk and unless it sits for a few months first, most likely it is uncured. If you have any doubts, always just assume it is uncured and follow the procedure to cure it. Usually you can get a pretty good idea if its cured or not by how it smells. If it has a foul odor, then it is uncured.
Also, just wanted to say that I agree, do not cycle your tank with damsels and chromis!
If its cured, most likely what you'll get from the LFS
Just wanted to clarify this for readers. Most rock you get at a lfs is uncured. Most stores often order it in bulk and unless it sits for a few months first, most likely it is uncured. If you have any doubts, always just assume it is uncured and follow the procedure to cure it. Usually you can get a pretty good idea if its cured or not by how it smells. If it has a foul odor, then it is uncured.
Also, just wanted to say that I agree, do not cycle your tank with damsels and chromis!
lion_crazz
Active Member
Eating fish for nutrition of the human body and intentionally killing a fish for your own enjoyment purposes are two different things. Thanks for the witty comment though, marshall!
Cycling a tank with damsels is wrong and bad because it is cruel to the animal (which in this case is a fish). Eating a fish is neccessary for the nutrition and the way the food chain was made. Killing a fish by using it to cycle a tank gets nothing accomplished. You get nothing out of it except your own enjoyment of it living in your tank for a week, and then you get your kids crying about why their fish died. Then you have to explain to them that it is only a starter fish and it was supposed to die. That's a pretty crappy philospophy to put in your kids' head. I think you should tell that to the fish too because no where is it said that they are supposed to die to cycle a tank. Or you could tell them the truth and say that there was not enough oxygen in the tank, so the fish couldn't breath.
There are many other means and methods to cycle a tank that does not include a damsel or chromis and you can save the damsel's life. You could use live rock, which is the best method. But if you are still convinced that you want to try and be successful by being cheap in this hobby, you could throw in a cocktail shrimp or fish food to create an ammonia spike. However, using a damsel is lazy and cruel. It is cruel because you are putting that fish into an enviroment where there is a toxic gas forming, and not enough suitable bacteria to do anything about it. Thus, the fish will suffer due to lack of oxygen while you cycle your tank. Here's a newsflash though. It's not only cheaper to use the shrimp method or fish food method, but it's not animal cruelty!
Cycling a tank with damsels is wrong and bad because it is cruel to the animal (which in this case is a fish). Eating a fish is neccessary for the nutrition and the way the food chain was made. Killing a fish by using it to cycle a tank gets nothing accomplished. You get nothing out of it except your own enjoyment of it living in your tank for a week, and then you get your kids crying about why their fish died. Then you have to explain to them that it is only a starter fish and it was supposed to die. That's a pretty crappy philospophy to put in your kids' head. I think you should tell that to the fish too because no where is it said that they are supposed to die to cycle a tank. Or you could tell them the truth and say that there was not enough oxygen in the tank, so the fish couldn't breath.
There are many other means and methods to cycle a tank that does not include a damsel or chromis and you can save the damsel's life. You could use live rock, which is the best method. But if you are still convinced that you want to try and be successful by being cheap in this hobby, you could throw in a cocktail shrimp or fish food to create an ammonia spike. However, using a damsel is lazy and cruel. It is cruel because you are putting that fish into an enviroment where there is a toxic gas forming, and not enough suitable bacteria to do anything about it. Thus, the fish will suffer due to lack of oxygen while you cycle your tank. Here's a newsflash though. It's not only cheaper to use the shrimp method or fish food method, but it's not animal cruelty!
snipe
Active Member
AHMEN!!! And using a shrimp as said is really cheap I used 4 shrimp to cycle my tank it cost me $0.62. When using fish you have to buy more like say as I used 4 shrimp I could've gotten by with 2 I would need 6 or 8 damsles costing around $5 a peice you add it up.
Also cycling with damsles dont just choke it to death. The amonia to a fishes gills is like acid to your lungs it is litterly burning the fishes gills until it just cant breath no more. Even if the fish survives it will always be injured from the cycling process. So why take something off the reef just to kill it?
Also cycling with damsles dont just choke it to death. The amonia to a fishes gills is like acid to your lungs it is litterly burning the fishes gills until it just cant breath no more. Even if the fish survives it will always be injured from the cycling process. So why take something off the reef just to kill it?
1journeyman
Active Member
Originally Posted by marshall
Dont worry dude, there is nothing wrong with using damsels to cycle. Most people on here don't eat fish i guess, they probably have mini funerals when there fish die.
Spoken like a true aquarist..... :notsure:
I eat beef too, but that doesn't mean I'm going to go out and torture a cow for a month.
Dont worry dude, there is nothing wrong with using damsels to cycle. Most people on here don't eat fish i guess, they probably have mini funerals when there fish die.
Spoken like a true aquarist..... :notsure:
I eat beef too, but that doesn't mean I'm going to go out and torture a cow for a month.
