Species for Tank Cycling

[Scouse]

Does anybody see any problems in cycling a tank with two baby clown fish and a couple of little crabs?

I would plan to give the clowns back to the LFS when finished cycling and the tank was ready for the octo, but leave the crabs in for munchies.

 

[joel_ang]

No, not a problem at all, don't even see why there should be.

 

[joel_ang]

Ha! I'm finally a giant gelatinous octopus.

 

[cthulhu77]

A lot of Tonmo'rs have been having spectacular success with common black mollies...they are inexpensive, hardy, easy to adapt to saltwater...and if the octo eats them...oh well!
Nothing wrong with the clowns either, though.
Greg

 

[Scouse]

Cheers folks

Might have alook at mollies no sure if ive evr seen one, just thought clown fish because they will give me something pretty to look at whilst cycling. Since they look so cute and good enough to eat when the're little.

Dont worry I wont really eat em!!


Congratulations on your promotion J!!!

 

[joel_ang]

I used clownfish too as nothing in the tank for 2 months is really annoying.I left the clown fish for Zoidberg.

 

[Scouse]

Well thats good somebody else has used clown fish, it was just the fact that i was unsure if they were hardy enough for cycling but obviously are.

I suppose also it will be a little test for me, in that if i cant control the water parameters for these fellas, i cant control the parameters for me eight armed ambidextrous future matey.

Hah!!! There's a question!!!! I shall move that one into the more appropriate forum!!!!

 

[igoRluse]

:x

Why on earth would you want to cycle using fish? When the tank is going to go through it's amonia spike, you are going cause useless suffering and even have a good chance of killing them. Using fish to cycle SW tanks is a thing of the past and should stay so. If you are using live rock, get uncured live rock. The die off will be more than enough to get the cycle going. If not, the simple cocktail shrimp method will work fine. You can even seed your tank with nitrobacter available commercially to speed things up a bit.

I'm sorry to say so, but IMO anyone who would even consider using fish to cycle their tank should question themselves on the reason they ever got into this hobby.

 

[Scouse]

Well that certainly touched a nerve with you an this post is blast from the past.

I do agree to a certain extent with your views.

So whats this shrimp cocktail buisness? sounds worth considerin......

 

[igoRluse]

Once the new tank is filled, just chuck in a raw cocktail shrimp or two and let it decay. The decay will provide all the amonia needed to feed the nitrifying bacteria and make them reproduce which is exacly what cycling a tank is all about.