New to saltwater??

[strezman]

Hey all, so i've got myself a 30gal tank with all accesories incl. filter, powerhead skimmer and half decent lighting. its been set-up for just over 3 weeks now and id like to know a few things?? i've been told by numerous ppl that i should not be introducing fish yet, but several other places say it should be fine. i've got about 15-20 lbs of liverock and a bed of live sand. i've had 5 hermits a feather duster and a few mushrooms in there for a week now and they seem to be doing fine. i had my water tested regularly through out the 3 weeks until my levels were up to par. some say the amonia level will still spike, but why would others say its fine?? can you help me? i would like a fish soon? thanks.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

As with almost everything in this hobby, its about what works for you & your own experience. For some reefers, barebottom is best. Others like a small sand bed. Others love deepsand beds.

Some advocate the fishless cycle. I usually have a hardy fish in the tank to help feed the bacteria. Some may think that it is cruel to that first fish to put it into a cycling tank. My theory is that the bacteria culture will only multiple to meet the needs of the tank, so without a fish in there to release some waste, there won't be as many bacteria when I finish cycling.

Both systems work. It is up to you whether or not to put in the first hardy fish or to go fishless & add fish later but slower. Either way, once you do start adding fish, don't rush because you have to let the bacteria catch up to the new bioload.

Anthony

[strezman]

hey, thanks for your imput. what do others think??

[marie]

I'm of the wait a couple months before adding fish group . Not because it's cruel to cycle with fish so much as it gives the tank time to grow a good pod and worm population. Fish are predators and even herbivors will snap up any pod that dares show it's face in the daytime.
That said I know how hard it is to wait, especially if you have family hanging over your shoulder saying "why do you have a fish tank with no fish in it" .
So if you really want to add fish I'd say go for it just add them one at a time and make sure they are small and wait at least 2 weeks before adding the next

[crystalz]

The more people in saltwater the better. I also started with a 30 not that long ago and still remember the big wait... I think the biggest thing is to make sure your water perameters are actually good. I had 30lbs of live rock and let it cycle for 4 weeks... needless to say when my tank finally did cycle(and it will) everything in my tank paid for it. I had to do continous water changes and I still lost my first fish.(two clowns). It really upset me to lose them. I spent so many hours with that tank. One thing I learned is that a saltwater tank becomes a long term relationship and if you can hold off longer it's better for everything. It's hard to wait but if you consider the fact that you will probabally have this tank a long time, an extra couple weeks is really nothing in the whole equation(I'm sure that most will agree). With that being said if the live rock you purchased was well cured(been in a tank for a couple years) you will probablly have very little 'die off' and you may be able to start sooner. With a smaller tank you will find it is tougher to keep water conditions pristine and there will be more fluctuation which can sometimes mean more stress on its inhabitants. It's not impossible just more work to start with a small tank. One of the hardest things I had to, and you may have to deal with is just leaving it alone and let it do its thing. That aside...If you have any questions there's always canreef, with loads of knowledge from so many people. I've learned so much from the people on this site. Good luck and I hope you get as much out of this whole saltwater thing as I have.

[strezman]

thanks for the imput. im leaning towards waiting it out.

[Salmon King]

Was your liverock cured before you bought it.If so it should be no problem.