If I were you I would buy a test kit and test for ammonia, which should be zero, nitrites which should also be zero, ph, and nitrates which don't have to be zero, but the lower the number the better. Then, if ammonia and nitrites are at 0, you could think about adding your first fish. I know that fish stores seem to be knowledgeable, but they're ultimately there to make money, so they're going to say "yeah, sure you can add some fish". I waited for my tank to cycle for about 4 weeks, then fed the tank with some flake food for another week to make sure my ammonia level didn't spike. If it doesn't spike, then it's safe to add cleanup crew. At that point I added my cleanup crew and I didn't add anything else for another couple of weeks. I've had my tank set up for a year now and haven't lost a fish. It's better to just do things slowly. Otherwise, you could end up wasting a lot of money due to deaths.
. Last week i put in snals, crabs, clams, brittle starfish ect... I'm ready t o add fish according to one of satlwater placed here in town. what is a good species of fis to start with
. i want to get a mandarin but don't think i should start with one til i'm sure the tank is ready. any one have any suggestions??
