now what?

[djboozealot]

i just started a 26g tank, i had it for about a month and it was cycled. however, i decided to get rid of the crushed coral and go to live sand before i got too far down the road, since all i have in the tank is a an 8lb LR and 3 damsels.
so, i removed all the water in the tank into a garbage can, removed the crushed coral and added live sand, then refilled the tank with most of the old water that was already cycled, but i added 5 gallons of new water at this time.
i waited a day for everything to settle and tested the water:
ammonia - 0
nitrites - 0
nitrates - 5
phosphates - 1
so i am planning on taking the damsels back to the store, but can i add a clean up crew and more live rock now? what should i do for a clean up crew? eventually i am going to get an anemone and some live corals, a clown fish, and i don't know what else i am getting at this point

 

[maxalmon]

IMO I would wait a while on the cleanup crew, or just add maybe 2-3 blue leg hermits for right now....There's really nothing in the tank for the celanup crew to eat.
.
Just so that you know, the water actually has very little to do with "being cycled" All the surface areas of the LS, walls of the tank, surface of the LR or anything else in the tank is where the beneficial bacteria reside, not in the water. Although it's always good to use the established water in the way you did, it has very little to do with cycling the tank...Very common misperception

 

[djboozealot]

ok thanks. but since i have no fish, and my tank is cycled, what should i be doing? i mean, i am running filters and lights everyday now with nothing in the tank. i was told to cycle my tank before adding more live rock and fish, now it's cycled. can i buy more live rock now? can i/should i put fish in now? i want to get a reef setup but i want to do it right, i just need to know what my next step should be

 

[michaeltx]

I would go ahead and add your live rock to the tank and then wait alittle bit longer. adding LR is uaually done at the begining of the tank life so the entire tank cycles through. if you can add all the LR that you are going to add to the tank it may or may not cause another cycle.
Mike

 

[djboozealot]

i have heard that 1.5 lbs of LR per gallon is ideal, but i was wondering if you can have too much LR in a tank? i have seen some pictures of other tanks that seem to have quite a bit of LR in them, piled pretty high up. can i add more than 1.5lbs of LR to my tank, and what are the consequences, if any?

 

[firerescue]

it is all going to depend on how many or what kind of fish you are going to have. but like was said above i would get all the live rock in there because it might cycle again if you add alot at once.

 

[michaeltx]

the amount of LR is dependant on you if you want more or less than recomended its up to you I have seen some tanks so full its amazing how the fish can swim IMO and I have seen some tanks with little to no live rock.
it also depends on where the rock comes from some is more dense than others so 2 pounds of one wont be the same as another type and wont look the same.
Mike