Cycling?

[MrGemini]

Well I just put my tank together last Saturday night. I have a 55g with a 48" 4 t5's(2 blue & 2white) I also have 2 heaters one on each side, 1maxi jet 600 and a marineland emperor 400 filter.

I am using 50lbs of dry sand and 30lbs of live sand for my sand bed and 50lbs or so of cured LR. So far I noticed a couple of snails roaming around and what I have noticed what appears to be some mushrooms or zoanthids growing under some rock.

I have checked my nitrates twice, 1st time it read 15ppm and a few days later was at about 7 - 10ppm. My question is I was thinking of adding some damsels or chromis to the tank to speed up cycle and not sure if I should?

 

[nanito]

The answer is NO. Do not add any livestock to the tank until is fully cycled. Cycling with damsels is cruel.

 

[hollister]

Even then i would add live stock slowly. Like 1 coral and 1 fish 1 week then some CUC thethe next week and so on . Let your system adjust to new load.

 

[Fish doctor]

I'am in the process of cycling a new tank myself. I put a shrimp into the gravel, as it breaks down it will provide nh3 their by cycling my tank.No fish are harmed with this process. Give it a try it's a safe easy method.

 

[MrGemini]

Ok thanxz. I guess I'll have to learn more patience. I'm so excited to see movement in there. Although I have seen a few snails roaming around and a few things growing. The only one I cannot I'd is a couple of black patches with some white things coming out from within the patches. They are growing on the underside of a ledge on one of my rock formations.

 

[MrGemini]

I have heard of putting a shrimp in after my 2nd week!

 

[hollister]

A decomposing shrimp in your tank does not help. Just have minimum amount of LS and a good amount of LR with good waer flow your tank will cycle fine. A HOB bio filter can be very helpfull.

 

[MrGemini]

What would be a good bio filter(hob)

 

[dinthbrgh]

the ls and lr is your biofilter. on a 55g you want a protein skimmer. that sucks out all your nasty. no canisters or hobs needed.