| Re: Could the chemical Levels change now?
You really need something for your biological filtration. The sand will just not be enough. Personally I would go with the live rock, but since this is a FO setup you could have a wet-dry with bioballs. They will help with a partial biological filtration. They will however leave you with high nitrates which will have to be removed with regular large waterchanges. The live rock will finish the cycle by convertint the nitrates to a harmless gas. You will still need water changes but not as many or as large since the rock provides a better cycle.
Do not add fish until you have a good biological filter. You need the levels to go up and then back down before adding livestock. If you add fish now they will provide the cycle but will likely die due to the levels created. That is why we use a piece of shrimp to start the cycle. Nothing is at risk while your tank cycles.
Go slowly and do it right. Otherwise you will always be playing catchup and constantly struggling to keep things going. A properly set up and aged tank really requires a small amount of maintenance since everything is in balance. A few minutes a day and a bit more on the weekend and everything stays good. |