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Thanks for advice I think I will go and see if I can find a couple of the clean-up crew. It has gotten so bad I can't see my fish to good any more. And that is with in 3 days of growing.
Help with new tank.
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The salinity is at 1.024. The temp is in between 78-80. The ph is at 8.0. The nitrite I think is the one he tested was aaaaaaaa I don't remember he said it was only in stage 2. He said I would have at least 3 more weeks before I can put in any good stuff. He did tell me to put some little crabs in. He also said that I needed at least 10 to 15 more damsels so it would cycle right. He said when I get ready I can just bring back any I didn't want to keep.
Do not add 10-15 damsels your tank will cycle with just live rock you need need anything else in there to cycle a tank. Not sure why anyone would recomend 10-15 fish in an uncycled tank even if they are hardy there are much better ways to establish your tank. He is trying to sell you fish is all IMO and Id take everything else hes told you with a grain of salt.
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What does IMO stand for?
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Thanks not so sure about all of the short hand.
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Thanks for not thinking I'm crazy. It seems like a lot to learn in a short time. I just got home and the little crabs have been very busy.
Thanks for the advice on the clean up crew. At least I have got something to help until my tank finish with the cycle.
Thanks for the advice on the clean up crew. At least I have got something to help until my tank finish with the cycle.
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here's a decent article for you:
What is an aquarium cycle and why do I need to understand it, you might ask.
A good definition of a cycle would be the following statement.
A cycle in a reef aquarium refers to the process by which biological waste by-products are converted from toxic substances to harmless compounds through the actions of bacteria.
Simply put, biological waste (die off) turns into ammonia. Bacteria colonies will grow that consume the ammonia and turn it into nitrite. Both ammonia and nitrite are highly toxic and would kill most of the living creatures in your tank.
More bacteria colonies grow and consume the nitrite. It’s then turned into nitrate, a much less toxic substance. Your tank inhabitants can tolerate low levels of nitrate.
The science behind it is very complicated but you only need to understand the basics.
Your aquarium MUST go through this cycle before you add fish and/or corals.
If you don’t wait for your tank to fully cycle, you will put the fish and corals in peril. Many, many people place fish/coral in their tanks too soon and end up killing them out of ignorance. This is cruel and totally preventable.
It usually takes from 3 to 5 weeks for your aquarium cycle to complete.
How do I Cycle my Reef Aquarium?
Cycling your reef aquarium is simple, but it does take time and patience.
If for any reason you can’t cure the live rock in your tank, you will need an ammonia source to start the cycle. A popular choice is to buy one uncooked shrimp from the grocery store and bury it in the sand bed.
As it slowly decays, ammonia is produced and bacteria colonies start to develop. This is a slow process and will take 3 to 5 weeks to complete.
Water changes will only prolong the process, so please don’t do any during the cycling time. Just add enough fresh RO water to replace evaporation. Salt does not evaporate so don’t add any salt water.
I always recommend you run your skimmer, if you have one, throughout the cycling period.
Test for ammonia every 5 to 7 days. It will peak and then start to drop. After ammonia drops, nitrite will start to show up. Test for nitrite with the same frequency until it drops of. When both ammonia and nitrite test zero, your aquarium cycle is complete.
You can now start to slowly add the cleanup crew. If you add too many, too fast, the biological colonies cannot reproduce fast enough to convert the waste into nitrate. You can easily start another cycle all over again and probably kill the lives you just added.
Take your time. Nothing "good" happens fast in a reef aquarium. It happens slowly, by being patient. Bad things happen quickly and take a long time to turn around.
What is an aquarium cycle and why do I need to understand it, you might ask.
A good definition of a cycle would be the following statement.
A cycle in a reef aquarium refers to the process by which biological waste by-products are converted from toxic substances to harmless compounds through the actions of bacteria.
Simply put, biological waste (die off) turns into ammonia. Bacteria colonies will grow that consume the ammonia and turn it into nitrite. Both ammonia and nitrite are highly toxic and would kill most of the living creatures in your tank.
More bacteria colonies grow and consume the nitrite. It’s then turned into nitrate, a much less toxic substance. Your tank inhabitants can tolerate low levels of nitrate.
The science behind it is very complicated but you only need to understand the basics.
Your aquarium MUST go through this cycle before you add fish and/or corals.
If you don’t wait for your tank to fully cycle, you will put the fish and corals in peril. Many, many people place fish/coral in their tanks too soon and end up killing them out of ignorance. This is cruel and totally preventable.
It usually takes from 3 to 5 weeks for your aquarium cycle to complete.
How do I Cycle my Reef Aquarium?
Cycling your reef aquarium is simple, but it does take time and patience.
If for any reason you can’t cure the live rock in your tank, you will need an ammonia source to start the cycle. A popular choice is to buy one uncooked shrimp from the grocery store and bury it in the sand bed.
As it slowly decays, ammonia is produced and bacteria colonies start to develop. This is a slow process and will take 3 to 5 weeks to complete.
Water changes will only prolong the process, so please don’t do any during the cycling time. Just add enough fresh RO water to replace evaporation. Salt does not evaporate so don’t add any salt water.
I always recommend you run your skimmer, if you have one, throughout the cycling period.
Test for ammonia every 5 to 7 days. It will peak and then start to drop. After ammonia drops, nitrite will start to show up. Test for nitrite with the same frequency until it drops of. When both ammonia and nitrite test zero, your aquarium cycle is complete.
You can now start to slowly add the cleanup crew. If you add too many, too fast, the biological colonies cannot reproduce fast enough to convert the waste into nitrate. You can easily start another cycle all over again and probably kill the lives you just added.
Take your time. Nothing "good" happens fast in a reef aquarium. It happens slowly, by being patient. Bad things happen quickly and take a long time to turn around.
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That is good advice and it is so hard to take. I keep trying to be patient but at the same time it is nice to see something swimming in that expencive mud puddle. lol
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I think now that I do have a few fish and a few crabs to watch it wont be as hard to wait for the rest. And I dont think that I am going to add the other 15 damels that the store told me to. Thanks to all of ya'll advice.
