150 gallon cycle almost done. Add a few fish?

[Eggpaul]

150 gallon tank.
Nitrites finally dropped to zero within a few days and nitrate is up to 40ppm. I added 2ppm ammonia last night and will check today if both ammonia and nitrite are zero. I'll do a large water change. Can I add a few small fish in a few days? I have live sand , some live rock, and dry rock.

I was thinking of adding 2 firefish and 2 clowns at once. Is that too much? Or should I add a pair and wait 5 days for the next 2.

 

[Crabs McJones]

150 gallon tank.
Nitrites finally dropped to zero within a few days and nitrate is up to 40ppm. I added 2ppm ammonia last night and will check today if both ammonia and nitrite are zero. I'll do a large water change. Can I add a few small fish in a few days? I have live sand , some live rock, and dry rock.

I was thinking of adding 2 firefish and 2 clowns at once. Is that too much? Or should I add a pair and wait 5 days for the next 2.

If, after adding 2ppm ammonia and its gone after 24 hours, then yes you can add your first fish :) just make sure you do a series of 25% water changes over a couple days. You don't want to change out to much water to fast your you may restart a mini cycle.

 

[Eggpaul]

If, after adding 2ppm ammonia and its gone after 24 hours, then yes you can add your first fish :) just make sure you do a series of 25% water changes over a couple days. You don't want to change out to much water to fast your you may restart a mini cycle.

Yes, planning a couple 25% changes. So you think 2 or 4 small fish would be fine? Firefish and clowns.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Yes, planning a couple 25% changes. So you think 2 or 4 small fish would be fine? Firefish and clowns.

Absolutely :) However are you running any kind of quarantine before adding them to your display tank?

 

[Eggpaul]

Absolutely :) However are you running any kind of quarantine before adding them to your display tank?

Well, I have a 29 gallon that I can use for that but my wife wants me to move it since I finished the 150 tank build. Haha.

The fish would be from a local store (out of his garage) that's well known. The guy is a reefer and his fish are excellent. The fish I want have been there a few weeks.

 

[Eggpaul]

Absolutely :) However are you running any kind of quarantine before adding them to your display tank?

So ammonia and nitrite were zero. I added 2ppm ammonia again. I waited 36 hours and I have close to zero ammonia now but 1.0 ppm nitrite. Should I wait before I add fish? I thought nitrite would be zero by now.

 

[Eggpaul]

If, after adding 2ppm ammonia and its gone after 24 hours, then yes you can add your first fish :) just make sure you do a series of 25% water changes over a couple days. You don't want to change out to much water to fast your you may restart a mini cycle.

@crabs_mcjones So the nitrites and ammonia took 48 hours to go away. I added 2ppm more ammonia and this time it took 32 hours for it to go away. I'm assuming the bacteria population is growing. You think that's close enough to 24 hours? I'm thinking I'll just wait until Friday just to be safe. I added lots of pellets today because I ran out of ammonia. That should grow the bacteria population a little more right?

 

[Crabs McJones]

@crabs_mcjones So the nitrites and ammonia took 48 hours to go away. I added 2ppm more ammonia and this time it took 32 hours for it to go away. I'm assuming the bacteria population is growing. You think that's close enough to 24 hours? I'm thinking I'll just wait until Friday just to be safe. I added lots of pellets today because I ran out of ammonia. That should grow the bacteria population a little more right?

It sounds like your population is growing. But yes I would wait until 24 hours. Better safe than sorry :)

 

[Eggpaul]

It sounds like your population is growing. But yes I would wait until 24 hours. Better safe than sorry :)

Just to be clear, the ammonia was gone probably around the 26th hour. And then the Nitrites hung around until they were gone at hour 32.

 

[Eggpaul]

It sounds like your population is growing. But yes I would wait until 24 hours. Better safe than sorry :)

don't feel like buying more ammonia, so if I just add pellets + the shrimp that's still in the tank, I should be safe to get a couple clowns on Friday? (after a few water changes of course.)

 

[Crabs McJones]

As long as the ammonia is depleted after 24 hours. And double check your nitrates, make sure they aren't to high before adding the fish. If they are do a series of small water changes to bring them down and you're all set to go :)

 

[Eggpaul]

As long as the ammonia is depleted after 24 hours. And double check your nitrates, make sure they aren't to high before adding the fish. If they are do a series of small water changes to bring them down and you're all set to go :)

I did 3 25% water changes and here are my nitrates. Somewhere between 20 and 40. Should be good for a couple clowns?

 

[Crabs McJones]

I did 3 25% water changes and here are my nitrates. Somewhere between 20 and 40. Should be good for a couple clowns?

I'd say bring it down between 20 and 10 and you're all set :) But the lower you can get it the better

 

[Eggpaul]

I'd say bring it down between 20 and 10 and you're all set :) But the lower you can get it the better

Will 25% water changes be enough to bring it down? Also, let's say the family REALLY wants 2 clowns tonight. They will be fine right?
Planning to do a small water change on Sunday.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Will 25% water changes be enough to bring it down? Also, let's say the family REALLY wants 2 clowns tonight. They will be fine right?
Planning to do a small water change on Sunday.

Should be fine. But are you running any kind of quarantine? Always a good idea to run new fish through a quarantine so you don't introduce anything bad into your display tank and lose fish down the road or have to deal with the hassle later.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Give this thread a good read through
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/beginners-guide-to-acclimation-and-quarantine.304980/

 

[5altkreep]

Eggpaul.... in no way do I mean any disrespect.... Crabs has been giving you solid advice...( as always)
As excited as everyone is to get fish in the tank, it won't stress them (family) to wait, but will certainly stress the fish if you go too fast. Also, to each his own, but I would reconsider skipping qt, even if the guy in the garage is good.... you may not pay for it now, but you very well may pay for it down the road. Consider this the family's first lesson on how much patience is required in reefing.

 

[Eggpaul]

Give this thread a good read through
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/beginners-guide-to-acclimation-and-quarantine.304980/

That's a great article. I've always acclimated fish properly, but never quarantined. I do have the biocube 29. Maybe I can set it up in the bathroom.

 

[swebb]

If you put the clowns in the 29 you said that you had, you would still be to get the clowns tonight, they would just be in the 29. Also by the time they are through quarantine you would have time to get the nitrates down and make sure you cycle is complete.

 

[Eggpaul]

Should be fine. But are you running any kind of quarantine? Always a good idea to run new fish through a quarantine so you don't introduce anything bad into your display tank and lose fish down the road or have to deal with the hassle later.

So it seems the wife is fine with the biocube 29 in the bathroom for quarantine. I noticed on BRS they pull a marine pure block out of the sump and use that in the quarantine. I assume I can pull a live rock from my sump and add it in the quarantine for new arrivals, but I have a question. If I want to medicate the fish in there, won't it go into the live rock? and that would go back into my display tank one day. how would you go about it?