What Should I Do Now??

mcowart

mcowart

Member
New to the hobby. I have a 72 gal bowfront that's been up and cycling with LR for two weeks.
I should get my sand in this weekend and will add it when it does.
How long should I wait before adding any cleaner crew? I have been absolutely fighting the itch to put something in there and i know it will be even worse once all the sand is in. Also, when I look at SWF to buy a cleaner crew. The package for my size tank seems like a crazy amount of inverts for me with nothing else in there right now. Is the 55-100 reef package too big for me right now? What are your opinions on what I should start out with.
Thanks.
 
mcowart

mcowart

Member
Just with the LR and some aragonite substrate. I removed the substrate last week because I chose to go with a finer sand
 
T

tizzo

Guest
You have a 72 gallon tank. How much LR did you put in and was it from mail order or a local fish store?? (It matters to see if it has caused an ammonia spike from di off or not.)
 
mcowart

mcowart

Member
I have about 60 lbs of LR in it right now that I got locally. They tell me that it has already cured and everything.
I am adding adding 20lbs arag-alive and 60 lbs reef sand this weekend. Will this affect it also?
Thanks for your help and sorry for the simple questions, just don't guess I know much about it all yet and wanna go as slow as I need to have a successful tank. Just trying to learn as much as I can beofre I get into putting fish in. Thanks
 
T

tizzo

Guest
60 pounds of LR in 70 gallons of water is very smart and if the rock was cured at the lfs then your cycle (the initial one) is pretty much already done for you. You see, we cycle our tanks to cover every possible surface with beneficial bacteria to "eat" ammonia, and trates. Your LR is already covered in that bacteria. The sand your adding. Is it from another tank or from a bag?? If it's from another tank then that too will already have the bacteria, if it's from a bag then it will have die off and may cause a spike.
The only way to know for sure when your tank is ready is by testing the water. Take a sample to your LFS and ask them to test (or you can buy the test kits) for ammonia and nitrates. You should have a reading of 0 on both of those. If not then wait until you do...
When you add fish, add them one or two at a time since each addition will cause a mini spike due to the increased amount of ammonia being introduced to the tank (fish pee, extra food, etc)
Your clean up crew needs not be considered with minicycles since they kinda mute themselves out with their clean up abilities...
If you do decide to buy your own test kits, go for Salifert's. They are unusually accurate and very easy. Ammonia and nitrates are all you need. You can test for nitrites, but if your ammonia and trates read 0 then you are pretty much guaranteed not to have trites.
 
mcowart

mcowart

Member
I've been testing my levels with just LR are at 0(for amonia ,trites, trates). With the sand coming being induced with bacteria and coming from a bag, I would guess that I am looking a some level of spike coming.
Reef packages are sold on this site ,for my size tank, include:
Scarlet Hermit Crab: 20
Blueleg Hermit Crab: 20
Turbo/Astrea Snail: 25
Peppermint Shrimp: 5
Emerald Crab: 5
Coral Banded Shrimp: 1
Cleaner Clam: 2
or
Scarlet Hermit Crab: 20
Blueleg Hermit Crab: 20
Nasssarius Snail: 10
Emerald Crab: 5
Coral Banded Shrimp: 1
Sally Lightfoot Crab: 1
Turbo/Astrea Snail: 20
Cleaner Clam: 2
Is this too much for me to add at this point with no fish in there? I don't want to skimp by and wish later that I had more, but I definately don't want way to many. Also, would it be alirght to add some crew( or all) with the tank still cycling or should I wait on that? Thanks so much for your help.
 
T

tizzo

Guest
Your tank is sufficient to add all of those things, but the reef packages are mostly a guide. You can change it up and get what you want individually and the price pretty much stays the same.
I like your first list better, but unless you just want a coral banded, I would nix that choice.
price 20 scarlet hermits, extra shells (which you will need), 40 turbos/astrea snails, 2 emerald crabs, 1 cleaner clam (since they really need trates and hopefully you will not have enough for two) and 1 peppermint.
More snails and less hermits. Snails will control the algae and the hermits will control the uneaten food, but since you have LR, hopefully you have pods and bristles to help with that, not to mention we are hoping you will not overfeed to much anyway.
Emerald crabs will control bubble algae, but with a new tank you should not have to worry about that yet... Peppermint shrimp, you'll never see them, and again one be sufficient for it's purpose in a new set up. It's purpose is usually aiptasia.
Also, I would add a cleaner shrimp. They are a nice addition that your fish will appreciate.
That's just my humble opinion though...
 
T

tizzo

Guest
Originally Posted by mcowart
Also, would it be alirght to add some crew( or all) with the tank still cycling or should I wait on that? Thanks so much for your help.
Oh, I would wait and see what your water parameters do after you add the live sand.
 
renogaw

renogaw

Active Member
that's a lot of snails. i may be able to add some more, but i only have about 12 snails in my tank for above the sand eating, and about 10 nassarious snails for under it (75 gallon). you may have a little less live rock than you should (it should be about 1.5 to 2 lbs per gallon), and 60lbs of live sand may be a little light (i have 100lbs and it makes a 2 inch bed). i bought the same sand, and did not have an ammonia spike (just make sure the sand is within the expiration date, and if your lfs was smart they kept it in the window).
having any shrimp will limit your choices of fish, so make sure you know what fish youwant, and if they are shrimp safe, or you will just waste your money on a nice snack for the fish.
the emerald (or any mythrax crabs--i have scarlet and purple) are fine for most reef/fish tanks unless they get really hungry. scarlet hermits are lazy but pretty, blue legs are workers. my sally light foot is a very hard worker. i have 15 blue, 4 scarlet, and 3 white leg hermits. Definitely get them shells (either from here, your lfs, or even from a shore if you are near one) so they can grow into new homes to avoid killing your snails.
if you're definitely past your ammonia spike, and your readings for everything are down to zero (hard to imagine in a 2 week old tank, how did you cycle it?) then i would add half the clean up crew. once you get the lovely brown diatoms then add the rest.
 
mcowart

mcowart

Member
Originally Posted by renogaw
if you're definitely past your ammonia spike, and your readings for everything are down to zero (hard to imagine in a 2 week old tank, how did you cycle it?)
I have been cycling with just the LR for the past 2 weeks. Most of the LR came from an established tank and the rest, I was told, was all cured, so from what I understand that should have decreased my cycle time tremendously.
Now, you are saying that the Arag-Alive didn't cause you any spikes?
Also, in total, I will 80 punds of sand and since I am still cycling, I can always add more if need be.
 
mcowart

mcowart

Member
Oh yeah, and, in your opinions, is this one of the better sites to buy fish from, or are there better ones? As I understand it, posting websites and stuff directly on the boards is prohibited, so maybe if you have any other options, you could email them to me at cowartm@gmail.com
Thanks
 
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