First saltwater tank

[drichards36]

Hi all,
Started my first saltwater tank about 2 weeks ago (JBJ 28 gallon HQI nanotank), spent a few days working on salinity and going back and buying rock (wanted 20 pounds, then 24 pounds, then 30 pounds) and finally got everything working right. Today is the first day of getting fish, I got a bonded pair of clown fish from the LFS and a Zoa plug. Here is a pic (the tank side needs scraping, forgot to buy a magnet scraper for the 500000th time.)

Any suggestions on what next? I was researching a CUC but I don't have algae yet and I just added fish so I want to wait a week or so. Here is what I was thinking.
2x Clown Fish
1x Fire Fish (still up in the air)
1x Yellow Clown Goby
1x Lawnmower Blenny
Then CUC I still haven't figured out but I really hate snails after my freshwater tank got infested with them and had to bomb the suckers. Not sure if that is possible but I love the shrimp/crabs at the LFS so I will see.
Any suggestions would be appreciated

.

 

[drichards36]

Sorry the pics crappy as well, used my phones camera to take it.

 

[blanquita]

I love hermit crabs. they are lively and good at cleaning leftovers. Mine smell the food and come scrambling out to get it! lol

 

[hunt]

I dont think a lawnmower blenny is such a good idea, unless you want to feed it algea sheets, ive seen those things in 55g tanks starved to death because there wasnt enough algea. Unless it eats flake and algea sheets(or what ever you feed ) well, i would not get it,
this should help, http://www.reefpedia.com/index.php/Lawnmower_Blenny

 

[hunt]

Also, saltwater snails tend to not reproduce like freshwater, If you put in like 4 turbo snails, thats all you will ever see, and every once in a while youll see little snails, but they dont normally survive.
You could get most shrimp/crabs that you see, just be careful you make shure non are coral eaters, and they dont get too big.
My main advice, do as much reaserch on what you want, or think you want befor yyou by it.

 

[drichards36]

Yea, for now I'm a ways off from adding anything other then more corals and CUC. I just research then ask the LFS for what to do next (I don't even test the water, I bring them a sample weekly and they tell me what to do,) but, its pretty easy to grasp using pre-made water etc. For CUC I do want emerald/strawberry crabs and 2 skunk shrimp, other then that its up to suggestions really. I have heard the fire fish are very nice though, so after my tank can stand another fish in a few weeks I'll probably pick up 1 fire fish as well.

 

[drichards36]

Today I found a lot of brown stuff growing around my tank. I looked up the forum for beginners and found it to be Diatoms. I suppose I had a bloom of it last night, my LFS suggested I get snails but I asked for alternatives and they said hermit crabs. I got 2 emerald crabs, 2 hermit crabs, and 1 cleaner (Skunk?) shrimp to start my CUC. Should I wait and see if they take care of it or should I add a bigger CUC? Also, how long does it take for zoas to open up after being added, mine seem to clam up and don't wanna open.

 

[hunt]

Originally Posted by drichards36
http:///forum/post/3245480
Today I found a lot of brown stuff growing around my tank. I looked up the forum for beginners and found it to be Diatoms. I suppose I had a bloom of it last night, my LFS suggested I get snails but I asked for alternatives and they said hermit crabs. I got 2 emerald crabs, 2 hermit crabs, and 1 cleaner (Skunk?) shrimp to start my CUC. Should I wait and see if they take care of it or should I add a bigger CUC? Also, how long does it take for zoas to open up after being added, mine seem to clam up and don't wanna open.
Need to know your water parameters, what kind of lighting, what temp. You should really get some snails, They are great algea eaters, i would also get some burrowing snails to stirr up your sand bed.

 

[drichards36]

Its just the 28g nano HQI, so everything is still stock. The aquarium is in a corner so I can't do the chaeto sump I keep reading about . As far as water goes, the temp is 75-78 depending on the day (I have a hook on fan that is on a timer.)
PH 8.0
Salinity 1.024
Everything else is good except I have a trace amount of amonia that doesn't wanna go away and a little nitrate(Diaton will fix that I believe.)
What snails stirr up my sand bed? That is probably what I'll have to force myself to get. I do love these hermit crabs though, LFS guy told me I could get 1 per gallon of tank so that will be cool.
here's a pic with a cleaned up glass (finally got my magnet scraper)

 

[drichards36]

Well, after doing a lot of research I found out it was a diatom bloom, and, after 2 water changes and a proper CUC the problem is finally under control.
The only problem is I bought a skunk shrimp initially and then got a peppermint shrimp with a CUC package from the LFS. Today I found the peppermint shrimp dead with signs of a fight; is this a normal problem between skunk shrimp and peppermint shrimp or was something else the culprit? The LFS told me they should be fine but I should have researched it properly myself.
CUC
8x hermit crab
1x skunk shrimp
1x turbo snail
2x narc snail
2x emerald crab