Cycling with Chromis

[solarbearusa]

My LFS is telling me to cycle my tank with Blue Green Chromis. They told me they are non-aggresive compared to their damsel relatives and also very hardy. I've also read that this can be inhumane to the fish, but the LFS said it is very common practice and most fish make it through ok.
Are there any other drawbacks other than being inhumane to the fish if one cycles their tank this way?

 

[pnkflydlvr]

the reason i don't like to use damsels/chromis is that other than the reason that you named, if they make it through the cycle, you are committed to keeping them. not to mention its more expensive than using a shrimp or ghost feeding. chromis are also schooling, so most people would say that you should get 4+ of them ideally. this is too many to add at first and they would limit how many fish you can get in the future. unless you really like them and want to keep them in the future, don't get them and stick with the shrimp or ghost feeding method.

 

[solarbearusa]

I'm putting 70 lbs of LR in this week. Any idea how much food at what intervals or how many shrimp for a 72 gallon?

 

[geridoc]

Originally Posted by solarbearusa
http:///forum/post/2710598
I'm putting 70 lbs of LR in this week. Any idea how much food at what intervals or how many shrimp for a 72 gallon?
It depends on the rock. If it is locally purchased and transported quickly to your tank you may see no cycle at all. either way, put one cocktail shrimp into a nylon stocking and suspend it in the water. When ammonium levels reach 1.0 ppm take out the shrimp and wait until the ammonium and nitrites peak and then fall, and you will be good to go. As I said, if the ammonium doesn't rise after a week or two, your rock is already adequately cycled, and you can begin to (slowly) add organisms.

 

[canman]

I used 4 damsels to cycle my 125, but i have an aggrssive fowlr and I was gonna get some anyway. They did the job though and all survived.

 

[sjk2840]

I cycled a tank with damsels awhile back, my kids even named them, I thought for sure they would survive the cycle, bought 1 at a time, and one by one they died. Ended up going through 5 damsels and am now using the cocktail shrimp to cycle my tank.

 

[mr_x]

i cycled all of my tanks with live rock successfully.

 

[robdog696]

Originally Posted by Mr_X
http:///forum/post/2710701
i cycled all of my tanks with live rock successfully.
LOL! +1
The only reason for "cycling with chromis" is that they will poo in the water. They will supply ammonia, which is needed for the cycle. However, if even one dies you will probably get an ammonia spike the tank can not handle and they will all die. The purpose of the ammonia is to feed the beneficial bacteria growing on your liverock, helping it spread faster. Once it has covered all of the surface area in your tank (assuming you have enough liverock) it will be able to consume the ammonia as fast as it is created and you will not see any ammonia when you test your water. Alternatively, you can "ghost feed" your aquarium. This is the process of adding some type of biodegradable food to your tank and letting it dissolve into ammonia. It accomplishes the exact same thing. So to answer your question, "cycling with chromis" is not just inhumane, no. It is also silly.

 

[aquaguy24]

u don't need fish, and u don't need shrimp..die off from ur live rock is enough to start ur cycle...

 

[cranberry]

Originally Posted by solarbearusa
http:///forum/post/2710568
Are there any other drawbacks other than being inhumane to the fish if one cycles their tank this way?
Isn't that enough reason?

 

[solarbearusa]

I was really trying to educate myself more than anything. I've been to the only 3 local saltwater shops and they all say to cycle with fish. No one said anything about the ammonia levels peaking to the point that it would hurt the fish, just said to use damsels or chromis.
Thanks for all the input here, I am not going to dump any fish in since it seems I can just use the live rock and maybe some food or shrimp and appears that I would be risking the death of a few fish. I have a 5 year old and 2 year old that are obviously chomping at the bit to see some activity in this big empty tank, so was just trying to get the facts. Again, thanks for the advice.

 

[bang guy]

Some people have found this helpful ---> Bang Guy's Cycle Method

 

[tizzo]

Originally Posted by Cranberry
http:///forum/post/2711257
Isn't that enough reason?
Haha...true.
Bang, I was half expecting to see urination when I clicked on your link, lol

 

[mkzimms]

imo its just torture. you can put anything in there to kick off the cycle, but using a live animal is just wrong. although they are hardy, is a damsle's quality of life any less important than that of a queen angel?

 

[geridoc]

You can even cycle a tank artificially with ammonium chloride, but it is more work (if you want, I'll send you the ammonium chloride). Just don't use live fish! I can never understand why someone who wants to care for live fish would consider killing or torturing fish to do so. It doesn't make sense.

 

[sickboy]

Despite cycling with a fish being cruel, some of the Reef Chromis are still very aggressive. My little "cute" reef chromis killed two fish that were both 4 times more expensive, probably just because he was in there first.

 

[1journeyman]

My experience is that Chromis are not particulary hardy either. They seem to thrive only when there is a constant source of food (such as a productive refugium).

 

[nwdyr]

Originally Posted by aquaguy24
http:///forum/post/2711250
u don't need fish, and u don't need shrimp..die off from ur live rock is enough to start ur cycle...
+1

I put a chromis in just b/c it was cheap and I wanted some movement in my frag tank......BIG MISTAKE!!!!! I added a few other fish and he turned killer

It took me 3 weeks to catch him! I would NEVER do that again JMO