tank cycle

[jesman002]

i have a 20 gallon reef i setup about a month ago the cycle seems to be done so i added a couple hermits and a small clown fish just wondering now when i should do my first water change and how often also what are some good starter corals and what other fish could i put in with the clown thanks.

[NanoAmyDee]

In the begining you should do about 10% water change at least once a week. Esspecially with the clown in there. The number of fish you have depends on if you have a sump or fuge in there. The general rule of thumb is 1" per 5 gallons of water. In a nano it is best to keep the number of fish to a minimum.

 

Also, the type of fish you add depends on the type of clown you have. Some are very territorial, and adding a fish may cause a bully situation.

 

How much Live rock and sand do you have? This will also dictate on what tpye of corals and inhabitants you get to a point. Some good beginner corals are shrooms, polyps, and green star polyps. Even xenia. You can add more than one coral at a time but you shouldn't add more than one or two fish at a time. And you should wait a while before you add any corals now that you have a fish. The bioload you have now with the fish can possibly start a mini cycle. See how it does and check the water. When everything seems stable for a bit then add more stuff.

 

read read read. then add.

 

PS. What type of lighting are you using. That will also dictate the type of corals you start with.

[jesman002]

i have 20 lbs lr and 10 lbs ls the lighting is a cl 2x65 befor i get any corals i was wondering should there be any coraline algae growth i havent noticed anything yet but im not really sure when i should start looking for it.Thanks for any help