Cleanup Crew

[FSU Reefer]

Hello all. My tank has been cycling for the past 3 weeks. The water parameters are perfect. Ive read mixed reviews on dropping a raw shrimp in the tank to let the tank decompose it. Should i do this or should i just add some chromis? Also, at what point do i add the cleanup crew? before I add permanent fish or after i get a few fish in the tank? Thanks

 

[lapin]

Hello all. My tank has been cycling for the past 3 weeks.

Live rock? Live sand? Bacteria? Feeding ammonia while cycling?
Ammonia level? Nitrite level? Nitrate level?

Ive read mixed reviews on dropping a raw shrimp in the tank to let the tank decompose it. Should i do this or should i just add some chromis?

Do not add fish, unless your tank can process the ammonia. Ammonia from food and fish waste will harm or kill the fish.

Also, at what point do i add the cleanup crew? before I add permanent fish or after i get a few fish in the tank? Thanks

No need for a clean up crew until they have something to clean up.

 

[FSU Reefer]

I have not been feeding ammonia while cycling the tank. There is live rock in the tank. There is currently no ammonia in the tank. Nitrate NO2 is at 0. Nitrate NO3 is at 0. I also cycled my dead live rock (quit the hobby for a few years and used the same rock as before...added ammonia during the cure) for about 8 weeks before the 3 week tank cycle. Sand was not "live" when i put it in the tank. Not sure if its live yet. I just added a raw frozen shrimp to the tank. Is this the right move?

 

[ramseynb]

I have not been feeding ammonia while cycling the tank. There is live rock in the tank. There is currently no ammonia in the tank. Nitrate NO2 is at 0. Nitrate NO3 is at 0. I also cycled my dead live rock (quit the hobby for a few years and used the same rock as before...added ammonia during the cure) for about 8 weeks before the 3 week tank cycle. Sand was not "live" when i put it in the tank. Not sure if its live yet. I just added a raw frozen shrimp to the tank. Is this the right move?

It'll work though I don't really care for that method. I use Dr. Tim's ammonia instead. It's more precise and you're not adding detritus to your tank right away.

 

[FSU Reefer]

Thanks for the help everyone. Should I do water changes throughout the cycle or is the tank supposed to rid itself of ammonia and nitrates?

 

[ramseynb]

Thanks for the help everyone. Should I do water changes throughout the cycle or is the tank supposed to rid itself of ammonia and nitrates?

Water changes will only make it take longer. The ammonia and NITRITE will go away once you build up bacteria to process it. Then you'll be left with NITRATE. Once you're at that stage, do a big water change (25-50% depending on how high nitrates are) and you're all cycled. Add a coral and one fish or something and take it slow. Nothing good happens fast in this hobby so don't try to load up on fish right away like you're on an episode of Tanked.

 

[gonioporagirl]

For cleanup crew i would start with hermit crabs and snails. I have always gone by the one hermit per every 3 gallon rule. The best snails for picking up excess food are probably nassarius snails.

 

[Uncle99]

Just keep in mind that most crabs are opportunists, and will certainly try to take out any slow moving inhabitants...at best, they may remove 10% of your algae...

 

[oceanfan913]

Don't put livestock in until it is fully cycled and ready to go. Use Dr. Tim’s Ammonia if you need to cycle more instead of livestock. For clean-up crew, I loved having nassarius and trochus snails. They did great for me. Hermits never did that great of a job, just jacked with the coral.

 

[tmccaffery]

Hermits I don't like all snails for me. Hermits will find another food source if not enough to eat snails, corals, etc

 

[jlmawp]

To me, the fact that you say your tank has cycled, but your nitrates are at 0, and you have never added ammonia are statements that are at odds with one-another. If you are only now contemplating adding a raw shrimp to the tank (which is basically the same as dosing ammonia to force a cycle), then there is a good chance that your tank is not truly cycled.

When you say you have added live rock, does that mean you bought the lock in a "live" state? Or did you buy dry rock that you are trying to turn into live rock? The presence of ammonia and nitrite in a new tank are what build up the necessary bacteria on the rock surface to make it "live", so it's pretty important that you feed that bacteria in some shape or fashion.

If your nitrates are truly zero, that means you never had ammonia or nitrites in there to be converted by the bacteria, since a detectable nitrate level is expected at the end of a cycle, it being a byproduct of bacteria's processing of ammonia and nitrite.

 

[flawedexistence]

JMHO but I'd skip the hermit crabs. If you mix crabs and snails at least some of the snails will get eaten.

 

[LauraGreenImp]

JMHO but I'd skip the hermit crabs. If you mix crabs and snails at least some of the snails will get eaten.

I learned the *hard* way abt hermits. The teeny ones are ok, but we had a not so fun time catching and re-homing the larger HCs in our 150tall. Just say no.