Am I ready for a clean-up crew?

[Lee]

I have had my 39G Cadlight Pro up & running for almost 5 weeks now. I have around 100lbs of live rock (can't remember exact weight) & 60lbs of live sand (a little over 40 in the DT and the rest in fug). I also have chaeto in the refugium. My PH, ammonia, nitrate & phos all test good. My tank is teaming with cop & amph pods and a few Stomatella hitchhikers. I have fried 2 aiptasia nems that I found with torch lighter on small rocks that I was able to pull from the tank. I have some green algae growing on my rocks (not hair, it's very, very short). I am patient but of course anxious to start stocking my tank. The plan is to have a mixed reef. So my REAL question is; what next? Any recommendations would be appreciated.

 

[THEDLO]

what are those tests reading?

 

[NYreefNoob]

do you have, alk,cal, mag and nitrate test kits ?

 

[Lee]

Last I checked a day ago my Ammonia, Nitrates & phos were 0. My PH was about 8.1. I don't remember the numbers, but my Alk & Calc numbers were good. I'll re-test & post the readings tomorrow morning. I don't think I have a Mag test kit, I'll have to check. I forgot to mention before that I started 2 part dosing with bi-ionic a few days ago.

 

[DJYoshi]

did you ever have anything in the tank to start the cycle? something to release ammonia. like a couple of damsels or something like that. If all of that is 0 and your alk and calc are good.. I don't see why not..but then again, I'm a newbie.
I let my tank cycle for around a month with a fish cycle using a few damsels... also had a couple of crabs and snails in there.... after that was done and everything dropped back down to 0 is when I started adding in other things. But, my pulsing Xen have been in the tank the longest...basically the day I got the damsels b/c I didn't know any better, and they've grown to be really healthy.

 

[THEDLO]

lol yoshi damsels are so yesteryear

 

[basiab]

First decide what you want in the way of animals and corals. Make a plan and go for it. Just make sure you know what is compatible both for corals and fish and inverts. Chance are you will have to get rid of the damsels.

Why are you dosing?

 

[chinatown]

alk, cal and mag isn't so important now since you got nothing in there. if all the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate came back 0, go for it.

 

[rookie07]

with 100lbs of Live rock, I'm surprised you have room for any livestock.

The only true way to know if your cycle has finished is to have tested the water from the beginning, thus knowing when the cycle started and finished. But, with that said, I think you should wait a few weeks more to be safe, But I would prob have picked up something by now. I applauded your patience thus far. You have waited this long, why not wait just a little longer.

You DO NOT need to be dosing B-Ionic yet if you have no corals....Only dose when you have corals, and only if you test for what you dose.

Why don't you post a few pictures of your setup (perhaps a tank thread) and get some feedback from other members. It is also nice to look back at the pictures when trying to determine growth.

Good luck

 

[Lee]

OK, so today's test results:
Ammonia = 0
Nitrate = 0
Calcium = 435ppm
Alk = 125ppm or 2.5 mEq/l
Ph = 8.2 1hour & 45 mins after lights turned on
I don't have a magnesium test kit yet

DJYoshi, I have not put any fish in the tank during the cycling process because I thought that would be cruel.
I have not put a piece of shrimp or been feeding the tank anything to create ammonia because I thought with this much live rock & sand there would be enough die off to cycle the tank. I started 2 part dosing to hopefully get the coraline algae to start spreading, but I'll stop if the consensus is that I should wait until I add live coral.
I'm going to try & post some pictures now & then head into work. Thanks for any & all recommendations.

 

[THEDLO]

yea ur good.

 

[afernandez]

Yeah . Just don't add 15 hermits and 15 snails . You can do 2 snails 2 hermits or 3&3 to start . Since you don't have anything else in there you don't need much more than that they will starve . And keep a close look them for a week or two if anything is wrong they will let you know. Good luck and post pics

 

[chinatown]

if you're dosing 2 part and there's no coral to consume them, then the level will just rise each time you dose.