What goes into the new tank first? Corals or Fish?

[Reefing_addiction]

I'm the exact opposite. Always been fish first and foremost. Hence my new tank being a butterfly dominated reef (at least hopefully). We'll see if any corals survive.

I mean I want fish

But now I have to consider Mr. Purple Tangy
He is a butt

Getting ready to upgrade to a larger tank

May try and add a fish or two

New environment and all that may confuse Mr. purple and he won’t terrorize the new fish

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

I now add corals first right off the bat. No bottle back and hardly any rockwas added or bio in back. If I use bottle back or enough live rock fish or coral doesnt matter. Coral is much hardier than fish. Still have no fish and only purchased 2 shrimp. Feed benepets powder 2 to 3 times a week. I have never tested my water and do almost 100 percent water changes weekly. Hard to get all the water out lol.

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

Fish duh! A “new tank” is never ready for coral first. And by new that does not mean you transferred anything from an old or established tank which has different chemistry and is able to sustain corals immediately.

Read my tank build. Just added corals and water. Corals are doing great still no fish and no real plan to add. No bottle bacteria and no live rock added.

 

[AydenLincoln]

Read my tank build. Just added corals and water. Corals are doing great still no fish and no real plan to add. No bottle bacteria and no live rock added.

So no major ammonia source then besides the shrimp? Or are you feeding? Very lightly I assume? It’s only been just under 3 weeks? I feel like this is more of you can set up a glass tank or bucket and add coral like they do at shows but will it thrive longterm? No because it also doesn’t have time to cycle either. Do you know what I mean? And I’d be interested to see where this tank is in a month or two etc. especially with the inverts.

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

So no major ammonia source then besides the shrimp? Or are you feeding? Very lightly I assume? It’s only been just under 3 weeks? I feel like this is more of you can set up a glass tank or bucket and add coral like they do at shows but will it thrive longterm? No because it also doesn’t have time to cycle either. Do you know what I mean? Even more interestingly I’d be interested to see where this tank is in a month or two etc. especially with the inverts.

February 15th it was setup. So almost 2 months after next week this tank has been running. So you really didnt look at the thread or ignored. You could always checkout my 5 gallon that ran for over a year the same way. Just added bottle bacteria at start
Only shut down due to move.

Maybe I should add the official start date to first post but yoir comment proves you didnt read anyways.

Cycling is just bacteria establishment. Fish need more bacteria because they produce more waste than corals. They also can use some ammonia as well as a food source. I add benepets as it doesnt foul up and cause issues like certain other brands and frozen. If there is enough bacteria which the coral skeletons and frag plugs have, there wont be any issues. They also will spread onto other surface areas available. I would recomend also reading through the first post and watching the video of reef breeders in it.

So no, I dont understand what you mean.

This tank is absolutely thriving. You didnt even read my thread. First post, official start post and last post would have explained. Also showing how feather dusters and other critters are reproducing and spreading over the tank.

 

[AydenLincoln]

February 15th it was setup. So almost 2 months after next week this tank has been running. So you really didnt look at the thread or ignored. You could always checkout my 5 gallon that ran for over a year the same way. Just added bottle bacteria at start
Only shut down due to move.

Maybe I should add the official start date to first post but yoir comment proves you didnt read anyways.

Cycling is just bacteria establishment. Fish need more bacteria because they produce more waste than corals. They also can use some ammonia as well as a food source. I add benepets as it doesnt foul up and cause issues like certain other brands and frozen. If there is enough bacteria which the coral skeletons and frag plugs have, there wont be any issues. They also will spread onto other surface areas available. I would recomend also reading through the first post and watching the video of reef breeders in it.

So no, I dont understand what you mean.

This tank is absolutely thriving. You didnt even read my thread. First post, official start post and last post would have explained. Also showing how feather dusters and other critters are reproducing and spreading over the tank.

I stand by my comments. Minus the initial setup I still stand by all my comments. It’s not a reef tank then it’s a coral tank. I feel like this thread doesn’t apply in the traditional sense then either if you don’t have fish or sand or live rock etc. and don’t plan on having any either. The question was which do you add first? Something you can’t apply if you only add the one but not the other. And like imo if you are constantly doing 100% water changes then the chemistry wouldn’t have time to be affected in the way if there was fish and it was being fed.

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

I stand by my comments. Minus the initial setup I still stand by all my comments.

You can stand by them no issue. Nothing wrong with waiting. But you can already see the month, and if you wait till after next week the 2 month progress of my tank lol. The amount of bacteria needing to be established will be equal to the amount of waste produced or other biproducts they can break down. Corals produce little so very little bacteria is needed.

You can add fish first. But its definetly not required nor is heavy feeding.

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

I stand by my comments. Minus the initial setup I still stand by all my comments. It’s not a reef tank then it’s a coral tank. I feel like this thread doesn’t apply in the traditional sense then either if you don’t have fish or sand or live rock etc. and don’t plan on having any either. The question was which do you add first? Something you can’t apply if you only add the one but not the other. And like imo if you are constantly doing 100% water changes then the chemistry wouldn’t have time to be affected in the way if there was fish and it was being fed.

It absolutly does apply. Kept fish and have done same thing. What If I decided to add a fish now? Then would it make a difference? No, it wouldnt. The thread is about what goes in a new tank first. This can apply to reef or coral tanks and does.

If you add either first your adding one but not the other so I dont get that.

I do 100 percent water changes as I dont run anything except for pump, light and with this tank a heater. I also dont dose. So to replace all elememts and rid of nutrients I do my 100 percent water changes. So your rigbt, I dont have negative impacts on water quality to deal with as much.

You can add eitber first. Doesnt matter. But you are less likely to kill a coral than fish and you can establish bacteria with coral. In fact, adding coral first would give you more diversity and speed up the process of establishing colonies. Fish only add waste to a new tank and creates more algae and other issues due to waste load. Corals can consume this.

How to Cycle a Reef Aquarium Right Away – With Corals First

Forever and a day we have been schooled in how to set up and cycle an aquarium. Set it up, wet it, add bacteria, test, add fish, test again, and then eventually add corals. But here at Reef Builders we can’t help but think there’s another way to fast reef tank cycling, and that actually, people...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[OrionN]

I never use dry rock. Once the rock and sand are stable I stick it as I see fit. Both fish and corals going in any time. I often have a good idea what fishes, corals, anemones and clams going to be in the tank. All the corals are small and can be in any time while the fish get added in order, mostly depends on which fish. This varies depends also on what are available.

 

[JoJosReef]

I put water in and then the pasta, followed by milk and cheese and a knob of butter

I prefer a bit of olive oil and some garlic, turn the heater up high, then the fish

 

[tbrown]

I know there are several different theories on this, so I thought this might be an interesting discussion. What do you think should go into the new tank first? Corals or Fish? What's your reasoning for your position?

When I started my new tank I put corals in before anything. Then two fish, then mor corals, then more corals, and then more corals again. I need to move more fish but I haven't yet. Probably going to move more corals.

 

[enebrac]

I also have no fish in the tank since the acantho/plate are feeding the sps.

 

[JoJosReef]

Ok, real contribution to your thread @Daniel@R2R : I would go coral first in a tank with at least some live ocean rock. I've come to the conclusion that I want corals soaking up nutrients instead of nuisance algae, so get them going right off the bat. Same goes for macros, sponges, anemones, etc. fish are coming soon after though. They do a good job feeding the corals so I have to do it a bit less I'll never have another tank started with dry rock, so my point of view is exclusively for dirty pest-ridden live rock starts.

 

[tbrown]

I think my third addition was a Galaxea with a black liver Sponge encasing the lower skeleton. First was an Anacropora, second was a Monti Cap. I think the Clown Goby was 4th

 

[Macbalacano]

I have done it both ways and definitely found that corals first was more fun and easier to manage longer term. I also feel like when I put corals in first, by the time I put in fish and inverts, I feel like I've built them a proper and awesome home

 

[nano7g]

Plan was to add coral first, since my first fish was going to be a shy yellow clown goby. It would at least give more places to perch and hide. But then my light didn’t come for a month, so I got the fish first.

 

[i cant think]

I know there are several different theories on this, so I thought this might be an interesting discussion. What do you think should go into the new tank first? Corals or Fish? What's your reasoning for your position?

Honestly, it changes depending on if I have the fish first or coral first. Rock is the first thing I put in and a lot of the time it has some form of coral on so I guess coral first for me.

 

[crazyfishmom]

February 15th it was setup. So almost 2 months after next week this tank has been running. So you really didnt look at the thread or ignored. You could always checkout my 5 gallon that ran for over a year the same way. Just added bottle bacteria at start
Only shut down due to move.

Maybe I should add the official start date to first post but yoir comment proves you didnt read anyways.

Cycling is just bacteria establishment. Fish need more bacteria because they produce more waste than corals. They also can use some ammonia as well as a food source. I add benepets as it doesnt foul up and cause issues like certain other brands and frozen. If there is enough bacteria which the coral skeletons and frag plugs have, there wont be any issues. They also will spread onto other surface areas available. I would recomend also reading through the first post and watching the video of reef breeders in it.

So no, I dont understand what you mean.

This tank is absolutely thriving. You didnt even read my thread. First post, official start post and last post would have explained. Also showing how feather dusters and other critters are reproducing and spreading over the tank.

Picos are awesome and the biodiversity on the coral plugs alone with the coral’s own biomes are enough to keep them thriving if you’re good about feeding them to keep them happy. Larger systems just don’t balance out as well. I also put corals in first now and have learned where to tweak to make it work but it definitely takes a lot of work and attention in a large system to be able to do effectively.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Fish or coral first can be controversial as the old concept or thought is the fish poop can help feed coral and ive seen many tanks begun with coral first and then fish added afterwards. Placing desired coral first can allow one to come up with which fish will be safe with them after

 

[Reefing_addiction]

I stand by my comments. Minus the initial setup I still stand by all my comments. It’s not a reef tank then it’s a coral tank. I feel like this thread doesn’t apply in the traditional sense then either if you don’t have fish or sand or live rock etc. and don’t plan on having any either. The question was which do you add first? Something you can’t apply if you only add the one but not the other. And like imo if you are constantly doing 100% water changes then the chemistry wouldn’t have time to be affected in the way if there was fish and it was being fed.

I hate to break it to you
The Oxford English Dictionary says a reef is a long line of rocks or sand near the surface of the sea.

Also - do your homework.

Bacteria isn’t in the water
It’s on The rocks.

Hence why you can take rocks from an established tank and start a new tank BAM! No cycle!

Also go do research of what corals eat.


You probably won’t.

Stop acting like you know it all