Need Your Advice

[Dun Properly]

Well my tank has been up and running for about a week and I believe it is just starting to cycle. My PH has dropped to 7.8 from 8.3 a couple of days ago, Ammonia is about 0.25ppm, Nitrite is about 0.10ppm and Nitrates are about 10ppm. Temperature is 79 degrees and the Salinity is 1.023.

Here is my dilemma...

I went to Coral Reef Aquatics yesterday to pick up some live rock and just check things out. I spoke to the owner (Very nice guy by the way) and told him that I just set up my tank last weekend and he advised me to add some little crabs and a fish to help cycle the tank (create a bioload). He suggested a Tank-raised Percula, so that is what I got. I was planning on getting one of these anyways so I was excited to get one, but now I am worried about his survival.

Just so you know, the Percula (my wife named him Duece) seems to be doing great. He is eating and swimming around fine, but I am worried about him making through the nitrification process my water is going through. Before yesterday I thought it was a bad idea to add a fish so early. Is he going to be ok?

I am doing frequent water changes and keeping a close eye on everything. I know that the PH drops during the beginning stages of the cycling process, but is 7.8 too low for a fish to survive?

Any advice would be much appreciated. If the fishes survival is doubtful, then I will return him. I don't mind a couple of $1.99 crabs dieing, but I don't want to lose a fish because I put him in there too early. Thanks!

 

[futureeyedoc]

if it were me, I'd return him.... I hate that the LFS owners keep telling people to do this to start off a tank - it's almost as if they're just trying to make money and don't care!

If you were starting with a ton of established LR from a fellow reefer's tank , a good amount of live-sand, ALL RO water, and several years and tanks worth of experinece - then I'd say couple of weeks, maybe a month and you'd be ok..... personally I think in your case right away is too quick to add any fish, but some will disagree and say a damsel works, etc...

On top of that, it's been my experience ( and that of many I know) that clowns are very finicky fish. You either get one that does awesome and survives all kinds of bad conditions, or you'll get one that'll go belly up within days in a perfect tank. During transport and the first few days in your tank they catch things very easily. Usually if they survive a few weeks to a month or so you're golden. So add on top of that the fact that your tank will be going through a cycle and I wouldn't try it.... but like I said, there will be people that will disagree!

 

[8BALL_99]

Well opinions tend to vary on using fish to cycle a tank. As long as the Ammonia and nitrites stays down the fish will be fine. Fish can handle very high nitrates compared to coral. Its nothing for a FO to have 40-50pppm nitrates.

Will

 

[8BALL_99]

Wild caught clowns are very Finicky, Tank raised are very hardy. I've never had a tank raised clown die for no reason. Again cycling a tank with a fish is a mixed topic. Some do it, Some don't. My very first tank I waited months before adding livestock and I had great success with doing it that way. When I setup our new tank I just moved everything including 5 fish into it pretty much from day one and I hand no problems. So It can work either way.

 

[freddy4130]

So, the tank does have live rock right? As in already cured and you got it from the fish store? If so, you'll be fine my man. If not, you will probably still be fine.

 

[futureeyedoc]

it really depends on the LR from the LFS too... sometimes they sell it to you as "fully cured" claiming it's been there weeks and they just got it in yesterday... other- times it's been in their system for months..... that'll have a lot to do with it....

 

[The0wn4g3]

If you are doing frequent water changes during the cycling process the clown should be just fine. I wouldn't be worried at all.
With each water change you will be limiting the amount of ammonia in the tank until the cycle is complete. Like 8ball said, 40-50ppm of nitrate is no problem to a fish. I've seen large FO tanks running fine with 100-120 ppm nitrate.
A pH of 7.8 is just fine. Nothing at all to worry about there.

Sounds like the start of a great tank!

 

[Dun Properly]

Thanks everyone!

I want to clarify about Coral Reef Aquatics, this is not like a Petco or some petstore in a strip mall. The owner has an incredible setup of reef tanks. He does not advertise because he relies on word of mouth and good experiences to do his advertisement. I know that there are atleast a few folks on this forum that frequent his establishment.

I do have live rock in my tank. It is fully cured. It was cured for over a month and has some nice growth on it and no foul smells.

I think that I will go ahead and keep the Clownfish. I will continue to moniter my water and make water changes frequently.

Thanks everyone, I will let you guys know how it goes.

 

[brandon2432]

Like 8ball said clowns are very hardy. IMO using a clown is better than using a damsel that is hell to get out later. They are both tech. damsels and people cycle their tanks with them all the time.

I think back to my first FO tank I was about 18. I had no problems and didn't have a clue to check ammonia or nitrates.