adding first Creatures

[Ricky1066]

Ok without starting a raging argument here I have a question
as Anyone else I would love to see something moveing in my tank.
The tank is 8 days old and has aloto flive rock My readings are allok but the amonia has been zero since day one I was told to go buy a few hermit crabs to start the process of amonia .

Was also told to wait anyone want to weigh in I would love to have someting movin gi the tank but I don't want to just add someting for no reason .Can it hurt?

 

[taillonjohn]

I think, that anything you put into your tank now, will die. The tank needs to cycle. I usually feed flake food for the first week, to start the cycle. you need to put something in your tank to rot and start the cycle, but not something alive (although some people do put a damsel fish in there to start the cycle. but thats not my style). Sorry, but its best to be patient, it'll take at least a month for the tank to cycle and be safe enough to add livestock without worrying that they'll die

 

[Ricky1066]

well I have flake food from my old freshwater tank for now will that work?

 

[HumanIMDB]

We added too quickly and ended up losing some fish...tough way for the little guys to go. I guess it is a mistake everyone makes.

We're going to (try to) let the 92 Gallon tank cycle for 3 months before adding the start of the cleaning crew and then another three months after that to start adding the other livestock. It's going to kill us to wait, but we know the benefits of waiting now.

One of the first things we're looking to add is a Mandarin so we'll need lots of pods.

 

[Fuzzfish]

I waited two weeks after adding live rock, then added two red legged crabs and two camel shrimp. 2 weeks later some astrea snails. Then the long haul, I checked water quality daily for one month and added some mushrooms and polyps along with a clownfish. Everyone is doing fine. It's hard to wait, but taking it slow will benefit in the long run.

 

[DawnOctopus]

Some people say you should add an uncooked cocktail shrimp to jump-start the ammonia cycle.

 

[hmello@bermexin]

What is in the tank now as far as sand, rock etc.?

 

[IceWish]

if you want to see some movement you can try a pice of xenia. Once i placed a very small frag of xenia in a newly setup 75g and it flourished. It doubled in a week, but that might just be luck..

 

[Ricky1066]

Right now it is just 75 pounds of live rock 60 lbs of live sand and that is it the readings have been ok

I have heard of the shrimp thing what do they mean just go buy a piece of shrimp and drop it in?

 

[HumanIMDB]

The decay from stuff on the live rock dying should get the cycle started...or so I've read.

 

[Ricky1066]

tried looking up xenia cannot find nothing on it

 

[Vinnie71975]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11651275#post11651275 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ricky1066
well I have flake food from my old freshwater tank for now will that work?

Yes it will dump it in and let nature take its course nothing in the tank until you see ammonia spike then zero and you see Nitrate and Nitrite spike and zero once its zeros across the board you can start to add stuff SLOWLY for example add your clean up crew (snails and Hermits for most people) Wait 2 weeks then add ONE fish, wait 2 weeks then add second fish and so on that way the tank can adjust to the new bio load.

 

[HumanIMDB]

Xenia - http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=2390&N=0

Grows like a weed and most wish they never added it to their tank/frag it like crazy to keep it from overgrowing everything.

We had one that "disappeared".

 

[Ricky1066]

well I guess that means I dont want it/

I wa also told to not check reading s all the time so I did them twice in 8 days but the amonia and others have been o or close to it each time no spikes yet

 

[HumanIMDB]

I don't want to discourage you from getting a Xenia; we actually like them but have heard the stories and have seen the "Xenia Tank" at our LFS. Just don't buy one, someone in your area will have a frag they will be willing to give you I'm sure.

 

[danmcmahon]

Wait a couple more days if you still have no amonia throw in a couple damsels. I cycled my tank with them and they a lived.

 

[Ricky1066]

I just did my reading s for day 9 ph is low 7.8
Amonia is 0,50
nitrate and nitrite 0

I heard also damsels are not good because they will fight with any new fish i put in.

 

[Larah]

EVERYONE has an opinon.. Nothing wrong with that, but you should do what YOU feel is right.. I used damsels... LFS gave 'em to me with the purchase of the tank... I've even heard of people using pee... as in the stuff you using put in the toilet and then flush, LOL!
I actually like the damsels.. But yes they are Mean little buggers. Had to move heaven and earth( and all my live rock) to get the little blue devil outta there...

 

[lwaxman]

i actually just introduced my two damsels to two clown fish. they get along well. one damsel picks a little but the other damsel picks at the first damsel to make him stop bothering the clown fish, hence our first name of any fish, the mayor.

 

[Larah]

I have one of mine left, a domino damsel...
The blue damsel was the biggest and he was fighting with everything. I was a fraid he would pick a fight with the snails next! LOL!