euan_matthewtan asked:
Okay my dad and i went to our normal petstore when we saw it was close for thanksgiving so we went to this other petstore(3 miles away) and i picked up some more live rock and some other testing stuff(Prosphate) they asked me is my tank cycled or not? and i answered “nop not yet” he said you should add 2 clownfish to them …and i was thinking can clownfish survive the cycle? and now im really curious if they can…can someone help me….And MAYBE MAYBE if they can, can i add them to mine tank?
20 gallon saltwater cycling,with live rock
ammonia = 0
nitrite= 3.0-5.0
nitrate = 5-10
ph – 8.0-8.2
thank you
Okay my dad and i went to our normal petstore when we saw it was close for thanksgiving so we went to this other petstore(3 miles away) and i picked up some more live rock and some other testing stuff(Prosphate) they asked me is my tank cycled or not? and i answered “nop not yet” he said you should add 2 clownfish to them …and i was thinking can clownfish survive the cycle? and now im really curious if they can…can someone help me….And MAYBE MAYBE if they can, can i add them to mine tank?
20 gallon saltwater cycling,with live rock
ammonia = 0
nitrite= 3.0-5.0
nitrate = 5-10
ph – 8.0-8.2
thank you
i’ve been cycling for like 3 weeks but im doing fishless 
its just a curious question.
Personally I think it would be cruel to add clownfish at this point. The fish will end up with burnt gills. Wait till the tank finishes cycling. THe live rock is really all you need to help the cycling. I know it is a pain, but if you wait till the cycling is finished, you will have a better chance of the fish thriving in the tank. If the fish end up with burnt gills, they will die a slow and painful death.
just let it cycle with the live rock in there for now. I know it is so tempting to add stuff right away, but you should really wait a few weeks before adding anything. putting two clows in a cycling tank is kinda cruel, not to mention more expensive. Just have patience. wait at least 3 weeks. add one fish at a time and be sure not to overfeed.
I wouldn’t… If anything, buy some cheap damsels. $35 for a fish that will most likely die isn’t a good idea.
Honestly, they should be okay.
Just do small(1-2 gallon) water changes everyday until your tank is finished cycling, just as a precaution. It looks like you are past the ammonia stage(the most dangerous) and you already have some nitrates, which is a good start. I have two clownfish of my own, and I have heard that they are generally pretty hardy.
But, although they should be okay, you need to know something.
Never buy on impulse.
Research is key, especially to salt water, and you need to read up before you do anything else.
3-5ppm of nitrite will kill them in a matter of days.. wait for the nitrite spike to end
any store that will tell you to add fish to a cycling tank is just looking for money…
No clownfish are prone to whitespot in bad water conditions.
The petstore guy is an idiot.
If you were to do a water change and bring your nitrites down yes they can go into the tank. Clowns are very hearty fish here.
Honestly I would go for a few guppies or mollies if you are looking to cycle faster. You may have to acclamate them a bit longer but they will help cycle the tank much faster. Save your money on the clowns until the nitrites are under control.