how long to wait

[treny]

So how long do you guys and gals wait to start adding fish or corals to a new tank?

 

[metalac]

Basically the longer the better. My first fish was added 2 months after I started. I added my first coral two weeks later, but make sure it's a hearty one. I guess you can add first fish as soon as amonia, nitrites are 0 and nitrates are 0 or right above. Start with some easy to care for fishes and go from there.

 

[Len]

As long as possible is always advisable. I'd wait at least a month, but preferably closer to two months. Add slowly and observe. If everything is okay, then add more.

 

[Anonymous]

I agree with Len. Len is smart.

 

[Mthompson]

I started my sump first (recirculating water to the other side). I put a view mollies in there, with some live rock. Over two months I set up my display and the plumbing. All the while, my sump was becoming fully active.

This allowed me to get some fish (still hardy - damsels and hawkfish) fairly quickly when I had the display up and running through the working bioactive sump. Its been nearly three months and I just added some more fish, all still hardy (lawnmower blenny, marine betta, and valentini puffer), but a little more demanding. My mollies also spawned, but the babies make good food for the hawkfish and the betta! I plan on starting a tank just for the purpose of food production...

I would add some hardy fish, and live rock and then wait. After waiting at least a month, wait for another two-three weeks, but starting reading and planning what you will get. Plan the whole stocking list and ask around for any special requirements or tips (some fish are better off when stocked first, etc.).

Most importantly, don't get discouraged....there will be algae and other problems. They will subside in time.

 

[treny]

yeah it's been going for a week now and I was thinking about a month or so before I add anything. I have about 200 pounds of LR in the tank now that has been curing for a year..lol I'll get some pic's up as soon as I can

 

[Anonymous]

I have alway gone 6 weeks as a minimum. During inital set up you should be testing weekly to track you cycle. Once things are stable give another two weeks or so then add things slowly.

 

[treny]

 

[treny]

the canapy isn't on the tank, still running all the light's.

 

[Mthompson]

I'd say that your rock is cured at least!

<edit> Oh, and the setup looks good. Got any equipment specs for us nerds to ponder over? What are you planning on for livestock?

 

[treny]

skimmer is a DAS EX-3 don't have a reactor yet but I'm going with a geo. I have a hammerhead on my CL and a dart for my FL. sump is a custom job by my LFS. I have 3 ARO 250w HQI's with a 660 icecap for the T5's. Also a Titan chiller.

Plans for the tank are mainly SPS's but it will be a mixed reef tank. fish will be 2 or 3 tangs maybe a purple, PBT, Naso. Bluespot jawfish, and some other small fish.

 

[mr_X]

that rock must have been curing in the dark. also, you are getting some skimmate with fully cured rock and no livestock? are you sure that rock is fully cured? what were your latest water params?

 

[treny]

all but 2 rocks have been cured and they have been in my 30g for over a year. I used 115g of water from a friends tank to start it up so I would say that's where the skimmer's getting it from. yes the rock has been cooking as I have been told that's what it's called as I didn't want to start the tank up with any problems.

 

[treny]

Nitrate's 5
Nitrite's 0
Alka 4.5
PH 8.0
Cal 350
Phosphate 0

 

[Nemo2007]

Somebody was a plummer in another life. Nice setup. I wish I had the skills.

 

[Anonymous]

all but 2 rocks have been cured and they have been in my 30g for over a year. I used 115g of water from a friends tank to start it up so I would say that's where the skimmer's getting it from. yes the rock has been cooking as I have been told that's what it's called as I didn't want to start the tank up with any problems.

then it's not exactly a 'new' tank, heh

w/previously and properly cured rock, some (many, most likely) will put stuff in there right away, or after only a week wait (i personally wouldn't have added all of that old water though, with it's accompanying organics ) and do fine- some will choose to wait longer, some will have to, heh. experience and a developed eye can often lead to 'successful cheating'

generally though, i'd have waited for the tank to settle in after the initial rock move and a few nice wc's post setup, and if no organics are spiking/algae blooming, then i'd start stocking slowly (one to two weeks at the earliest). this is how most of the last tanks i've kept have been done-all nanos from 4-23 gallons

fish and corals are different in how they load on the tank so i generally don't consider them the same for stocking timeframes-fish have far more load impact than coral, and coral are more 'uptake intense' than fish are, though i think if all of the corals/inverts are done first, your fish additions might be able to be larger per addition, giving you a more quickly stocked tank-as the corals will also process some of the fish waste, etc etc., and can be added quite quickly, since they're nearly neutral to negative in load on the system (from a nitrogenous waste perspective), ime.


tankless man wrote:

As long as possible is always advisable. I'd wait at least a month, but preferably closer to two months. Add slowly and observe. If everything is okay, then add more.

in general, words to live by

 

[Anonymous]

If there was a 3-6 month option, I'd have chosen it. You just can't take too much time to get your system cycled and balanced. I'd feed the tank as if it had fish and corals for as long as you can stand to wait, to get the bacteria you need to support all the life you'll be adding.