I'm new :) Starting new "kid's tank"

[snipe]

https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/show...47#post1073547
I hope it works out for ya. Go to that link and look at the last two pics that will give ya a heads up.

 

[ryan115]

We are all talking about the cost of the tank being the largest problem, and i fully understand that, im in college and on a very limited budget. But think about it this way, true some people have luck with CC but many more have luck with LS. If you happen to have bad luck with CC what will it do to your daughter. She will get to like the fish and then if they die she could lose all interest in the hobby and that would be more costly than any sand or CC. What i would recommend would be to search for the argonite sand they sell at Home Depot that you can use as a base and get a few cups of sand from an established tank, either from your LFS or find someone in your area with a SW tank.

 

[costanza]

Snipe, what am I supposed to be looking at in those last 2 pix?
I'm looking at them on a laptop monitor so maybe the pix are too small.
I'm STILL waiting for someone to tell me WHEN the sand came into use and became so popular.

 

[loopy]

I was told cc by two different fish stores. I have cc in my 55, and I know several other people who have cc. Personally, if you've already made the investment....do what you think is best as you have past swa experiene, you are not a novice, go with your gut and your experience. I am surprised no one has told you to get rid of the ug filter yet, they did with me. Also, unlike me....set yourself up a good qt tank as well, I need one now but don't have it ready, I just started at this and am not an expert by any means, but I do know that when you research cc vs. sand you will get equal opinions, good and bad, on both, I did. Good luck, our aquarium is my daughters, fun to watch them be so excited, to bad it's so costly.

 

[snipe]

Look at the bottom of the tank and the rock. with the crushed coral everything is covered in aglea and when he changed to sand it got read of it all.

 

[costanza]

Originally posted by Snipe
Look at the bottom of the tank and the rock. with the crushed coral everything is covered in aglea and when he changed to sand it got read of it all.
Oh. I thought i was going to be seeing lots of dead fish, etc. from the CC. What's a good invert. to clean the algae that will get along with a couple small clowns, a couple of shrimp and a couple of crabs?

 

[hagfish]

You should be fine with CC IMO. You haven't mentioned keeping corals or anemones anyway and they are the one's that are most effected by high nitrates. But I've had CC in my tank for about 7 months now and had 0 nitrates all along. Just keep up on water changes and make sure you are vacuuming the CC when you do them.
As for a cleanup crew, some red leg hermits and some snails (I use turbo's, although I'm not sure I'd recommend them because they prefer colder water) should do a pretty good job. I think a skunk cleaner shrimp is excellent at scavenging as they are very quick and seemingly always hungry.