Coral adding advice

[KayleeAnn24]

So I sm brand new to having an aquarium and have no intentions of killing anything on the process of setting up my tank😄 I went to my LFS and got already made saltwater, 2lbs of live rock, and sand. It's a little tank. 3 gallons. I asked the guy at the store some questions and he didn't seem to be taking me seriously so I was wondering a few things. Should I add coral or snails first? How long after my ammonia nitrite and nitrate levels are stableized should I add them? And I read somewhere that to speed up the cycling process I could add a raw shrimp, Has anyone tried this? I'm just confused because the guy at the store was all well it sounds like you could just jump right in and start adding coral. But everything I read says not to do that.

[DRE30]

I'm new to this n I can tell u no u can't add nothing its all about patience n a 3gl is to small if u ask me but ur in the right place to learn about the Bobby.

[Docdiggy]

3 gallons is gonna be real hard to keep any levels stable for coral. Especially for someone just starting this.

[Mrramsey]

So I sm brand new to having an aquarium and have no intentions of killing anything on the process of setting up my tank😄 I went to my LFS and got already made saltwater, 2lbs of live rock, and sand. It's a little tank. 3 gallons. I asked the guy at the store some questions and he didn't seem to be taking me seriously so I was wondering a few things. Should I add coral or snails first? How long after my ammonia nitrite and nitrate levels are stableized should I add them? And I read somewhere that to speed up the cycling process I could add a raw shrimp, Has anyone tried this? I'm just confused because the guy at the store was all well it sounds like you could just jump right in and start adding coral. But everything I read says not to do that.
I hate to sound discouraging but your chances of success with such a small tank are going to be very slim. The slightest evaporation will change the salinity. The slightest amount of waste or excess food will alter the water parameters. You're better off starting with a 30-40g tank.

[KayleeAnn24]

I didn't realize all of those things were going to be a factor. But it's all I have so I would like to try.

[Jdavis8824]

I'll try to help! After you've cycled your tank make sure all of your parameters of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate read zero. Do at least a 50% water change and your ready for coral and inverts. Patience is key in this hobby so wait Til your tank completely cycles. Add a bit of fish food every other day to make sure the nitrogen cycle can break it down. Adding some snails first would be best then test to make sure your parameters stay in check. After that you can try adding some very hardy corals like mushrooms and zoas. You may have to do very frequent water changes. Could be 20% every 1-3 days depending on your filtration. Just be patient and keep testing Til you get as consistent as you can with your parameters. Don't forget to top off with fresh water everyday.

[Jdavis8824]

If you stay on top of your Maintance and water changes you can succeed but it will not be easy. Also I wouldn't recommend any fish or crabs. Keep your livestock to a minimum as they will create more ammonia, corals however do not.

[1MP3R1AL]

Honestly if you are using live rock and live sand in a 3G you should cycle almost immediately. I would wait at the very least 3 weeks before adding anything. You may see brown algae first. If you don't and it's been 3 weeks, do around a 1/2 gallon water change and then introduce a few snails. If they survive you should be good to go adding anything you want. Corals like green star polyps and mushrooms are very hardy and would look great in a small tank. If you stay on top of keeping your params stable you can add other corals.

[KayleeAnn24]

Thanks guys! I'll let you know how it goes if us don't mind!��

[Mrramsey]

Thanks guys! I'll let you know how it goes if us don't mind!��

Hey Good Luck! As long as you go slow and stay on top of it you'll probably be ok. There is certainly a lot more daily maintenance on a tiny tank to keep it all in check. Things can change very rapidly in a small environment.

[lancevnsn]

So I have kinda the same ?..... I have a 180g. My first saltwater tank figured go big or go home!!!!! Anyway it was cycled as of 24feb2015 and I have added snails and crabs and one ppmint shrimp. There was a gsp on one of the live rocks and a mushroom coral as well, they been in there since day one of the cycling process and have done great. When, how and what kind of coral can I start adding. My qt tank has still not cycled so it will be at least town months before any fish go into the DT.