Need some help!!! Save a life

[buddyboy]

Alright, I knew soon or later I would be impetious and do something I'd regret.. It's not the end of the world but I would really like some imput on how I can mitigate any undue carnage to some astrea snails and blue leg-hermit crabs..HERE's THE SCENERIO......... I ordered some fiji cured live rock to cycle my 75g reef tank.. Since it was over 150$ I got free shipping and thought hell why not get some scavengers to go along.. So I ordered 25 snails and 25 hermits. Now, I know that you need to wait until the tank cycles but U see it was free shipping and I am greedy SOB, PLUS I have a preexisting SW FO tank and thought I could house these guys until the other tank cycles.. However, the tank has been dosed with COPPER in the past, 4-5 months ago I'd say, but i have been runing charcoal and a Chemi-pure in the interim.
Since I will be using 12g fuge in my new reef setup, I was thinking about moving these guys into that along with the old tanks CPR backpac and biomedia for colonizing bacteria. I have plumbed it so my fuge can be disengaged from the main display while the display cycles. What are your thoughts, any and all help will be appreciated.. You guys have a chance to save a life, how many people can say that when they wake up in the morning.. just kidding

 

[beaslbob]

If I understand your situation correctly, you got live rock and a cleaner crew at the same time. You want to save the cleaner crew correct?
my input:
1) do not disconnect the fug while the display cycles. The whole system needs to cycle
2) if you do not have macro algae/plants in the fug then add some.
3) get some container and put sand and water from the display tank into it. add cleaner crew to that tank. you can feed then there while display cycles and builds up some food for the cleaner crew.
or optionally just put everything in the display tank and let it run. You may lose some of the cleaners but not all.

 

[maroonclownfan]

I put an old filter cartridge and 3 lbs of LR in a 10 gal fuge and it was full of copepods and I even through some Asterina Stars in the same day and they survived. The Old cartride had enough bacteria to handle the little bit of bio-load that was in the tank. Just provide some circulation. The next day I put a blue-leg in the fuge to see what would happen, and 6 weeks later he is still enjoying his home. You should be fine with the hermits, but the snails may not find enough to eat, plus they are a little more sensative. Not to mention your hermits will probably kill them anyway and steal their shells, not much you can do about that, just nature!!!
I think the hermits will survive just fine, just get a piece of Cured LR (not treated with copper) and put it in the tank, the little bioload produced by the crabs should be easily handled. Getting some LS from a non-copper treated established tank would do the trick too. You will also have to 'feed' the tank to give the crabs something to eat.
HTH>>>>>>>MCF

 

[maroonclownfan]

PS the fuge was NOT attached to the Main tank at this time.

 

[jlem]

Since you bought cured rock then you cycle may be non existance. The cured rock has the beneficial bacteria already so mix up some salt water and swish the live rock around before it goes into the display tank to knock off any gunk that may be on the rock. Your cycle should be exremely short. Don't feed the tank anything until your levels read zero. I would not worry a whole lot about the cleanup crew since your cycle should be small.

 

[maroonclownfan]

The 'cycle' will only take place if excessive ammonia is introduced from die off or from some other source. The inverts will probably put off so little that the cured LR will probably already be able to handle the bio-load. However, don't overfeed the tank which could cause a spike.
JMO.........MCF