Questions About My 29 Gallon, Can U Help!?

Clowns are a type of damsel and are very hardy, so yes they can be used as a cycle fish. Personally, I would go with the table shrimp approach. A cycle produces a lot of ammonia which is very harmful to a fish. Damsels usually make it through but I think it's kind of cruel. You can turn the skimmer back on once the cycle has finished.

 

Thanks alot! I've been working on this now for a month like i said and I've only lost about $15 dollars in the whole thing. I just don't want to lose any more and I've read that if you buy the live sand and pre-made water and cured rock the cycling goes faster BUT what I failed to know is when you add more cured live rock the cycling starts over again , right?

 

A lot of people cycle fish-less, and some people cycle with fish. It's up to you. There is a chance the fish won't survive the ammonia spike, but it also could. You really need to make the decision.

If you decide to cycle with a fish, anything in the damsel family is a hardy fish. However, damsels can turn very aggressive, so you have to decide if you want a damsel in your tank forever. If not, a clown (member of the damsel family) is also hardy, and if it survives the cycle, will be a wonderful tank mate!

 

Where can I find the shrimp your talking about? I am not going to put fish in the tank until the cycle is finished. I already tried to cycle with the chromies after the tank was set up for 3 weeks but the same time I added them I put more rock in too. I am going to wait on fish all together. What do you think an ideal time frame is for my tank to be cycled since we did the water change? another 3 weeks? I appriciate you answering my questions!

 

If transfering lr from an established tank to yours, then it doesn't start the cycle over again as long as the transfer doesn't take too long. Adding new base rock won't start the cycle over again either. Many people buy a portion of the lr to start and as they get more money, just add more later on. You start to run into problems when lr has been sitting out of a tank with no water or if the water it's being transfered in get's cold and you get die off.

 

Yes, I am going to go fishless now. After the cycling I am going to introduce clowns. Thanks for your reply!

 

Cycle times vary from tank to tank so I can't give you a good time frame. Mine took about 3-4weeks from start to finish. As far as the shrimp, just use one like you would get at a deli or some frozen raw shrimp that you would eat, nothing fancy.

 

Ahhh! Okay I See. Just drop it in and let it disappear?? Ill get one today and drop it in, my choice would be a raw one from the seafood/meat counter. Wash it off and drop it in right?

 

Yep, that's all you do.

 

Im sorry if any of the previous posters were rude. You were mislead by the LFS and excited with your new tank. Its just like buying a new ferrari and then being told "Oh, you cant drive it for 8 weeks." Everyday you go outside and look at your $300,000 599 GTB and it kills you. Well maybe its not like that but it feels like it. Everyone I think makes this mistake and can rush. WE ALL DO IT. So good for you for being normal. Definitly check into the the newbie forum. ITs offers alot of help! Please feel free to PM myself or anyone else if you have any other questions and DONT BE AFRAID TO ASK. This hobby has brought me so much pleasure and I hope it will for you too!


stephen