mature tank?

[galina]

How old does a tank have to be, to be considered "mature" for the more delicate species?
Galina

 

[fishfreek]

To most i would say 6+ months. I concider a 1-1/2+ year old tank to be mature. What are you thinking of adding?

 

[galina]

I'm not sure.. but I always see people saying certain spicemens should only go in mature tanks and I was just curious. My tank is pretty new.. like a month and a little.
Galina

 

[predator]

It will vary from one person to another. I personally think once your tank is around 6 months to a year it's mature enought to handle most. But I myself am pretty new in the grand scheme of things.

 

[von_rahvin]

if your tank has been stable for 6 months i would consider it to be a mature tank. you can have a tank up and running for a year or more but if your readings are spiking off the scale every other week i would not call it mature

 

[luke]

A tank is mature when there is good coraline growth and stable readings. This may happen a week after it finishes cycleing. But how is one to know the readings are stable with out waiting at least a few months?
Luke

 

[karlas]

i agree with the 6 mths to a yr thing. most things can be added from 6 mths on some few others a year or more

 

[volitan]

I agree with Luke. A mature tank has stable levels, strong coralline growth, and constant bioload. There's not a timeframe you can put on a tank to become mature.

 

[k.lee]

Yes, but you need to add calcium for coralline algae growth. If you don't you probably won't see much coralline.
Coralline algae is not only beautiful being red, purple, etcetera, but inhibits green algae and other undesirable species from growing in a tank. Also, coralline algae is a good indicator, I could be wrong, that calcium is sufficiently present for other reef animals: shrimp, corals, et cetera.