how long for first cycle

[Bill S]

Do what you want.

You want advice, pay attention to the guys with 1000s of posts, and former Tank of the Year here on Maast. You have lots of money and don't mind killing fish? Then go for it and add fish right away.

If you read some of the posts here -especially those in the Emergency Forum - you will see that bad, bad things happen to those that rush. "Patience is a virtue", has never been more true than with a marine tank. When looking for advice, don't be lured into copying folks that just might have done what you WANT to do, rather than what you should actually do.

And don't pay any attention to me - I've only been doing this for something like 35+ years...

P.S. Take Mike up on his offer...

[JKLUSAF]

Bill

being rude is not needed, i won't be paying much mind just looking for the right direction. for someone thats new to saltwater i'm reading my mind out, and taking my time reading every option possible. i'm going on this tank tour with everyone at the end of the month, so those who know what there talking about i'll know and those who are full of **** i'll know. thanks for being straight up though with your new members

Justin

[ErikH]

Bill's right, he's just showing "tough love". We have an influx of beginner aquarists here, and they do tend to crash and burn. There is alot of frustration trying to help newbies out because alot of things go in one ear and out the other. I feel that.

Giving your tank time to mature is the hardest thing to do. Don't add any mandarins, or scooter blennies because they will eat your pods, and pods eat poop. They are like free filtration. The longer you wait, the more established your microfauna, and the better off your tank will be.

What you have to do is pre-plan what kind of tank you want. I recommend looking into nano fish, since you can add many of them for tons of color. The fish will not outgrow the tank, so as long as you add them slowly, you should have an easier start. Smaller fish allow your tank time to mature without significant impact on your bioload. This buys you time to buy a skimmer. Buy right the first time on your skimmer!

Once you get to this point, you can then upgrade your lighting. I recommend T5s, since they do not add as much heat as a halide, and the bulb selection is vast. GrimReefer on Reef Central has recommendations all over for bulb selection. The easy way to search RC is to google Reef Central and follow the search link from there. Search by user, and search for him. Also, T5s last around 18 months if not overdriven. Power Compacts are often bought by newbies and IMO, it's a mistake. PCs don't last very long before their PAR ratings start to decline.

I know that's more than what you asked, but it's best to plan now. We can all help you there. www.liveaquaria.com has a nano fish section, you should check it out.

Oh, and don't buy a maroon clown right off the bat. For some reason it is an alarming trend with beginners. They tend to be a pain, and very mean/territorial.

GL,
Erik

[Bill S]

Justin, no problem. Everyone knows I shoot straight. And yes, I'm often rude. There are few shortcuts in this hobby. There is TONS of advice, some good, some not so much. I can be very difficult to sort thru, for folks new to the hobby. Generally, the most conservative approach is better than the most aggressive. Not always, but generally.

I would absolutely recommend the tank tour. Unfortunately, we won't be on it. I tore the tank down at Xmas, and we are SLOWLY rebuilding. Note: SLOWLY. Here's what it looked like before tearing it down:

http://www.maast.org/forums/showthre...ht=bill+streep

I keep promising to post new pix, but it's SO ugly right now!

[The Butcher]

My advice is to truly listen to what bstreep, texreefer, and ScorpiNO, have written. They, like so many others in this group, have proven that knowledge and experience is far superior than a quick fix.

[JKLUSAF]

thanks for all the help guys i plan on takin my time, i do have a T5 light with moonlights already, finally getting algae growing on the tank so i know i have more time left on first cycle. bstreep, your straight just takin u with a grain of salt.....but i'll get there.

Justin

[kkiel02]

Dont use chemicals that say they are a short cut. After learning about this cycle through my classes the cycle takes time. Mine took around 1.5 weeks but this change greatly on the type of algea that is in your tank. Sinc most of my live rock had this beneficial bacteria on it, it wuickly was able to reduce ammonia and nitrites. But like I said this GREATLY depends on what bacteria and algea survives and thrives in your tank. Every tank will be different no doubt so the longer you wait the better chance you have of harboring the better algea/bacteria. Again like others have said patience is your friend and use it to your advantage.

[JKLUSAF]

yea , i've come across some of the same info threw my readings. half my live rock came out of a tank that was established for 4yrs, the othere have i picked up down at wolfreef, still need about 20-30lbs, but searching for the right peices takes time. my plan is for a reef set up. have plenty of brown hair alge growing.

Justin

[mozartkt]

Well, you are doing the right thing about asking on the forums - there's great info from the guys who have been doing this for a long time - It's great to read their info and learn from others.