I think I'm really

[Monica]

Yesterday I spent $100 dollars on test kits, live sand, decorations, crushed coral, salt mix, hydrometer, and RO water. Is there anyway I can cycle the tank before I get my fish. The bag that the live sand was in said instant-cyling. Is this true?

[Monica]

I forgot to mention I want to get 2 clownfish. Will this be OK for a 10 gallon? I do not have any live rock. Also do I need to get something to be a clean up crew?

[tinyreef]

two clowns would be the limit on the 10g. marine tanks support less than freshwater.

 

you can cycle with a couple of hermit crabs and snails (cleanup crew). it not necessary to use fish, just a little quicker since they produce more wastes to feed the cycle. use the tests to determine the cycle stages. if the product cycles instanteously : great but more likely you'll have to wait a week or two.

 

live rock is nice but not necessary, ditto for sand, both recommended though.

[Joxer the Mighty]

Monica, you didn't mention what kind of filter you will be using. If you do not have a skimmer or some other method of filtration then you should have some live rock which will act as a natural filter, the same goes for live sand.

 

Not so sure about the claim of 'instant cycling', I don't think there is such a thing. It takes time for the beneficial bacteria to grow and adapt to the bioload of your tank. As others on this board will tell you, patience is very important in this hobby as some things just cannot be rushed.

 

Good luck!

[Mr_Spam]

anything labeld "live" thats in a seald package is not live, or has lots of decomposition.

[gobies]

If you haven't opened the crushed coral yet, I'd suggest returning it. Depending on what size tank you have and how deep a sandbed you want to use, you might want to get some more dry aragonite sand to use instead of the crushed coral.

 

You will also want to get a bit of live sand to seed the rest of your sand. If there's a marine or reef club in your area, that would probably be the best source for live sand. I'd suggest going to one meeting, making a few friends, and getting maybe a cup of live sand from each of them. That way you get more diversity, always a good thing with a live sand bed.

 

Also, you can do a fishless cycle by adding live rock to your tank after you have water and sand in it. If it's at all possible, add all the live rock you plan to get at once, so you have one shorter cycle instead of several mini-cycles that will draw out the process. Depending on where you get your rock -- locally or on-line and shipped -- you will have varying amounts of "die-off" when you get the rock into your tank. Once that's done, you can add a few cleanup critters. And about a week later, presuming your tank is done cycling, you can add one or two clownfish. If you get them at the same time, fine; if you get one now and one later, just make sure the one you add later is smaller than the one you already have.