Tank is cycling very quickly?

well now im thinking this: you DO NOT need LR in a freshwater tank; all you have is gravel and the filter where the bacteria is. same principles apply when adding fish every few weeks, so why couldnt this apply to SW as well?

 

I wasn't going to add any fish, I wasn't even considering it. My question was if it is normal to see nitrites that quickly and the above posts where to see what fish in my planned stocking list would be best to add first when it was done cycling. I am fully aware that my tank is not cycled and I shouldn't be adding any fish.

 

Then I guess you are fully aware that the " Tank is not cyclling very quickly". ;D

 

Yep, well now

 

A cardinal would be a good fish to start off the system with when the cycle's done.

I wouldn't add a mandarin for at least a year. Do you have a sump/refugium on this system? They need a mature, established system with a ton (and I mean a ton) of pods to graze on. A refugium usually is best for a system with a mandarin in it because it provides a place for pods to breed.

 

A 20g fuge, do I still need to wait a year with that? When my tank is done cycling I am going to add a bottle or two of pods to my fuge to get it started. How long should I wait then?