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Hey guys,

I started up my tank last weekend and I did a test today to see what things were like. The nitrite test proved that there was none in the tank. The ammonia test proved to be in the lowest range <0.6 and the ph test pointed around 8.5.

I did a salinity test with the hydrometer and it's sitting around 1.021-1.022.

I want to wait as long as it takes for the tank to be ready, but it seems like it's reading around appropriate levels. I am concerned with the temperature of the tank ( it's around 82 ) but the heater is at a pretty low setting. I'm guessing that when I make the switch over from the little tank ( 16 gallons ) to the bigger tank ( 30 gallons ) it might be easier to regulate the temperature, even though I'm a bit curious about how the MH light is going to influence the temperature ( but it has some nice fans on it, so I hope it won't be a big deal 150w ).

I also picked up a bunch of LR this weekend from Jus68 and it seems like I picked up on some brittle stars or something, they are really tiny. They have been in the tank now for a couple of days and they seem to be doing ok.

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...k/IMG_4294.jpg

I'm thinking that if I am to grab anything, possibly some hermits to move the sand around a bit and put some life into the tank.

What do you guys think?
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VTX1800T

I would try out a hardy fish before moving to crustations. Crabs, snails and the likes are more sensitive to water parameters.

Your cycle is just starting. The brittle stars are a good thing.:wink:
Just wait another two weeks before adding something else and you should be good then. Only bad thing happen fast in salt water so go slow in adding anything. 82 is OK but at the upper end.
Before adding fish add some cleanup crew ones your algae stage happens.
You will go through a few stages of those brown then green then you get your coraline.:biggrin:

Ohh bump your salinity to 1.025 if you have a hydrometer other wise keep it where it is if you are using a cheap plastic one they tend to read on the high side. Most animals will be happier at 1.025

to stir up the sand you could try a sand sifting gobie but I would wait abit , also sea urchins are good for eating rock clean when you go through your algae cycle. Are you using rodi water?
You may run into lots of algae problems later on if you're not also another fish to look into getting once the tank has fully cycled is a golden rabbit fish. I swear by them their great for keeping rock clean.

As I understand your post your tank is one week old. It is just starting to cycle.

Under no circumstances should you put any fish, hardy or otherwise in your tank until the cycle is completed. Put one small fish in one month apart.

Go
 

I guess I'll wait a little while longer, I'm in no rush.

I guess I should really get the 30 gal tank first anyways.
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Honda Mantis

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I do have a cheap plastic hydrometer by the way, did you mean that it reads on the high side or on the low side? Does it mean that 1.021 reads lower than it should, meaning that it's actually ~1.024, or do you mean that it reads on the high side and it actually means ~1.017.

I'm using RO water, but it's not RODI. We buy it at work and it's ozonized ( I asked questions about this earlier and it seemed like it wouldn't be a problem ).
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vaporizers

Im in the same boat as you bud. I recently started up my tank a couple weeks ago and am in the process of cycling.
All of the live rock that I added to the tank was already cured and well established. I myself was going to wait at least a month before adding any kind of life to my tank (as far as everything that I have researched it is the proper way to go). However a friend of mine who is very knowledgable and has alot of experience with aquaria (he also helped me set everything up) convinced me to introduce a couple of black molly's into the system. They are alive and well and according to my friends advice are helping to cycle the tank.
Black molly's are a brackish water fish that can survive in both fresh and salt water and are very hardy fish. Also they are very cheap (about a buck each).
Im not sure if this is the way to go but for me it seems to be working.
Im new to the hobby and spend alot of time researching new material everyday however I am by no means an experienced aquarist. I would recommend taking advice from the pros before me but I hope my experience could perhaps shed some light on the subject.
Good luck bud.
Oxy

never use live fish to cycle
 

Oxymoron
The idea of using cheap, brackish or hardy marine fish to cycle a marine tank is dated 1980s thinking.
Today with live sand, live rock and proper test kits it is no longer necessary to stress or kill live fish.
Tell your friend most conciencious reefs would never do that today.