Coral or Fish first?

[canadamoose]

Hello,
I have the Oceanic Biocube 29 gallon and have had it setup for quite a while now (about a year), yet haven't had the time to really get "started" on it.
I am new to salt water aquariums and am wondering whether I should get coral first or fish first? Any suggestions?
Thank you!!

 

[mr. limpid]

Since its been up for awhile have you been ghost feeding? If not then the bacteria has died off and you will need to start the cycle again. My thoughts since corals need a mature tank and your tank even tho its been up for a year really hasn't so if the top two comments are done I would start wit a fish then in about six months add a coral.

 

[canadamoose]

Thanks! I hadn't thought of that!

 

[1guydude]

+1 let it cycle up a bit and get going... if u have to, throw some hermits or an emerald in their and feed it for a bit....
Ive always gone fish 1st, than cuc for the fish, than corals....boy i was scared to get those 1st corals too. Mushrooms lol.
Good luck and HTHs

 

[flower]

Hi,
I agree...but cycle the tank with a chunk of raw shrimp or pure ammonia. NOT A LIVE FISH...Pretty Please. I never liked the idea of ghost feeding. Hair algae or cyanobacteria loves extra nutrients. Overfeeding was always the major cause of both, and I just was never comfortable adding food.
But there are lots of beautiful small fish in the sea suiteable for a 29g. Fish that are way cooler than a damsel or clownfish. So a good book would help you...
I recommend these books ..... while you wait for that cycle to complete no matter what method you choose. I added a page so you can see the info they offer.

 

[canadamoose]

Thanks I definitely will!

 

[coralreefertom]

Definitely go the fish route first, like a Damsel or Clown fish to ensure proper, suitable and sufficient bacteria growth, both anaerobic as well as anaerobic. Then go for it as far as adding symbiotic and aposymbiotic corals, hermatypic and ahermatypic as the sky is the limit! Just be careful as to what kinds of corals you add, growth rate and the possibility of toxic chemicals, allelopathy, acrorhagi, and nematocyst( sweeper tentacles) that could pose problems to neighboring corals.