Ready Cured Live Rock And Tank Cycling

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lgarvey

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Hi,

I'm purchasing the kit to put together a 90L reef aquarium and am wondering about cycling and live rock. I'll be getting the live rock from the LFS which is only a mile down the road. It's sat in a huge vat of water and has no smell at all.

I'll be putting about 10kg of this live rock in the aquarium but want to know what this means in terms of cycling the tank, and then stocking.

I basically don't know what the process is from going from tank with live rock, to tank with live rock, fish and corals. Of course I would check water params and stock gradually, but any advice as to when I can start stocking would be appreciated. =)

Thanks

L
 
Do you happen to know if the live rock was cured or uncured. My guess is that if it has been sitting in the lfs tank for some time then it is curred. However, you will still get some die off when transporting it from one tank to the other, so you might see a small spike in amonia and nitrate levels. This will obviously stabalize sooner than later if the rock has already been cured.

I would put the rock in your tank, wait a week and check the water parameters. If your amonia and nitrate is non existant and your ph is good, then add a couple of hardy fish to start.
 
Do you happen to know if the live rock was cured or uncured. My guess is that if it has been sitting in the lfs tank for some time then it is curred. However, you will still get some die off when transporting it from one tank to the other, so you might see a small spike in amonia and nitrite levels. This will obviously stabalize sooner than later if the rock has already been cured.

I would put the rock in your tank, wait a week and check the water parameters. If your amonia and nitrite is non existant and your ph is good, then add a couple of hardy fish to start.

That sounds great. The rock is already cured and has no smell. What kind of hardy fish can I start with? Hopefully not a damsel, as I don't want 'em to 'claim' the tank.

I'm interested in gobies, jawfish, clown fish, gramma / dottyback, and dwaft angels. So anything from that list would be terrific, if that's possible.

L
 
Most all Clownfish are very hardy and can usually tolerate a new-tank condition so these are a good choice, just try to get a pair. I started with a single one and he didn't last long. I think they get depressed maybe. Pseudochromis is also a tough fish and will tollerate the new tank environment well. So the dottyback will work for you. As far as the royal gramma, not completely sure but I don't think that they are a very good starter fish. I have one in my tank but i have had my tank for 6 months now. They can also become agressive towards others. As far as the angels go, not sure on them either. I think that they might need a more established tank to increase their success rate. I do know they like to graze on algae and small planktonic animals. Also, if you have or are planning on having coral, I think that they can make that very dificult for you as they like to eat coral. I don't think they are reef safe.

Hope this helps.
 
Hi Seaturtle...

Thanks. That's really helpful!

I think 4 small fish is about the limit on my tank, so I wanted to go for a clown & psuedochromis. Would a clown do OK with a psuedochromis or do they need their own kind?

L
 
Sounds good to me. just keep in mind that the Pseudochromis can become very aggresive and shoudl be watched closely. Try not to put any small timid fish with them. I have one and he bosses around my yellow tang that must be 12x larger than him.

Good luck
 
Can I suggest that you get either percula, ocellaris or pink skunk clowns for a tank that size. The other species should really have a little more room. If you do get clowns then get pairs of the same species or they may fall out over territory. You may also have difficulties with clowns if you initially buy one and then try to add another later even if it is the same species. Chromis and damsels are also options, however the latter are prone to aggression. Firefish are beautiful little fish; well tolerated and tolerant. You can keep one on it's own but be aware that they may launch themselves from the tank on a whim. A tight fitting hood is essential or they are frequently found on the carpet.

Hope this helps

Regards
 
Thanks. That's really helpful! I will start with some clowns.

I already have a 25litre nano FO still cycling (almost done) with a yellow tail damsel and a shrimp in it. I'll convert this into a quarantine tank and will move the shrimp over, and I may move the damsel over. The only problem and is hell bent on giving the shrimp a bad time. I suspect if it's put in the main tank it'll wreak havoc.

L
 

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