hello

[reeffreak]

Many people don't even use live fish to cycle.Like Yote suggested a raw shrimp or uncured live rock will work.Another way is to ''ghost feed'' the tank fish food although there isn't any fish.Not much,once every couple of days should work.The decaying food will also start a cycle.

[jpjones]

you all have bin very helpful thanks so far i got 3 of the five damsels out these cycle ideas are great (raw shrimp is it just droped in the tank or somewhere else)(with ghost feeding how long )with my last tank it was hit &miss just started adding fish first then shrooms etc. and what lived was good but also lost a lot and got expensive. what is uncured live rock never dealt with live rock before but did plan on having it in this tank

[reeffreak]

If you're adding uncured live rock then you may not need to add a shrimp or ghost feed.Test the ammonia for the next few days,if it reads zero try ghost feeding or raw table shrimp.Usually die-off from the uncured rock is enough to kick start the cycle.I ghost feed only two times,once every other day and just a pinch of food.

[jpjones]

i had the 5 damsels in for 2 wks none of my levels spiked(ammonia,nitrite and nitrates )thanks reeffreak

[jpjones]

oh and right now there are no suppliments add notsure where to start. i will start with the live rock then some shroom &polyps i have a kent starter kit with liquid calcium&iodine with strontiun&magnesium will this work.

[Bifferwine]

Don't add supplements unless you know you need them. Buy a calcium test first, and test for calcium. Only add calcium supplements if your levels are low. Anything between around 350 and 450 is fine for calcium. Especially since you don't have any corals. You don't really need to dose calcium in the first place. Remember, you can overdose supplements very easily if you just add them every week without ever testing if you actually need them or not. In most cases, regular water changes make supplements unnecessary in a tank with just a few corals.

[jhnrb]

Before you add anything to your system, sit back and contemplate what the addition will do for your system and will the impact be short term and long term. if the answer to theres questions are ok and the addition will contribute to the system then add it, however, your system will need time to mature and the 1st thing is to get a bacteria bed established. you've heard of new tank syndrome which is nothing more than a bacteria bed not being mature enough to handle the bioload added and it crashes, or, supercharges and takes out the majority of the oxygen available in the water collum. so establish your bacteria bed and add animals slowly waiting 10 days between additions. this is very general and im sure as you get there we can be more specific, I just wanted to share the main thought at this point. welcome to the site and good luck. posting your questions in the general forum categories will get more responses to your questions. again welcome.

[fishbait]

wecome to the site and the hobby.

[HAWKS12thMAN]

welcome to the reef

[RigoSharon]

jpones..were are the pics??.