75 gallon practically cycled in 2 weeks?

[haywood2]

Setup my 75 gallon about 2-3 weeks ago. Added about 10lbs of live sand from another tank, 60lbs live rock, and a filter from an existing tank. Anyways, I tested the water on the 9th and then today and here are the results. On the 9th I added B-Ionic, and today I topped the water off.
9th today
Salinity 1.023 1.024
PH 7.6 8.4
Ammonia 0ppm 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm 0 ppm
Nitrate 60ppm 20ppm
Phosphate 1.5ppm .75ppm
Calcium 360mg 300mg


Do you think my tank is ready for fish, or should I wait another week? Also, should I add more purple up to the tank? I really want more purple algae to grow on the rocks.

[Entropy]

I think your nitrates are a little on the high side. I would see if you could bring it down a bit first IMO.

[JamesJR]

Well your water looks good enough to support a load but stock it very slowly with fish. I would take your time stocking the tank. What kind of fish did you have in mind of getting?

Also, if you are going reef you should definately try and get the Calcium level up. You probably want to shoot for over 400 ppm (1mg/l= 1ppm). Did you test your Mg? Alkalinity? You may want to get your SG a little higher and aim for about 1.025. Do you have a refractometer?
Also, be careful as you don't want to tinker too much with the calcium levels until you get the alkalinity stable and where it needs to be.

[bertoni]

This article discusses all the water parameters:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.htm

This article covers supplementation needs:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-04/rhf/index.php

I would not use Purple Up, for various reasons.

[haywood2]

Alkalinity always confuses me, I always thought it had to do with PH. Anyways, I don't have a refractometer but I do have a skimmer I still need to setup, I just don't know how to. Plans for stocking are 3-5 chromis, 1 perc clown, 1 cardinal fish, 1 hawkfish, and possibly a dwarf angel (lemon peel, flame, or bicolor?)

[bertoni]

The Chromis seem to kill each other over time. The dwarf angels sometimes eat corals and clams, which might be fine. The other fish are okay.

[haywood2]

Yea I have heard that about the Chromis, but I figure since they are cheap and add a nice color to the tank I would start out with them, then add the clown and cardinal, then the hawkfish, and then if all goes well down the road add the angel. I will not be adding any corals or clams so the angel should be fine as long as I stay on top of water conditions.

[JamesJR]

I honestly think that is a pretty light fish load and since it sounds like you aren't going reef I wouldn't worry much about most of the water issues I mentioned. I would get that skimmer going and you should probably be fine to add a couple fish.

[beaupierce]

Hardy fish 1st chromis are good. Maybe try some damsels too Clowns are so so
good luck

[haywood2]

Damsels suck from what I understand. Nice brightly colored when young and ugly mean SOB's when they grow up. What do you mean clowns are so so? I really would like to get a false perc but they are always so damn tiny. I am glad someone thinks it's a light fish load because I don't want to have to monitor my water parameters every other day.

[JamesJR]

It really all depends on the species. Clowns, chromis are all damselfishes. Lots of them are mean and lots of them aren't.

Beaupierce is right as clowns can be hardy but they can also be tricky. A lot of it has to do with the species, the condition you got them in to begin with and whether or not they were tank bred. I would always suggest you go with tank bred, especially with false percs because the
wild ones are really prone to succumbing to shipping stresses, catching brooklynella and other diseases like that. And contrary to common thought, tank bred clowns will take to anemones. it may take them a while to but they usually do eventually.