Beginner Tank

brit0211

Member
i am trying to decide whether or not to use live rock or not?
is it a must-have or can i do without it for this tank?
i'm only going to be putting a few clowns and maybe a goby (or does anyone recommend anything besides a goby?):confused:
 

beaslbob

Well-Known Member

Originally posted by brit0211
i am trying to decide whether or not to use live rock or not?
is it a must-have or can i do without it for this tank?


live rock is not absolutely needed. you could use some inexpensive base rock and just a bit if live to seed the base. could even make you own but that is a lot of work. Or you could have not rocks at all. Depends on what you want.
i'm only going to be putting a few clowns and maybe a goby (or does anyone recommend anything besides a goby?):confused:

I have a couple of clowns and anemone in my 55g. They are doing well and very interesting. But anemones require light and good water conditions. You may want to wait until the system is more mature. I did add a single clown during my initial cycle and did not have sucess.
Gobies are interesting but my current one is constantly hiding. Perhaps others can advise.
 

cprdnick

Active Member
I think pretty much all gobies need alot of rock work to make them feel secure. If you aren't planning on having any rocks, especially none at all, I wouldn't recommend a goby.
 

brit0211

Member
after i use damsels to cycle my tank, im going to trade them in for the clowns, but can i get more damsels later to put back in with the clowns later ? the guy at my LFS said that even if i want damsels in there, that i shouldnt use the ones that i cycled with
 

cprdnick

Active Member
Well, that's true brit, but why are you going to use damsels to cycle with? Why not a raw piece of shrimp? Its cheaper, more effective, and less cruel. No since in killing some pretty little fish if you can do the same thing with a 39 cent piece of shrimp from the grocery store.
 

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
Brit: you may also want to consider using mollies to cycle. They are much cheaper, hardier, and definately more interesting.
 

cprdnick

Active Member
Don't you see a problem with mollies? They are live-bearers, if they don't needlessly die, they will reproduce like mad. I still feel there is no reason to put any kind of creature through a poison factory like a cycle.
Just my opinion though
 

reefnut

Active Member
My 2c,
The difference between a 55g and a 75g is the 75g is 6" wider. It will not take much more to set up a 75g and should not be any more work. Something to keep in mind, the more water that's in the system the more stable the system is. You should wait on a nano tank until your successful with a larger system.
Live rock and Live sand is worth the investment. Starting things off right is sometimes hard to do but you will not regret it later.
I've cycled with a shrimp and thought it was much easier than with fish. You don't have to worry about the fish dieing or anything else. Much better IMO.
Good luck,
 

reefnut

Active Member
brit, you would be pushing it to put a blue hippo tang in a 75g. A 29g is just to small for a tang.
 

brit0211

Member
ok,
i think everyone has convinced me on the LR and LS, you're right.. if im going to do it i might as well do it right..
ok, well i will have to forget about the blue hippo tang.. because i have decided on the 29 gal to start with, and then i have a friend who has a 55 gal that is thinking about selling it.. maybe i can scrape that up for a deal. i think to start off with, i'll be okay because my boyfriends cousin has had many saltwater tanks, and shes going to help me with everything. like mentioned way earlier, i have been reading up on this subject for a while... and i'm getting lots of different information so i figured i would just ask you guys straight up on the messages boards. it helps to get imputs from a lot of diffrent people who know what they are talkng about.
how would i go about cycling my tank with the shrimp and how long will that take?
 

brit0211

Member
oh, and about the clowns & damsels..
so would i be okay if i put clowns in after its cycled? or should i start with something else
i really want clowns and damsels
what kind of inverts could i put in?
what about the serpent star (i think thats what its called) my boyfriend really likes that
or a clean-up crew?
any suggestions?!?!?!
HELP
 

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
basically you set up your tank, wait a week for things to settle down and then throw in a piece of raw shrimp from the food stores. The high bioload of the shrimp decomposing kick starts the cycle. Several have also reported it clouds up the tanks and smells. then you wait for ammonia then nitrItes to rise and then drop. When nitrAtes start climbing you should have and estabilished system capable of supporting the first fish.
I recommend you run the system for at least three weeks before adding that first fish. That way any fish born parasites will die off from lack of a host fish.
Good luck and it sounds as if you have done your research and have help available locally. Let us know how it works out.
 

bang guy

Moderator
LOL...
First things first... Since you're getting rock... If you use uncured live rock it will have plenty of die-off so you don't need the shrimp or anything else to fully cycle your tank. The cycle takes as long as it takes. 2 - 8 weeks being the norm.
A pair of clowns would be great for the 29. I'd suggest only one or two small docile fish after the clowns. Most Damsels are far from docile and will contribute to a stressful tank, Clownfish being one of the exceptions.
Now might be an excellent time to peruse the Nano Forum to gather ideas.
 

reefnut

Active Member
If you decide to use a shrimp... this is how I cycled my 6g.
Added live sand, live rock, salt water, heater, powerhead, etc. Waited about a hour and added a shrimp. That's about it other than testing, adding top off water and waiting... pretty easy.
I tested the ammonia, nitrites, nitrates weekly. After you ammonia and nitrites go to 0 and your nitrates go to up... cycle is done.
Wait until after the cycle to add anything including inverts. After the cycle you can start adding the fish and cleanup slowly. Your 29g should be able to house several different inverts including a serpent star.
Good luck,
 

doodle1800

Active Member
If you use uncured live rock it will have plenty of die-off so you don't need the shrimp or anything else to fully cycle your tank.

I agree - do it this way - use the LR to cycle your tank. If you use damsels, you'll end up trying to get them out later - they are aggressive. Don't use clowns - I don't like putting them through the stress.
 
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