Unome
03/31/2013, 06:08 PM
I like to drop by and check out what he has going on. I also like to talk to his people(if not busy) and any customers about their tanks. I'm still in FW but wanting to listen/learn as much as I can so when I make the step to SW, I'll have a good chance at success.
Well, there is a couple in there buying so fish. I ask how big a tank do they have & they have a 55. So we get to talking and I mention I'm probably going to have to start with our 29 and hopefully go up from there when money gets better.
So she starts talking about doing things and I'm listening and talking about what I'm looking at - peaceful FOWLR and "maybe" down the road adding some reef inhabitants if I go bigger. So she brings up cycling the tank and says it has to be done correctly & not rushed in order to succeed.
Her suggestion for cycling was getting 5 - 6 Damsels & dumping them in the tank after salinity & heat was okay. :uhoh2: I'm stunned as everything I've read says this is not the way to do it due to many reasons(with #1 being you're putting fish in there with plans for them to die. No big deal, right? :facepalm: ) So I bring up using some shrimp from the grocery store ad she says that might work but the surefire way is with the Damsels. ( :facepalm: again )
I thanked her for talking to me & wished her & her husband a good day.
I'm thinking:
1. I don't want to put any fish in a tank with the sole purpose of having it die a painful death to cycle a tank.
2. Once it was cycled, whatever fish survived I would now have to attempt to catch & return to the LFS. Damsels can get aggressive & if they survived a cycle, they'd be hardy & POed at the world.
3. When I go to SW, I'm going with shrimp from the grocery store os something from my LFS.
Well, there is a couple in there buying so fish. I ask how big a tank do they have & they have a 55. So we get to talking and I mention I'm probably going to have to start with our 29 and hopefully go up from there when money gets better.
So she starts talking about doing things and I'm listening and talking about what I'm looking at - peaceful FOWLR and "maybe" down the road adding some reef inhabitants if I go bigger. So she brings up cycling the tank and says it has to be done correctly & not rushed in order to succeed.
Her suggestion for cycling was getting 5 - 6 Damsels & dumping them in the tank after salinity & heat was okay. :uhoh2: I'm stunned as everything I've read says this is not the way to do it due to many reasons(with #1 being you're putting fish in there with plans for them to die. No big deal, right? :facepalm: ) So I bring up using some shrimp from the grocery store ad she says that might work but the surefire way is with the Damsels. ( :facepalm: again )
I thanked her for talking to me & wished her & her husband a good day.
I'm thinking:
1. I don't want to put any fish in a tank with the sole purpose of having it die a painful death to cycle a tank.
2. Once it was cycled, whatever fish survived I would now have to attempt to catch & return to the LFS. Damsels can get aggressive & if they survived a cycle, they'd be hardy & POed at the world.
3. When I go to SW, I'm going with shrimp from the grocery store os something from my LFS.