Setup Tank Today

[true perc]

Ok so far the tank has been set up. I have tested the salinity and its 1.022 just one off of 1.023 I think its ok if its not its no touble to fix it anyway the tank is a 37 gallon tall tank with 2 fluorescent bulbs actinic and daylight. It is a part of the canopy which is an Eclipse #3 hood. The water is clear and there is 30lbs of LR in it and about 40lbs of crushed coral the amonia is the lowest on the chart (0.0 i think) and the nitrites are 0.0 it is lookin okay so far soon about the end of the week ill have a pic of it. Anyway my questions are (and anything I did wrong u can tell me) are ...
how long should i wait before i put inverts (snails, crabs) in fish (2 percs and a bangaii cardinal) and corals? i believe its 2 weeks fer the snail 1 month fer the fish (one) and 2 months fer the corals the lfs which i believe is very trusworthy have told me that i dunt need to test my ph because the cc (crushed coral) will buffer it should i test it just to make sure and am i doing all rite?

 

[viper12775]

imo i would go to your lfs and buy a cheap fish for your tank to get the filter going then add your cleanup crew and i would recomend you go and get a 55-65 watt pc smart light for your eclipse if you want to keep corals my first reef tank was a 20 long with an eclipse hood but my corals were never happy so i found the retro kits for the pc for like $60 it was well worth it

 

[true perc]

so wut ur saying is that i should just get some shrimp in there like when because i live in sydney (canada) and i have to up to halifax to get all of my stuff adn thats like a 5hr trip the lfs just told me that i should get my snails or clean up crew in 2 weeks and then a fish in a month. but i can call them tommorow also im not old enuf to drive yet im only 14 and all of my stuff is in canadain funds so by raw u mean shrimp u eat or just inexspensive shrimp at the lfs? and that will sart my cycle well im off to bed now so plz tell me i want everything perfect.

 

[viper12775]

sorry i read your post wrong i didnt see that it wasnt cycled but yes he means get a dead shrimp and throw it in the tank do it will rot and start the cycle

 

[jferrier]

Perfect tanks take time. Don't rush or you will be disappointed.
If you have to drive 5 hrs to get fish I would suggest ordering online and having them shipped. I was very skeptical about doing that the first time but everything arrived alive and has been doing well for several months. Plus you have the benefit of fish that haven't been acclimated at several places and exposed to unhealthy fish along the way to their final destination.
My roomates and I have actually used black mollies (freshwater)
because the are naturally brackish water fish and can tolerate fairly high levels of salt when cycling the tank. It can take a month to cycle and adding anything delicate during the peak of that cycle is a big risk. Good luck.
ps- I would test the ph regardless just to be sure.

 

[fshhub]

go with the shrimp, as mentioned, and do not plan on 2 weeks or even 4 before adding fish, ride the cycle out all the way, no matter how long. This is soething you need ot do and cannot be hurried if you want to be successful.

 

[aquaman2000]

I have a 36 gal tank that i want to start

and just wanted to know what equipment do you have set up in your 37 gal tank :thinking:

 

[njjamie]

I would say the biggest mistake you have made so far is putting too much trust in the lfs. I like a bunch of the guys at my lfs, but I learned my lesson after asking them a few questions, and then asking people on these message boards. SUPER IMPORTANT, ask questions to more than one source. It is bad enough that you are young and they are going to try and take advantage of you.....research your stuff and dont believe everything they tell you.
Secondly, the name of this game is patience. I just started my tank about 3 months ago and believe me, I learned my lesson the hard way. I have spent a few hundred dollars on fish because I am just an impatient person.
I got my snails and hermit crabs about one week after I put water in my tank. The next week I got a couple live shrimp......I really think they look cool?? I then added some damsels about 2 weeks later.
Damsels are very tough fish, not like many of the other fish I killed by accident. If I can suggest anything, I would say dont use damsels.....they are such a pain to catch it is simply not worth it. I have never done the dead shrimp thing, but I would say try it.
Hope this helps!

 

[monalisa]

As previously posted, yes, put a fresh cocktail shrimp (from the grocery store) into the tank and let it sit for a while. It won't be pretty, but it definitely does the trick in establishing needed bacteria in the water to get the cycle going.
You don't have critters in your tank already...do you? Hope not.
I also have a 37gal...is yours a tall? Mine is and I love it. I'm planning on a minor upgrade to a 46 gal bow front in the near future, and using my 37gal for a seahorse species tank.
Good luck to you. You've come to the right place to learn...but please, come here first before doing anything or adding anything to get advice and comments. It's definitely worth the wait in most cases.
Lisa :happyfish

 

[scotts]

BTW, You all realize that the original post on this thread is 4, yes that is right four years old.

 

[monalisa]

:hilarious
The original poster could probably tell me a thing or 2...or...maybe not... :thinking:
Crap...this is what my 2000th post went to...sheesh...

Lisa :happyfish

 

[grubsnaek]

:hilarious :hilarious :hilarious :hilarious
hahahahahahhhhhaaaaahahahhahahahhhhhaaaahahaha