filtering through new water

[annnes]

I just changed my tank over from fresh to salt water and how long do I need to run tank before I can add fish. Someone suggested that I put in cleaner shrimp if this is so then when do I add those?

 

[guineawhop]

ok. to start off with get some live sand and layer the bottom of the tank. then and only then can you put A fish in probably the next day assuming you have the correct salinity. and you would only want to put a damsel in there. leave him in there by himself for about a month and then start adding some other fish to the tank. and during that month you might want to add live rock but that's up to you

 

[ty_05_f]

Don't torture a fish. What you should do is get some uncured live rock. The rock will have die off which will create your ammonia spike. The nitrate cycle will begin and don't put any fish in your tank until you have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and little to no nitrates.

 

[ophiura]

PLEASE read this thread to start...this is totally different from freshwater tanks.
DO NOT put a cleaner shrimp in the tank until it is properly cycled. Use dead shrimp from the grocery to cycle. On average, a cycle takes from 4-6 weeks but can be shorter depending on LR present. Do not rush it. YOu will lose a lot of money and a lot of lives.
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/show...threadid=80022

 

[ophiura]

Don't you have another thread where you have a damsel and a panther grouper in there already? :notsure:

 

[annnes]

That is a different tank. I have a 90 gal reef and this one is a 40 gal. I have never started a tank from scratch when I got my 90 I was able to save all of water and bio balls

 

[ophiura]

Phew!