NEWBIE QUESTION for New Reef Tank

[Pacmanc]

Hello Everyone,
I have a strange question that I'm confused about? I have set up a 55 gallon saltwater reef tank with live rock and live substrate. It is currently cycling, and my question is I want to keep corals and fish in the tank. Which is better to start as inhabitants? Corals first and then slowly add my fish, or reverse or doesn't it make any difference? I have not been able to find any information on the web as to what is the best way to add inhabitants. Any of your expertise is welcome. Thanks. I do have a 20 gallon QT tank set up for all new inhabitants.

 

[Sponge]

This is a great question. And asking it means you are well on your way to a successful tank. As I’m sure you have noticed many people differ on just about every subject related to reefing. This is because there is simply no correct one way to do anything reefing related because there are so many factors that effect each other and it’s net result. However. MY OPINION is fish first. There are several advantages here. One... Just because a tank is cycled. Doesn't mean it’s ready to support any coral you stick in it. Secondly, assuming the water and conditions are not perfect... fish tend to be more resilient than corals and can handle non- ideal conditions better. Additionally, many corals rely on fish waste for nutrition. Also adding fish will change your water chemistry. This could upset new corals. So having the fish first and adjusting your parameters and getting the newly cycled tank stable will just benefit the corals that will be added later. Now with all this said. There are plenty of tanks with no fish at all ever. However. I believe that is a different skill level as you are eliminating a basic food requirement for many coral.

 

[amado]

I am building a new tank now and I have decided just to add my fish from my last tank. No corals just fish rocks and sand.
I am also not running any lights at the moment. I plan to do this for about 60 days to let the bacteria settle and let the tank stabilize.

 

[Goodair]

Might be easier to start with some fish and inverts. Do you have a fish stocking in mind, since it's best to start with the more passive fish and add the more aggressive fish last. After some time you can add some hardy coral and work up from there. It's good that your planning it out! Everyone runs into complications with their tanks, and its part of the learning curve, so don't be ashamed to ask for help if something comes up.

 

[Pacmanc]

Thanks Everyone for you input. It gives me insight into what has worked for others.

 

[Hockeynut]

This is a great question. And asking it means you are well on your way to a successful tank. As I’m sure you have noticed many people differ on just about every subject related to reefing. This is because there is simply no correct one way to do anything reefing related because there are so many factors that effect each other and it’s net result. However. MY OPINION is fish first. There are several advantages here. One... Just because a tank is cycled. Doesn't mean it’s ready to support any coral you stick in it. Secondly, assuming the water and conditions are not perfect... fish tend to be more resilient than corals and can handle non- ideal conditions better. Additionally, many corals rely on fish waste for nutrition. Also adding fish will change your water chemistry. This could upset new corals. So having the fish first and adjusting your parameters and getting the newly cycled tank stable will just benefit the corals that will be added later. Now with all this said. There are plenty of tanks with no fish at all ever. However. I believe that is a different skill level as you are eliminating a basic food requirement for many coral.

Well said