GOIN FISHIN

just_got_tanked

just_got_tanked

Member
IM TRYING TO CYCLE MY TANK. I ADDED 30 POUNDS OF LIVE ROCK TO THE TANK ALMOST TWO WEEKS AGO. LAST WEEKEND I HAD MY WATER TESTED AND THE NITRITES WERE OFF THE CHARTS. I BOUGHT 20 MORE POUNDS OF LIVE ROCK THAT DAY DID I RESTART MY CYCLING? IF NOT COULD IT BE TIME TO GET SOME FISH? I DONT WANT TO BUY ANY EXOTICS OUR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. IM JUST TRYING TO SEE IF I COULD SPEED UP THE CYCLE SOME HOW. I ALSO HEARD ABOUT USING BRACKISH WATER FISH. IS THIS RECOMENDED? WHAT KIND OF CONDITIONING FISH ARE GOOD?
[ November 21, 2001: Message edited by: just_got_tanked ]
 
@knight

@knight

Member
you need to let your tank cycle first, you did not restart the cycle, cuz it never finished. test your nitrites, when you see there is 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites, you are good to go. I would not use fish to cycle, get a piece of raw shrimp from the grocery store and drop it in or just use frozen fish food like mysis or brine shrimp. a good nickel size chunk should start the cycle. the worst thing you can do is to rush things. it takes a good 3 weeks to a month before it is safe to add fish, and a few more months before you add corals.
a cycle consists of 3 things, an ammonia spike, a nitrite spike, and then a nitrate spike. when your nitrates spike, start running the skimmer, THEN you can add a HARDY fish (like a clownfish). wait 1 month between adding fish so that your bioload can adjust. You dont want to crash your system because you rushed things.
also, a good sign you can add fish is when you start to see all kinds of crittersw crawling around on the sand and rock.
 
@knight

@knight

Member
BTW, welcome to the board.
but, you only need to post once :D
in any case, it sounds like you might need to read-up and learn a little more about what you are getting in to.
i recommend getting a good book, and also, for some pointers, BurNSpy has a great website that can answer a lot of your basic wquestions. here's a link.
http://spyreef.homestead.com/Basics.html
 
just_got_tanked

just_got_tanked

Member
can anybody answer what the raw shrimp is for and how can it benefit me. does it matter that i already have creatures on my rock. i have my test kits when should i test the water. also the day i had my water checked i did a 25% water change could this have raised my nitrite level. because i tested it my self and the nitrites were at .4 mg/L
 
@knight

@knight

Member
sounds like your past that stage really.
the shrimp is put into the tank to decay and start the cycle. Your cycle was prolly started by die-off from your LR.
Your levels sound fine. You should be ok to go ahead with a damsel, clownfish, or another hardy fish. Your tank is still very young and will take a long time to mature. you will still go through smaller cycles, but they should go by quicker.
 
@knight

@knight

Member
clownfish are a type od damsel and are very hardy and usually good tankmates. My favorite is the clarkii and percula. they are great in pairs and are easy to care for. a good first fish. they eat just about anythibng offered, but mine loves to eat frozen mysis. sounds like it would be fine in your tank anytime. but only get one and wait at least another month before you add another fish.
 
just_got_tanked

just_got_tanked

Member
its not that im in a big hurry. in time i have to add fish. I have for books that i got from the library that say to add fish for the cycle, but the info that im getting of this site is telling me these peoples personal experiences. I do admit though that i am a VERY unpatient person. Ive only had this tank for two weeks. everything that im doing in this tank is getting me ready to set up a mini reef. to do this i going to have to wait. but i thank you for your reply because its telling me not to go all out yet.
 
just_got_tanked

just_got_tanked

Member
its not that im in a big hurry. in time i have to add fish. I have for books that i got from the library that say to add fish for the cycle, but the info that im getting of this site is telling me these peoples personal experiences. I do admit though that i am a VERY unpatient person. Ive only had this tank for two weeks. everything that im doing in this tank is getting me ready to set up a mini reef. to do this i going to have to wait. but i thank you for your reply because its telling me not to go all out yet.
 
vkesu

vkesu

Member
Keeping your lights off will help keep an alge bloom from happening. Keep them off for now! :) The hardiest part of keeping a sw tank is waiting for it to cycle! If you rush it, you'll wish you didn't!
 
billyv

billyv

Member
I have been in this hobby for about one year, and I hate to admit it, but I added fish the first day that I got my tank. I know I shouldn't have, everybody told me not to, but they didn't (for the most part) die. I used damsels because they were cheap, hardy and who cares if they die anyway, at $1.99 each. I also added inverts to the picture way too soon with mixed results. To answer your question directly above, I had my lights on during the cycle, and everything turned out fine.
 
just_got_tanked

just_got_tanked

Member
do you think that im rushing into things, or did i luck out on my cycle. the rock that i bought from my local fish store seems to be cured. there is algea actively growing on it and i have kept off the lights. there is some snails that hitched a ride on the rock that are now hanging out on the sides of my tank. is this good or bad. also there seems to be some live anemonies in the rock. there sly little devils that suck back into the rock when startled. the rock its self is filled with purple, green and redish orange colors. Is this good or bad. also there is these little bacteria looking critters on the glass. what could they be?
 
amphiprion

amphiprion

Member
I used damsels because they were cheap, hardy and who cares if they die anyway, at $1.99 each.
I just love this attitude in a hobby where live animals are involved. Maybe you should consider keeping stuffed animals. You can torture them all you want, and they won't feel a thing :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 
sharkbait

sharkbait

Member
Slow down speedy, you need to walk away from the tank and put the test kit down. Don't even look at it for a month before you even think about adding more fishies. I don't know about everyone else. But when I lose damsel i get furious. Those little guys add up. Do a search on cycling water and you'll see that time is the key. Unless you have a wad of cash to spend. Have fun... Russ
 
@knight

@knight

Member
by his tests, if he has no ammo or trites, a damsel or clown will do just fine. however, i do agree the best thing would be to let the tank get established first. waiting a month or 2 would not hurt anything. but, imo (feel free to disagree) adding a hardy fish will not hurt nor help anything, but should be fine.
 
just_got_tanked

just_got_tanked

Member
What is the obvious? The tank is only two weeks old. Although has any body asked how I set the tank up. There is alot of people out there that will set there tank up using tap water. Even here in colorado were Pete Coors says the water is the cleanest. I wouldnt even trust the tap water. I used Culligan RO water. This is high quality H2O. Then has any body thought about the live rock. The rock could have been cured. It had some die-off, but that would have cycled the tank its self. maybe not all the way, but enough were I can add some fish. The rock itself has sponge growing on it red and greens. There is also feather dusters living in the rock. I also have fleas (sea fleas) that is. To anybody who may want to know. I bought a percula clown last night. I also bought an anenome for him to hang out with. I checked my water at my Lfs first though. The store owner said I should be fine. I have to watch my tank for a possible amonia spike. The tank already seems to be cycled. If you can really say that. The better words for it would be to say that the setup cycle has already past. The tank will have little cycles everytime I feed the fish or if the fish go poo or pee. I thank everybody for there advise. The chat on this site is really giving me some heads up. I thank everbody that replied to this post, and hope to hear some more from you.
[ November 24, 2001: Message edited by: just_got_tanked ]
 
D

diatom

Guest
Tanked~
You really don't have an idea how cycling works...you will not have daily mini cycles.
You really do need to slow down.
The high quality H2O that you talking about is only high quality until there is some die off in it...sure it may not have high levels of copper or phosphates but that isn't going to help cycle your tank any faster.
Do you realize that most likely you've taken an animal out of nature (the anemome) that lives literally hundreds of years and probably doomed it to die in your tank within 6 months.
Like everyone (myself included) you still have a lot to learn about keeping fish.
Keep reading, books, boards, magazines and follow some of the advice from those who have made the mistakes before you.
Good luck
 
just_got_tanked

just_got_tanked

Member
Diatom~
Im reading a book writen by a marine biologist. Someone who studies the life of these animals in there original enviroment as well as in captivity. The way he talks about the daily "mini cycles" is that all fish, corals, and other invertebrates feed on plants and animals, breaking down proteins into peptides, peptides into amino acids, and finally to waste. As far as you saying that there is not daily cycles this is common sense. These tanks are mini-ecosystems. In every ecosystem there is a daily cycle. I dont want to get into examples, but if anybody needs one I can. Im still learning, and I DO NOT know everthing there is to know. All that I have going for me at this moment is the knowledge obtained through reading. Im a trial and error kind of person. If for some reason I lose my fish I'll see where I went wrong. I have a life time to enjoy this hobby.
 
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