New Tank

[marinebio2]

I just got a new tank for x-mas and I was wondering a few things
1. My lfs told me to start off w/ Damselfish for the first cycle is this correct or can I have others?
2. I want a Lionfish later on How long should I wait to get this?
3.Can I have other fish w/ a lion or should it be a species tank?
4.what should I stay away from w/ inverts?
Thanx:happyfish

 

[karajay]

WELCOME

You can cycle your tank with a raw cocktail shrimp from the grocery store. No need to subject fish to poor water conditions.

 

[krunk]

I would use raw shrimp for the cycle...And for a volitan lion fish, no, violitans get huge and a 55 gallon would be sufficent for them.....go with a dwarf lion...they look the same and only get 7ish icnhes long....Stay away from inverts if you are going too have a lionfsh.

 

[ebsochin]

I agree with what the others said as far as the cocktail shrimp. It will produce bacteria growth alot quicker than a damsel will. Plus you'll be saving a fish from going through a cycle. As far as the Lion fish, I think a 55 is to small for those, but that's just my $.02. Remember with lions, you can usually only put fish bigger than what they can fit in their mouths. I.E. damsels will get eaten. Sorry to spoil all your fun. Good luck with the tank though.

 

[marinebio2]

How should I add the shrimp one a day or alot at a time and how many should I add?? How long would this cycle be still 6 weeks or shorter???:help:

 

[new_noob]

6 weeks??? my cycle wasen't 6 weeks!

 

[tvan]

Test your water it will tell you when it is safe to add fish and the cycle is done. If you are going to use live rock, cycle with the live rock.
HTH Tom

 

[marinebio2]

Ok....New Noob how long was ur cycle and No I didnt go to Aquatechnics I am still trying to find a good swfs around me I live in Grand Rapids....But still does anyone know how many cocktail shrimp I can add at a time???

 

[karajay]

One will usually do the trick. Just toss it in there and leave it. In about 3-4 days, you should have plenty of ammonia. Then you can either try to pick it out , or leave it and it will probably disintegrate.

 

[doris]

I would listen to what these guys are telling you about the cocktail shrimp. When I started my tank 18 mos. ago, I used damsels, just like the LFS suggested, and had the unique opportunity to watch the skin of these poor animals burn off as the ammonia spiked. Not a good thing to say the least.

 

[marinebio2]

Ok but I thought I didnt want amonia in my tank this is sooooo confusing if I had an ammonia spike wouldnt I not want it

 

[karajay]

You need the tank to cycle and build up beneficial bacteria so that it can process fish waste. To start this cycle, you need to have an ammonia spike. After about 7-10 days, the ammonia will drop back to zero, and you will see a rise in nitrite. When your nitrite levels are back to zero and you have a small amount of nitrate leftover, your tank is cycled. Only then is your tank ready for livestock. Ammonia and nitrites are toxic to fish and inverts. Once your tank is cycled, these levels should remain at zero.

 

[marinebio2]

WOW THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOO MUCH I finally understand thankyou soooo much I can finally start my tank but I do have one question....
1. where do I buy nitrate and ammonia testers the cheapest but most proefficient:cheer: :happy:

 

[karajay]

Salifert is commonly recommended. Your LFS should carry test kits, or they sell them on this site (dry goods section).
You should have test kits for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and Ph.

 

[olimark]

I agree this was also a real bad thing I lost all my Damsels. They are strong fish and can take a beating but they do not deserve that. Give your tank the time it needs to do a proper cycle. The message posted earlier is correct your thank needs to spike in ammonia then nitrate and nitrite. when they you see the nitrite drop back to zero this is a good sign for live stock. Please do not do what I did I killed my fish and this is wrong I watched them suffer and die. They are living things and should not be treated as a way to cycle a tank.

 

[paige]

Ok, I wish I had of found this forum about 8 hours ago. My tank will be set up 2 weeks this Sunday. I put 3 Damsels in there on Tuesday of last week. My kids were driving me crazy about getting a 'Nemo' fish so I went and bought a Tomato Clown today. Now I am reading this about the amonia spiking and it has me in a panic. What can I do to help prevent losing any of these fish?
Can I still add the raw cocktail shrimp with the fish already in the tank? I can already tell that I need to learn patience.

 

[paige]

LFS is Pet Depot. Probably not the best place to deal with since they are part of a chain but it's the only fish store that we have within 40 miles. Anyone had any dealings with them?
So forget the shrimp and just leave the Damsels?
Thanks

 

[kzlen]

Too bad your only Local fish store is *****. Alot of people dislike them, including me. Most of the time, I cant say always, they are in it for the money and have not one person that knows anything about Salt Water Fish. If thats your only place to shop, I'd recommend researching on this site and dont be afraid to ask questions you have. Start by searching on this site about the cycle process to get a better understanding of it. my Local Fish Store never even suggested damsels to me, they sold me 3 beautiful fish, one ate "pods" which I had none of. Research that too... Only one of my fish lasted through the cycle. Needless to say, I dont go there anymore.