first is cycling saltwater similar like freshwater and should I use a hardy cheap fish like a damsel to cycle my newly setup saltwater aquarium?
another beginner saltwater question!
- Thread starter alexisnsanti
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You might want to try getting it cycled without live fish in there. It apparently is kinda inhumane for the fish, but there is a product called Dr. Tims One & Only Live Nitrifying Bacteria which I have heard good things about. If you google drtimsaquatics you can find a bunch of helpful info there.
honestly there is no point on spending money on live bacteria cultures in saltwater aquariums, the best thing to do is buy a decent live sand, then a good ratio of live rock is usually 1 pound per gallon, however make sure you arrange the rock with more or less depending on the needs of the organisms going into the tank.
after you arrange your live sand and rock within the aquarium, you will fill It with SW, then turn on all your filters , pumps, heaters,....etc, finally as a better alternative to a live cycle, place a small pinch of fish food within the aquarium, this will seed the water with ammonia, and give the nitrifying bacteria something to eat while the colonies grow. periodically you will want to check ammonia levels, and once they hit zero your aquarium is successfully cycled.
unlike FW in a SW aquarium you will have "hitch hikers" come in within your live rock, such as polychaete worms, various tube worms, copepods, small crustaceans, and every once in a while people have larger things come in on live rock such as fish, bi valves, echinoderms cephalopods, one of my co-workers had a baby snowflake eel come in on his. throughout the cycling process you will be able to watch these emerge throughout the rock and into the new environment you have created.
after you arrange your live sand and rock within the aquarium, you will fill It with SW, then turn on all your filters , pumps, heaters,....etc, finally as a better alternative to a live cycle, place a small pinch of fish food within the aquarium, this will seed the water with ammonia, and give the nitrifying bacteria something to eat while the colonies grow. periodically you will want to check ammonia levels, and once they hit zero your aquarium is successfully cycled.
unlike FW in a SW aquarium you will have "hitch hikers" come in within your live rock, such as polychaete worms, various tube worms, copepods, small crustaceans, and every once in a while people have larger things come in on live rock such as fish, bi valves, echinoderms cephalopods, one of my co-workers had a baby snowflake eel come in on his. throughout the cycling process you will be able to watch these emerge throughout the rock and into the new environment you have created.
wow thanks a lot for the info so would a dwarf lion fish need live rock?. and is there any special care for live rock?. it would be awesome to see the hitch hikers lol.. but ya im barely gonna try to get in the hobby but first wanna get all the basics down ..etc.
Amitas, I think you are making it too complicated. Live Rock gets expensive and the OP wanted to know what cheap fish she can use to cycle her tank. From that statement I gather she doesn't want to wait for her tank to cycle the classic way (slower) nor does she want to spend a small fortune getting it set up. She wants to add water, salt and fish. However, Alexis ... if you are not in a hurry...then the classic way to cycle may be better because it allows you to learn as you go thru all of the steps. Live rock is good, but as mentioned..."hitch hikers" are common. Some people don't want to introduce these other creatures into their aquariums while some welcome them. It really all depends on what kind of a tank you really want to have. If you google salt water cycling you will find many informative videos as well as on the website I provided. Dr. Tim has easy to understand videos there describing all types of cycling...fish or fishless. Good Luck. Oh and yes, like Amitas said...live sand is good.
Live rock is truly and essential part of SW aquariums, this is what provides the majority of your filtration. You can help keep cost down but purchasing mostly dry rock, and then seeding it with live rock however it is still necessary for the system to thrive.
For the dwarf lion you will just need to give it plenty of hiding places, the best way is to creat caves and arches with the rock so that he can swim throughout them freely. They feel secure when the hiding places are there and you will actual see them more.
In my honest opinion, while it is possible to set up an aquarium without live rock, it is very difficult and wouldn't be good for a beginner tank.
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For the dwarf lion you will just need to give it plenty of hiding places, the best way is to creat caves and arches with the rock so that he can swim throughout them freely. They feel secure when the hiding places are there and you will actual see them more.
In my honest opinion, while it is possible to set up an aquarium without live rock, it is very difficult and wouldn't be good for a beginner tank.
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It has been years since I had a SW tank, but live rock did make it look great. In fact, I'm still using about 60 pounds of it in my FW tank (Not live anymore) from my old SW tank. I remember finding tiny little shelled critters, snails, even tiny crabs...and the marine algae and all sorts of stuff gave it great colors. And true, she can use dry rock and the live rock will indeed seed it. So if she puts in CaribSea Arag-Alive Sand and some live rock, can she put any fish in the tank? If not, how long before she can. If she goes with the live sand and a few pieces of live rock, I think she still may have to wait a couple weeks before adding a live fish without torturing it through the cycle process. The reason I suggested Dr. Tim's One and Only is because she would be able to add 1-2 fish right away. When I cycled my tank I remember waiting 3-4 weeks before adding a clown. The suspense killed me, lol, but if she is patient then i suppose she can wait.
Arag alive is what I use in all of my tanks, and defiantly helps. If Arag alive and the live rock is used. It would most likely take 2 weeks, however it would be earlier or later.
I wouldn't advice putting a fish in until the tank is cycled, it's just not safe for the fish. However it would be a good time to QT the dwarf lion if that is an option, or Order him in if you need to?
The live bacterias cultures will hasten the cycling process however, their benefit doesn't really out way the cost, and won't really take that much time off anyways.
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I wouldn't advice putting a fish in until the tank is cycled, it's just not safe for the fish. However it would be a good time to QT the dwarf lion if that is an option, or Order him in if you need to?
The live bacterias cultures will hasten the cycling process however, their benefit doesn't really out way the cost, and won't really take that much time off anyways.
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Lol I know I'm making it sound complicated, but I promise it's not 
the best thing is just to be patient and let it cycle. It will save you a whole lot of trouble in the end
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the best thing is just to be patient and let it cycle. It will save you a whole lot of trouble in the end Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
