should i get a clean up crew???

[sanababit]

hello guys

my tank is 18 days old and i was wondering if i should get a cleanup crew, i have 0 all across the board and yesterday i got a lanwmower blenny (hes doing fine, eating and hiding) anyways what are your opinions???

sana

 

[Bmgrocks]

i'd get one.....
why not, itll help down the road

Go small, How big is your tank
maybe 4 turbos and like 6 red legs, 4 nassarius, to stir sand
call it a day. keep it small, since u have very little

 

[sanababit]

oops sorry, its a 46 gallon tank, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate, i got a blenny in there but havent seen any spikes or changes.

sana

 

[joekr]

I would go heavy on the snails and stay away from crabs. For my 90 that I am hoping wil be cycled soon, I am going w/ 20-30 snails and 2-3 scarlet crabs.

The crabs tend to knock over frags as they lumber around...

 

[Wett Hands]

Hi sana,

Your levels are zero now, but did you see a spike in your ammonia and then a return to 0?

I am by no means the expert, but I don't think a tank can fully cycle that fast. But, if it did then by all means get some clean-up-critters.

 

[BCreefmaker]

I am by no means the expert, but I don't think a tank can fully cycle that fast

it depends what it was set up with. fully cured LR will cycle a tank very quick.

 

[Frick-n-Frags]

yes put some snails in.
the snails' #1 job is to keep surface algae off all the surfaces.
a bunch of sand snails can't do this. you need algae eating snails first and foremost.

regarding cured rock cycling. the cycle is usually so light, you might as well call it a "bacterial adjustment" vs a cycle because:
a) there was already bacteria established from when it cured
b) the nutrients that would fuel a cycle is already burned off
you could almost say cured rock is "pre-cycled" for you.

the danger is that this minimal cycle has a minimal amount of bacteria to support the minimal bioload. You MUST sneak things like fish in slowly and wait like a month before the next round to let the tank lightly recycle each time. you probably will never measure anything ever if you take your time.

 

[rob28]

My tank cycled in 20 days with fully cured rock,Since added 10 astrea snails,10 nassarius snails and 2 blue leg hermits..About 4 days they had it in good shape considering the algie i had....

 

[Sk8r]

You should have put the snails in first, then the blenny. Do not add any more fish for a couple of weeks, and quarantine them first for observation for fishy disease, or you could be back to square one with no fish and a tank having to wait 6 weeks.

 

[rob28]

Oh ya When i cycled with fully cured rock i added a couple of coctail shrimp to get a good amonia spike...It has since been good and have added a PJ cardinal and my levels haven't moved....

 

[Wett Hands]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9787421#post9787421 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BCreefmaker
it depends what it was set up with. fully cured LR will cycle a tank very quick.

LOL I said I was not an expert
Since all my tanks have usually taken a couple weeks I guess thats what I was just used to.

Live and learn!