Nano is cycled...next?

[J Searcy]

I packed my nano full of rock a couple of weeks ago and now it appears to have cycled. Its only been about 18 days so it seems kind of fast.

12 gallon JBJ
12lbs LS
17lbs LR

The brown algea has gone away and some green is now flourishing. Ive seen at least 4 feather dusters.

For livestock, what should my next step be? A cleanup crew or a fish?
I had always been under the impression that a cleanup crew would go in first but I was told I could do otherwise by the LFS.

At what point can I start with coral?

Thanks for the help, this forum is fantastic


A freshwater addict, turned to a nanoreef newb

 

[liquid]

I'd probably add a small cleanup crew and let the tank go for about a month. Then I'd add my first coral and a small fish or two.

Shane

 

[brandon4291]

I like that idea Shane, and J Searcy I would also recommend keeping an ammonia/nitrite test kit handy during the early phases of stocking your tank. If you exceed the bacteria/surface area ability to process waste from the organisms you add, it will indicate on one or both of these test kits. The easiest thing to do at that point is remove an organism or two, wait two weeks for further seeding, then check that the tank can hold the organism (s) without registering on either of these two test parameters.

As far as trickier corals, the major concept is that an established tank will have the correct micro/meiofaunal balance (gametes/larvae are food sources) along with proper bacterial colonies for waste oxidization. Me personally, I never wait the usual 6 months for stocking stony corals but then again Nano systems that are stocked with seeded and cured LR and LS from the beginning are just about ready to go.

 

[J Searcy]

Thanks everyone! I have a cleanup crew and place and things seem to be going well.

 

[Jiggaboowhat]

hello...

it's good to see that your nano is doing well. i would add maybe 2 snails and a hermit crabs. wait about 2 weeks....if everything is going well...i would add a small fish or 2. wait about 2 weeks and make sure your live rock can handle the bioload. after about 2 weeks you can start adding corals. i wouldn't add the fish and coral at the same time. could very easily kill your coral with a spike. i've had a 2.5 gal. nano for about 3 years. they're difficult, but that's the fun of it!

hope i was of some help