cycle completed, live stock help

[kettlecorn]

I took a sample of my water to one of my lfs and his communication skills were subpar I really didn't get what he was getting a. Anyway he said saliity is great, amonia and nitite is 0 and few nitrate (no specific numbers). He also was telling me that I need to cycle with livestock cause it causes ammonia to spike. Anyway looks like I'm ready to add a few things.

I have a 34 gallon red sea max. About 35-40lbs of live rock, about 2 inchs of aragonite alive sand from natureLs ocean. Beem cycling for a few weeks now. I never turned on the protein skimmer or the lights ever so lots of bubbles and crap floating atop. No algae at all.

Clean up crew first? I don't want them to die cause there's nothing for them to eat. I would like a pair of black oscellaris clowns. Too early?

[Shane Hoffman]

Did you ever see an amonia spike??? What did you use to start the cycle?? You should have thrown in some raw shrimp or fish flakes/pellets to start the cycle and cause an amonia spike.

[winvargh]

Yea you should do that but u should first get a cheap fish and see what happens. Food does help the cycling

[shifty51008]

He also was telling me that I need to cycle with livestock cause it causes ammonia to spike


that is farthest from the truth, as stated a pinch of flake food, a raw shrimp, and heck even peeing in the tank will cause ammonia and start the cycle. i don't suggest the peeing method due to ovoious reasons.

[kettlecorn]

I did see an ammonia spike. Last week ammonia was at .25, nitrite was at 0-.05, nitrate low range of 5 and high range of 25.

I did not put anything in my tank. I got established rock and did a tank water/live rock transfer from someone on this forum, and then bought live sand and kept all running in water for a few weeks.

[Shard]

Your tank may be cycled, but did you add a little bit of food each day, or put a piece of raw shrimp in the tank? If not, the problem you may have is once livestock is added it will start to cycle again, because you have thrown off the bioload balance by adding to much at once.

In other words, without a constant input of food or other source for the ammonia during the cycle, your tank could be "cycled" to handle a very very low bioload, ie: no fish at all.

Start with just 1 small fish, if you still have 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite after a week or more, add another small fish. Go from there.
Remember to take it SLOW... Smaller tanks can be a little difficult at times.

[kettlecorn]

I see what you mean by the biological load limit. I will definitely take that into consideration and go low and slow.

Is adding CUC a bettering idea for biological load or just 1 fish?

[tspors]

Wait before adding fish. CUC first.

[j.p. harrington]

everyone told me to add small CUC first i just got my tank cycled about 2 weeks ago let it set for 1 week to make sure it wasnt a false test then i added. 2 emeralds 4 turbo snails and 4 red legs. in my 75. to fight my hair algea problem. theyve been doing great since i out them in last weekend but im going to wait atleast another week b4 i out anything else in no need to rush and kill what u spend alot of money on