Marinalovesfish
New member
Ive had my fish tank for about a month now. How long do you think i need to wait to get corals? I have a a 120g and like 8 fish if that matters in how long i should wait..
How long do i have to wait!
- Thread starter Marinalovesfish
- Start date
Sounds like you didn't wait at all. 8 fish, including tangs, after only 1 month is a lot, even for a 120. I would suggest that you take things slowly and monitor your parameters over the next several weeks or even months before putting anything else in there. Depending on your water quality, you may even want to consider removing a few fish or you could potentially lose some of them.
laurarca
New member
I was always told corals are like adding flowers to a garden, as they give out very little waste. It's the fish that you have to worry about!! It does take 4 weeks for a tank to cycle, usually. What kind of fish are the 8 you have? What are your water parameters? If they are all still alive, something has to be right ;-)
jtrasap
Elite Member
With 8 fish in there, I'd give it a bit and keep an eye on my water parameters, mainly 'NITRATES'...
You jumped the gun quite a bit by adding 8 fish to that tank so soon. You will have to give the system time to catch up with the waste load of those eight fish, otherwise your nitrates will probably be a bit high to support corals just yet.
With the way you've done things so far, I'd say you need to cruise around the site and do a bit more research on starting and maintaining a reef tank.....
You jumped the gun quite a bit by adding 8 fish to that tank so soon. You will have to give the system time to catch up with the waste load of those eight fish, otherwise your nitrates will probably be a bit high to support corals just yet.
With the way you've done things so far, I'd say you need to cruise around the site and do a bit more research on starting and maintaining a reef tank.....
jasoncampbell83
New member
With a new tank you need to add fish very slowly, it can really throw things off. I would definately wait a little longer and see how things work out, with a tank that new and that many fish things can happen very quickly. Like some said above, it may be a good idea to take some fish out, maybe you can make a deal with your local pet store and see if you can take them back and they can credit you until your tank is more established. The Damsels are proably fine in there and maybe even the clowns, they are all hardy fish, but tangs can get sick very easy. Its hard not to get in a hurry but for the fish's health and your wallet its a good idea to take your time.
Yes I believe 8 fish was kinda fast for just one month, and adding the tangs could be a problem due to the fact they need close to perfect water conditions. I added my first tang after my tank was running for 4 months, and hope you have plenty of rock work, they like to hide out and feel safe.
wooden_reefer
New member
Re: How long do i have to wait!
If you have both bacteria seed and enough ammonia, and your setup such as circulation and gaseous exchange etc is correct, then any cycle should be completed within six weeks at 78F.
I think you mean you like to have eight fish but have not yet added them.
If your cycle is robust, that is there has been enough ammonia and you have waited long enough, your tank should handle eight medium sized fish. But it is better that you add small fish and allow plenty of room for growth.
If you know that there has been enough ammonia, and that nitrite has come and gone, you can safely conclude that the medium has been cycled. How robust is the cycle? The amount and rate of ammonia processed is the measure of how robust the cycle has been.
If you are less sure about the amount of ammonia in the history of the cycle, you need to have a better idea about the ammonia and accumulation of nitrite. Then, a strong nitrite peak is a good indication of robust cycling.
If you have both bacteria seed and enough ammonia, and your setup such as circulation and gaseous exchange etc is correct, then any cycle should be completed within six weeks at 78F.
I think you mean you like to have eight fish but have not yet added them.
If your cycle is robust, that is there has been enough ammonia and you have waited long enough, your tank should handle eight medium sized fish. But it is better that you add small fish and allow plenty of room for growth.
If you know that there has been enough ammonia, and that nitrite has come and gone, you can safely conclude that the medium has been cycled. How robust is the cycle? The amount and rate of ammonia processed is the measure of how robust the cycle has been.
If you are less sure about the amount of ammonia in the history of the cycle, you need to have a better idea about the ammonia and accumulation of nitrite. Then, a strong nitrite peak is a good indication of robust cycling.
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wooden_reefer
New member
If that is the case, the more important thing is NOT nitrification or cycling but QT.
This order of introduction is wrong. You should get the coral first before fish. This is so that corals that need special lighting should be left alone for about eight weeks for ich to die-off.
Now if you just add corals without OT, there is a good chance of dreadful ich out break.
This is the remedy: You may not want to hear it but it is as follows:
Set up QT and the start another cycle for all the fish. Cycling for QT is a very very very very easy process but it takes time. Do not add any more livestock now.
After the medium for QT has been set up, QT all the fish for 8 weeks with active treatment.
A total of at least eight weeks is needed. You can actually get new coral at the same time so that all ich, from new and old sources, will die-off.
This hobby is not for those with a casual bent. You prepare in advance.
If you don't do this, you almost will eventally has an terrible ich outbreak. Do it now before you have invertebrates, then it will be even more difficult.
koranAngel
always on ** at work
corals before fish i didnt know that
wooden_reefer
New member
What are your reasons?
Toddrtrex
Premium Member
At least with the corals I keep (( and anemones )) they are a lot more sensitive to any changes in the water chemistry then fish are. So putting them in first before the tank (( and the person keeping the tank )) have really settled in is going to cause issues.
Fish aren't going to be nearly (( if at all )) effected by Cal, Alk and Mag swings like corals would be. It is a safe bet that a new reefer is going to have some swings before they get a handle on how their tank works.
wooden_reefer
New member
Why is water chemistry less stable soon after cycling? Why can't you maintain water parameter soon after cycling? There is one possible reason I can think of. That is denitrification. (Nitrification is easy and should be rock solid, even for begineers.)
Denitritication likely takes longer to be established, I agree. But there is also a counter consideration. That is the addition of many fish produce nitrate at a greater rate than an invertebrate only no-fish tank, I mean in general. Fish is the greater bioload in general and have greater impact on water.
Disease control is the overriding consideration that outweighs other considerations, I believe. That is why I always get all the corals first so that ich can die off. I don't have MH in my QT and I cannot leave corals in QT for eight weeks and fish in DT. This is the key consideration.
You can cycle for the QT while you wait for ich to die-off in DT.
I believe in this case, this thread, ich would be the major concern. There would likely be a terrible mess due to an ich outbreak.
Also, tangs (plural). Two large tangs would likely be too great a bioload for a 120 gal reef tank, IMO.
wooden_reefer
New member
What does "really settled" mean?
Toddrtrex
Premium Member
"Why is water chemistry less stable soon after cycling? Why can't you maintain water parameter soon after cycling?"
How many new reefers are good about testing and maintaining their Cal, Alk, and Mag levels (( let alone fully understand their importance )), from reading threads in the "new to hobby" section I would say not many. Waiting to put in corals will give them time to figure that out.
"You can cycle for the QT while you wait for ich to die-off in DT."
"That is why I always get all the corals first so that ich can die off."
Where is the ick coming from if there is no fish in the tank?
