new tank 1 wk old
- Thread starter fish man
- Start date
fishieness
Active Member
i would raise your salinity to around 1.022 if you are going to do a fish only.
FISH ARE NOT FOR CYCLING. Doing that would put these animals in an extreamly toxic environment and could possibly kill them. Put in some uncured live rock or a few raw, uncooked shrimp.
Test your amonia, nitrates, ECT maybe once a week, when it all lands on zero after a huge spike, then it is safe to add fish and your clean up crew.
:joy:
FISH ARE NOT FOR CYCLING. Doing that would put these animals in an extreamly toxic environment and could possibly kill them. Put in some uncured live rock or a few raw, uncooked shrimp.
Test your amonia, nitrates, ECT maybe once a week, when it all lands on zero after a huge spike, then it is safe to add fish and your clean up crew.
:joy:
ppm411
Member
Most people on these boards do not suggest using damsels to cycle your tank because it's very harmful to the fish. I used damsels to cycle my tank but if I had to do it again I would probably use one of the other preferred methods. The first one is to add a cocktail shrimp from the supermarket. You should leave one shrimp out for a few hours until it starts to smell a little. Then put it in your tank for a couple of days. This will cause you ammonia levels to rise and thus kick of your cycle. Another method is to ghost-feed your tank. Basically, pretend that there are fish in your tank and feed them twice a day. When the food breaks down it will also raise ammonia levels. Once the ammonia spikes, you will see your nitrites begin to spike, then they will both go down to zero. Nitrates should settle down around 20ppm. Your salinity looks fine. Record your results and monitor the cycle daily. Keep us posted on your results and be patient. It may take up to 4 weeks. Good luck and welcome.
dougai
Active Member
Originally Posted by fishieness
i would raise your salinity to around 1.022 if you are going to do a fish only.
FISH ARE NOT FOR CYCLING. Doing that would put these animals in an extreamly toxic environment and could possibly kill them. Put in some uncured live rock or a few raw, uncooked shrimp.
Test your amonia, nitrates, ECT maybe once a week, when it all lands on zero after a huge spike, then it is safe to add fish and your clean up crew.
:joy:
i wish i had a $ for everytime i saw that statement
drew2005
Active Member
Originally Posted by fish man
i thought damsels were for cycling tanks though. When should I do my first water change.
After your ammonia and nitrite are at 0. Then do a 20% water change to get your nitrates under control. Dont use fish. Put some uncured live rock in there to kickstart a cycle or use a raw cocktail shrimp. I wouldnt worry about the salinity right now. You can raise it up when your cycle is complete and you do water changes to lower your nitrates. Good luck and welcome to the boards.
i thought damsels were for cycling tanks though. When should I do my first water change.
After your ammonia and nitrite are at 0. Then do a 20% water change to get your nitrates under control. Dont use fish. Put some uncured live rock in there to kickstart a cycle or use a raw cocktail shrimp. I wouldnt worry about the salinity right now. You can raise it up when your cycle is complete and you do water changes to lower your nitrates. Good luck and welcome to the boards.
fishieness
Active Member
many LFSs sell damsels to cycle tanks just because it is a way for people to spend money. But it is harmful to the fish and they could end up dieing. Plus many damsels have gotten agressive as they got older and are a pain to catch!
do a 20% water change after your tank has cycled.
and dougi.... if i had a dollar for everytime ive heard it here, my tank would be soooo sweet
do a 20% water change after your tank has cycled.
and dougi.... if i had a dollar for everytime ive heard it here, my tank would be soooo sweet