How long should I wait before adding fish.

[Osiel Alvarado]

Hello guys,
I recently purchased a new 140 gallon tank. I was wondering is there a certain time i should wait to add fish? Im doing the 21 day Red Sea Mature Reef program.

 

[dbl]

First, welcome to R2R. You've come to the right place for all your new aquarium questions! Your tank needs to complete its cycle prior to adding any livestock. That cycle can range from a week to a couple of months - a lot depends on how the system was set up. Live rock & sand vs. dry rock & sand, etc. Do you have test kits to measure your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels? You will certainly need them. Share a little on how you set things up and you're sure to get better answers.

 

[Eric83]

Have to test, test, test. I just setup a tank and it took about 2 weeks to cycle. I used the fishless cycling method of dosing a couple cap fulls of pure ammonia to the tank, testing and watching ammonia go down, nitrates go up. Dose again and watch the cycle happen again. On about the 3rd or 4th dose my ammonia would go from off the charts of the test to zero within 24hrs. A month after starting I am still fiddling with equipment/finalizing everything before I get any livestock, so to ensure the bacteria I have established doesn't die off I add smaller amounts every 4-5 days.

Hardest part of this process is finding pure ammonia. Check Ace Hardware, tractor supply and places like them. The stuff you find in Walmart/Target/Local Grocery stores has scent or surfactants added - you don't want this. If the label says anything other than ammonia/water for ingredients it's no good. One last test to be sure is to shake the bottle, it shouldn't foam any more than if it was pure water, bubbles should pop very quickly.

 

[Brew12]

Have to test, test, test. I just setup a tank and it took about 2 weeks to cycle. I used the fishless cycling method of dosing a couple cap fulls of pure ammonia to the tank, testing and watching ammonia go down, nitrates go up. Dose again and watch the cycle happen again. On about the 3rd or 4th dose my ammonia would go from off the charts of the test to zero within 24hrs. A month after starting I am still fiddling with equipment/finalizing everything before I get any livestock, so to ensure the bacteria I have established doesn't die off I add smaller amounts every 4-5 days.

Hardest part of this process is finding pure ammonia. Check Ace Hardware, tractor supply and places like them. The stuff you find in Walmart/Target/Local Grocery stores has scent or surfactants added - you don't want this. If the label says anything other than ammonia/water for ingredients it's no good. One last test to be sure is to shake the bottle, it shouldn't foam any more than if it was pure water, bubbles should pop very quickly.

And "clear" ammonia is not the same as pure ammonia!

Oh, and welcome to Reef2Reef!

 

[cromag27]

Welcome!

http://www.wikihow.com/Do-a-Fishless-Cycle

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

The red sea program has pretty detailed instructions on adding fish. Its a full cycling method.
http://www.redseafish.com/wp-conten...age-Manual_GB_DE_FR_SP_IT_PT_JP_CH_KR_14A.pdf

Day 10: 1. Check and adjust temperature and salinity. 2. Test and record the Ammonia, Nitrite & Nitrate levels. Approximate readings should be as follows: Total Ammonia 0 ppm, Nitrite 0 ppm, Nitrate 10 ppm. 3. Add 5 ml of Bacto-Start per 100L of water. 4. Add 5 ml of Nitro Bac per 100L of water. 5. Add 3 ml of NO3O4-X per 100L of water. 6. Add calculated daily dosage of KH-Coralline Gro. GB Red Sea | Reef Mature Pro Kit | 9 Introduce the “cleaning crew” to the aquarium. Recommended species: Brittle star starfish, detritus feeding sea cucumbers and several herbivorous snails, such as Asraea Tuncta or Turban snail. These ‘reef janitors’ play an important long-term role in keeping your aquarium in good shape. They help control algae, remove detritus, and scavenge for scraps of food that fall to the bottom or between rocks. They play an especially important role if your tank has substrate, keeping it clean and aerat

Day 14: 1. Water change – replace 5% of the system water with new saltwater. 2. Check and adjust temperature and salinity. 3. Test and record the Nitrate. Approximate readings should be 5 ppm. 4. Add 3 ml of NO3O4-X per 100L of water. 5. Test and record the pH and KH/Alkalinity. Calculate the adjusting dosage of KH-Coralline Gro buffer required to achieve 8.4 dKH (3 meq/l) according to the dosage chart on the bottle and add this dosage to the system. If the adjusting dosage is significantly different from the previous average daily dosage amend (increase/decrease) the daily dosage as appropriate. Introduce herbivorous fish (1 per 100 L) to the aquarium.

Day 22+ Gradually introduce more fish and corals to the system. Test the pH, KH/Alkalinity and Nitrate on a weekly basis. IMPORTANT - Continue dosing NO3O4-X on a daily basis and adjust the dosage (according to the dosage chart on the bottle) until the nitrate level is stable between 1 and 2.5 ppm. Note: The actual Nitrate level after the first 21 days is dependent on the growth rate of denitrifying bacteria in each system. It may take a few weeks for the Nitrate levels to lower to the desired level.

 

[kireek]

*Welcome to Reef2Reef @Osiel Alvarado !* While you are waiting for your tank to cycle feel free to start a build thread here
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/member-tanks.52/
It will be handy to have the notes and pictures although the way.