Brand new to the game!!

[benihuma]

I just started last week. I've got a 45 gallon tank with a Whisper 3 filter system, 2 powerheads, crushed coral, and some rock houses. The local shop told me to put some fish in to help it cycle, so I got 5 little damsels, a 3 inch clown, and a 1.5 inch huma trigger. What next as far as testing or such. I don't plan on adding any more fish until i know it's safe. Can I slowly add some live rock? Thanks for the help.

 

[dlight692000]

i agree with him too small for a trigger. maybe a dwarf angel, a small wrasse, maybe a snowflake eel. research it and welcome to the board, we have a lot of devoted people here ready to help you out.
p.s. CheLives arnt we always agreeing?

 

[benihuma]

Thanks for the replies. So, what size tank do you think would be big enough? I am saving up for a 90 gallon bow front corner tank. Would that suffice? The trigger wouldn't outgrow my 45 in six months, would he? My damsels seem pretty chill with the huma. They stick together and don't seem to aggressive. The funny thing is that the huma and my maroon clown sorta bonded and hang out in the same corner of the tank. I'm going to go pick up a emperor 4 today to up my gallons of filter water per hour up to around 500-600. That's good right? And in another 3 weeks once the water is cycled I'm going to pick up a protein skimmer and UV sterilizer. Oh yeah, what about the live rock, can I start buying in small quantities, like 5lbs at a time?
Thanks for the info and constructive criticism.
Ben

 

[dseiler]

If you are going to be using live rock, buy as much as you can and put it in, IF it is cured!!!! If you add little by little you will have continual little spikes. If it is not cured you will basically start rour cycle from scratch.
If you are going to use cured LR, try to take the fish out of the tank for a day so that any spikes are eliminated. If you put in between 1.5 to 2 lbs of LR per gallon you will basically have no cycle. Again this is only true if the LR has been cured.
Finally (sorry this is a bit long), you might want to figure out if you really want those damsels. They can become very aggressive towards your other fish and a lot of people (just look at other posts) want to get them out of their tank later and they are almost impossible to catch one the tank is established with rock. They are fast and will hide. IMO they basically end up taking "space" that other fish I might want could have.
HTH and welcome to the board.

 

[liongirl]

Hey, welcome to the BB. I love this place.
I just got done cycling with damsels. I think they are good to use for cycling because they are so hardy, but after the cycle, i'd get rid of them ... there are so many more COOL SW fish out there.
I hope it only takes you one month to cycle ... but it took me a LOT longer with 6 damsels in a 44 gallon. GOOD LUCK.
And as EVERYONE on this board will tell you ... read, read, read.
C ya 'round.

 

[nicescallop]

umm... you said damsels are aggresive, does that include green chromis ones too? cause i am just starting and i don't want my fish to be aggresive

 

[grouperhead]

green chromis are imo the most peaceful of all damsels. later, bo