cycling for fiji puffer and friends

[mikeKICKz]

i don't know if you guys remember me but i had a gsp in a 30g. he died awhile ago and i'm going try again with either the fishes listed above. i'm leaning more towards the fiji puffer. i started my cycle yesterday and will do a water test tonight. probably get a damsel this weekend to help with the cycle. so far the tank is empty with just the ater aqua cleal 50, fluval 2 plus internal filter, heater and air strip. no substate at the moment.

my plan is to get a 1 yellow tail clownfish, fiji or valentini, and 1 more fish that i haven't decided on getting yet.

i'll keep ya'll posted.

[Pufferpunk]

No reason at all to use a fish for cycling SW or any other type of cycling. Live rock is all you need to cycle a SW tank.

[mikeKICKz]

thanks for quick response. what kind of care do i need to do for live rock.

and what is the best substrate for the puffers i'm deciding on.

[Idontknow]

If you cycle with fish it takes about 6 weeks. One damsel will not produce the same bio-load as a valentini or fiji puffer. So you might have another mini-cycle going after you add the other fish.

If you are in a hurry, are you able to get a hold of bio-spira or its new form safestart?

Cycling with live rock is easy and it doesn't really need too much care, just pretty much pop it in and give it some light, but not for long extended periods. I would examine the live rock before putting it in though. Sometimes you might get a hitcher like a mantis shrimp or bristle worms. I had a mantis hitcher and it ate some of my fish. If you find them you can just remove them with some tweezers. Don't use your hands.

Cycling with live rock takes about 2 weeks or more depending on how much you put in there.

As for substrate it's pretty much up to you. I like to use sand because it has a more natural feel to it. If you can get a hold of live sand, this will help your cycle as well.

[mikeKICKz]

thanks idk. for your input. i'll prolly get a couple pounds of live rock tomorrow and search for some sand. i'm in no hurry at all. i've used bio spira before and plan on using it once i get the rocks in. but is this realalistic, 1 fiji puffer, one yellowtail clown and a dwaft loinfish in a 30 gal. please don't beat me up. thanks

[Pufferpunk]

I'd go with just the puffer. You definately don't have room for the puffer & lion. Maybe a smaller species of clown. I'd prefer to see 1-2 blue/yellowtail damselfish though, clowns can be pretty mean.

[MMaddox]

You need to do a lot of reading before you're ready for a puffer. Check out WetWebMedia (http://www.wetwebmedia.com) and Microcosm (http://www.microcosmaquariumexplorer.com) as well as my blog (in my signature) for more information about marine aquariums.

[mikeKICKz]

haha. lion fish. what was i thinking.


so p.punk, a damsel would be okay? what other types of fish would work with a fiji?

thanks

[Pufferpunk]

You're pretty much out of room in a 30g tank.

[mikeKICKz]

i just want 2 fishes. a fiji puffer and something else. i didn't mean a damsel and what else can i put in there. i meant besides a damsel what else would work with a fiji puffer.


so far i know damsel would work, maybe a small clown, royal gramma...?

[Hydrokal]

Depending on the damsel, some of those can get pretty aggressive, and once they are in your tank with live rock, have fun getting that bugger out. I have one of the most amusing damsels I have ever seen, he is named pikachu due to peaking at everyone from behind rock work in the tank.

And if i remember right, clowns are a form of, or related to damsels. Clowns can indeed be little bastages though, I know many people who are constantly bit by their clowns while cleaning the tank.

I would personally go Royal Gramma probably, due to the fact that their crazy colors will offset those of the puffer, or have you considered a small firefish? they are neat as well.

[mikeKICKz]

ok i got 10 bag of caribsea arag-alive sand, 5 lbs of cured live rock, and 5.5 lbs of uncured live rock. they're all in but my sg is at 1.010~. Is it safe for me to pure salt directly into the tank? i'll post a pic tomorrow morning.

[Hydrokal]

No.

More than likely pouring the salt strait into the tank it will not dissolve before settling into the sand, at which point you'll add more to get it to the correct SG, then the stuff in the sand will slowly dissolve and possibly raise your SG beyond what you want. Always premix your salt water.

I am not sure the standing of most puffer keepers, but a good general rule of thumb for live rock is 1lb per gallon of water, if using uncured live rock extend your cycling time by a couple of weeks just to make it safer for the fish.

[mikeKICKz]

how do i know when the rock is fully cured. also since this will be my first sw tank, is a protein skimmer a must? if so, is there any good over the top slim ones?

[riggers]

Talk to most people and they will say they couldn't live without a protein skimmer. I would say yes you should definitely get one because of the size of your tank. I don't know about brands but I think the remoras are quite good ones.