Need Advise for a new 2wk old tank.

[sirk]

Hello, This site has been a great help!! I live in a small town and have to travel 30 minutes to the next state over to the ONE LFS they have there and sometimes I feel they are just trying to make $$ and sometimes they are not all that helpful. So I am looking for advise on my new tank.
I have a 30/35 gallon hex tank 25hx21x18. I purchased a Cascade 700 Canister filter, 100watt Visi Therm heater, 40lbs live sand, 3lbs Base Rock, 6.1 lbs Live Fiji Rock (will get more) Added 1 oz. Bio-Spira Marine Bacteria the night before I added 1 Electric Blue Damsel and 1 Percula Clown.
I have read a lot and I am not sure what other equiptment I need for my tank. I eventually want some shrooms and things of that nature after my tank matures. I will also have to update my bulb as I only have regular lighting in it right now. I have read about the "cycling" of the tank and I understand what I have read but not sure what to expect from my tank.
My tank is two weeks old and all test readings have remained zero for nitrites, nitrates and my amonia went up to .25 after I added my fish. My PH has always been 7.8 from day one and has never come up which people tell me it will happen with time. I don't want to move to fast by adding more fish/crabs etc and I want to make sure I have the proper equiptment needed and how long to wait before adding more fish and what to expect from my tank. Thanks for any advise/help!! This site is wonderful. Thanks to all!!

 

[watson3]

Get your clown another one fast....

 

[fender]

Originally Posted by watson3
Get your clown another one fast....
I would do just the opposite.
Sit and watch your tank for another week or 3 at least and read up while you are waiting. No more fish or anything else until cycle finishes.
Oh and welcome to the SWF.com!!!!!

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by watson3
Get your clown another one fast....
??
As Fender said, your tank needs to cycle. DO NOT add anything else to the tank until ammonia is 0.0
Ammonia is toxic and it may kill your current fish.

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by 1journeyman
??
As Fender said, your tank needs to cycle. DO NOT add anything else to the tank until ammonia is 0.0
Ammonia is toxic and it may kill your current fish.
I agree. Unfortunately you did not read enough to know that you should not cycle your tank with fish. Some uncured rock (which is cheaper than cured) or a piece of shrimp would have done it for you. You are at the very beggining of the cycle. Your ammonia is likely to climb with the fish in there. Salt fish don't react well to ammonia or nitrite and if your levels get too high. They may very well stress out or die. Please test daily and have some pre-mixed saltwater on hand to do water changes as needed. Can you possibly get your LFS to hold your fish untill you are done cycling? It is highly unlikely that they will live through the cycle.

 

[sirk]

Thanks for the advise. I did read that you should wait 1-3 months before adding fish however I followed the advise of three employees at the LFS and set up my tank exactly as they said and let it sit for one week with daily testings and then added my two fish after one week per LFS instructions. Thats why I got confused about the cycling of the tank information. I have continued to do daily tests on the water and nothing has changed yet.

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by Sirk
Thanks for the advise. I did read that you should wait 1-3 months before adding fish however I followed the advise of three employees at the LFS and set up my tank exactly as they said and let it sit for one week with daily testings and then added my two fish after one week per LFS instructions. Thats why I got confused about the cycling of the tank information. I have continued to do daily tests on the water and nothing has changed yet.
Cycling a tank with fish is advice that some lfs's give. Please understand that durring the cycle your fish may die. There are much better ways to cycle your tank. BTW the one to three months is not with NOTHING in your tank. It is with an ammonia source, whether it be live uncured rock, a piece of shrimp, whatever. It does take several months for the cycle to complete. Depending on what you have in the tank. You start a 55 with 30lbs live sand and 40lbs cured live rock then you will not have much of a cycle. You need to establish your biological filtration, which breaks down ammonia and nitrite.

 

[sirk]

Originally Posted by sepulatian
Cycling a tank with fish is advice that some lfs's give. Please understand that durring the cycle your fish may die. There are much better ways to cycle your tank. BTW the one to three months is not with NOTHING in your tank. It is with an ammonia source, whether it be live uncured rock, a piece of shrimp, whatever. It does take several months for the cycle to complete. Depending on what you have in the tank. You start a 55 with 30lbs live sand and 40lbs cured live rock then you will not have much of a cycle. You need to establish your biological filtration, which breaks down ammonia and nitrite.
Thank you. Should I go ahead and purchase my additional live rock at this time? I have the 40lbs of live sand and only 6.1 lbs of live Fiji rock which I planned on more but had not purchased it yet as the LFS is limited in what they have. I tested my water tonight and Nitrate and Nitrites are still at zero. Amonia is at 0.25 and PH has come up to 8.0.