My fishless tank is just cycled .. switch on the skimmer or wait till i get fishes ?

My fishless tank is just cycled .. switch on the skimmer or wait till i get fishes ?

And , what single fish type can i start with ,,, can i start with any type ???
( i am asking if i can't find clowns in my LFS)

 

Depends on what you're overall stocking plans are.

Is this a fish only tank or a reef tank?

I have a reef tank and my first fish was a pajama cardinal. It handled it fine, and it's an easy fish to care for if you're just getting started in saltwater. It eats frozen brine, New Life Spectrum pellets, and picks pods off the rock. I haven't got it to take flake yet though.

As far as the skimmer, you can probably turn it on if your tank is cycled.

 

When did you start the tank?

 

4 weeks ...

 

There are no hard and fast rules about when to turn on a skimmer, now is probably fine.

Personally I would start with a small clean up crew a snail or two and some hermits.

While your test kits show no detectable ammonia and nitrite currently, a tank at 4 weeks is not cycled, the biological filter needs to increase in size and stabilize, go very slow with stocking and light feedings. Do not impulse buy.

 

Just curious, how big is the tank also?

 

30 gl

 

If the skimmer is new I would turn it on now and get it breaking in over the next week or so. Don't expect much/any skimmate as i'd imagine theres very little Dissolved Organic Compounds (DOC) in the water yet.

 

I would get it going, you might be surprised whit it pulls out just from the rock.

 

Great advise given by Coailline.Also,make sure your fish choice is one that you really want long term and is well suited for your tank.