Tank Cycled - Ready to add some life

[LX20000]

OK, the 40 gallon IM Nuvo All in One tank has cycled. It has been set up for about 3.5 weeks.

I tested the cycle twice by dosing the tank up to 2ppm with Ammonia from ACE hardware. Both times, Ammonia was at zero in less than 24 hours, Nitrites took about another 12 hours to hit zero. Nitrites never above 2-3 ppm.

Right now
NH3 - 0
NO2 - 0
NO3 - 5 to 10
Alk - 10.5
PH - 8 during day, 7.85 at night
Ca, Mg within normal limits, can't remember numbers

Going to do 30% water change, to drop nitrates a bit. Using Red Sea Coral Pro Salt, used dealer made salt water for initial 33 gallons, so will be taking 10 gallons out and adding Coral Pro. I WILL be on top of water changes. 15% a week is my target (5 gallons, as tank is holding about 33 gallons)

SO NOW TO CRITTERS... I want to start slowly..... I do not have a bunch of algae, just a bit. I do not want to add some huge clean up crew, only to starve them all to death.

I love Emerald crabs. I am thinking of adding two of them. I will feed them sinking pellets I can put in the sand... maybe a bit of shrimp with tongs. Sound OK?

Was also thinking of adding a Fire Shrimp or some sort of Coral Banded. One better than the other, or don't add one now?

I was NOT going to add fish now, but if I did it would be an Ocellaris pair.

Or would some sort of easy goby be a good first critter.

I am not an overstocker... IN fact, I see the total fish load being two clowns, a goby maybe one other fish. Invert load, my two emeralds, a shrimp, and maybe that's it.

I want to do mainly LPS and soft corals. No SPS.

What's s good start here?

P.S. I LOVE Emerald crabs... did I say this? I am getting some. I understand there could be issues with them and some corals... I will be getting very small ones and see they have other stuff to eat. If they get out of control, I am cycling an Innovation Marine 10, and I would make this essentially a crab shack if they don't work out. I must give it a try. Just not sure if they should be first thing in the tank.

 

[mcgyvr]

Snails....(Nassarius + those that go after algae and can self right themselves)

Throw in your emeralds + shrimp + snails and let the party begin..

 

[LX20000]

Oh, so you think two emeralds and one of the shrimp (either fire or coral banded) plus a few snails is not too much... OK.. I was worried that was too much. How long would you suggest running this (without seeing NH3 or NO2 buildup) before clowns can be put in?

 

[mcgyvr]

The clowns can be added now too or just wait a bit if you want..


FYI.. and once my 40b was cycled I added
42 ceriths (dwarf)
15 Nassarius
20 other ceriths (Florida)
16 Nerites
A large diamond goby
3 Pajama cardinals
2 damsels
1 Partridge in a Pear Tree.

all at the same time
not an issue.. (I no longer have those fish though.. they were transfers from my old tank and I turned them into the LFS as I don't want any fish I need to feed in my current tank)

Most are still in the tank somewhere or another
Some were eaten by the 4 blue leg hermits "dang bullies" I also added (won't do that again.. snail only IMO.. )

 

[LX20000]

Holy cow. No idea you could add that much.... I imagine the Partridge and Pear Tree both succumbed rather quickly. Now that would lead to an ammonia spike...

 

[mcgyvr]

yeah had to throw that one in..
I do have a leopard wrasse now... (my only fish)

 

[OrQidz]

Sounds like you're off to a great start! You could probably add the clowns now but it's kind of nice to add some inverts/CUC and see how they do for a few days to a week. Your emeralds may or may not go rogue eventually but sounds like you have the crab shack in case of that. Of course, catching them is not easy down the road in a stocked reef but if you really like them then go for it. My favorite shrimp is the skunk cleaner shrimp. I have a banded coral shrimp now and he's a fun character but he hides a lot more and waves his arms angrily at me if I try to hand feed him. My cleaner shrimp would come eat out of my hand and was always out in view. Fire shrimp are pretty but tend to hide a lot, or so I've heard. The cleaners become a real pet.

Have fun!

 

[LX20000]

Oh interesting... is that sort of a known characteristic of cleaners... that they are social critters, or you just luck out?

I have read about rouge crabs, and am aware, but I love those characters so I have to give it a try...

 

[texdoc77]

OK, the 40 gallon IM Nuvo All in One tank has cycled. It has been set up for about 3.5 weeks.

I tested the cycle twice by dosing the tank up to 2ppm with Ammonia from ACE hardware. Both times, Ammonia was at zero in less than 24 hours, Nitrites took about another 12 hours to hit zero. Nitrites never above 2-3 ppm.

Right now
NH3 - 0
NO2 - 0
NO3 - 5 to 10
Alk - 10.5
PH - 8 during day, 7.85 at night
Ca, Mg within normal limits, can't remember numbers

Going to do 30% water change, to drop nitrates a bit. Using Red Sea Coral Pro Salt, used dealer made salt water for initial 33 gallons, so will be taking 10 gallons out and adding Coral Pro. I WILL be on top of water changes. 15% a week is my target (5 gallons, as tank is holding about 33 gallons)

SO NOW TO CRITTERS... I want to start slowly..... I do not have a bunch of algae, just a bit. I do not want to add some huge clean up crew, only to starve them all to death.

I love Emerald crabs. I am thinking of adding two of them. I will feed them sinking pellets I can put in the sand... maybe a bit of shrimp with tongs. Sound OK?

Was also thinking of adding a Fire Shrimp or some sort of Coral Banded. One better than the other, or don't add one now?

I was NOT going to add fish now, but if I did it would be an Ocellaris pair.

Or would some sort of easy goby be a good first critter.

I am not an overstocker... IN fact, I see the total fish load being two clowns, a goby maybe one other fish. Invert load, my two emeralds, a shrimp, and maybe that's it.

I want to do mainly LPS and soft corals. No SPS.

What's s good start here?

P.S. I LOVE Emerald crabs... did I say this? I am getting some. I understand there could be issues with them and some corals... I will be getting very small ones and see they have other stuff to eat. If they get out of control, I am cycling an Innovation Marine 10, and I would make this essentially a crab shack if they don't work out. I must give it a try. Just not sure if they should be first thing in the tank.

Good Job cycling the tank. I agree with what the others have said. Adding CUC does not significantly increase bioload and thus adding them, even in large numbers, is a good idea. You will have diatom blooms and algae before you know it. I also think adding your pair of clowns is fine as well. I mean you have to start adding fish at some point right. I would recommend adding no more than 1-2 fish per month in order to let the nitrifying bacteria respond with an increase in population to the new bioload from the newly added fish. Plus, adding fish is kind of what this is all about.

 

[LX20000]

OK... so I am encouraged by the folks who think I can add the clowns... maybe I will do that..... So, maybe the two clowns, two emeralds, one shrimp and some snails.

Could I throw in like 1 or 2 small Zoa's ? Or do you wait a couple months before any coral ?

 

[RunBikeSwim]

Get a fire shrimp. Much better coloring than skunk cleaner or banded coral shrimp. I have 1 fire and 2 skunk in a 46. The fire is the boss and never timid especially during feeding time. The skunk are out and about all the time.
+1 on hermits being snail snipers. But I still have them in my tank due to their antics.

 

[LX20000]

I am clearly drawn to the fire shrimp. The color knocks the eyeballs out. I am leaning that way. You feed him directly?? Like with tongs?

 

[Cliving1]

I use my turkey baster to feed my fire shrimp. But then again, thats the only time I see it.

 

[crawlerman]

zoas are pretty hardy. Maybe test the water for a week after adding the fish to make sure everything is stable and fully cycled. Waiting months is not necessary. That being said, start off with a small, cheap frag to make sure it will survive. Just know that that one frag can spark a pretty good coral addiction that can clean out your wallet.

I've always had emerald crabs and they never bothered anything but algae. Nothing better than emeralds for eradicating bubble algae. That is just my personal experience, as you know others have had different experiences.

 

[texdoc77]

OK... so I am encouraged by the folks who think I can add the clowns... maybe I will do that..... So, maybe the two clowns, two emeralds, one shrimp and some snails.

Could I throw in like 1 or 2 small Zoa's ? Or do you wait a couple months before any coral ?

I'd throw in some zoas, but think about what you want your tank to look like long term. I had some zoas pretty early. They like dirty water and moderate lighting. I'm not a fan of emeralds, ate my zoas...

 

[LX20000]

Well, I am going slow. One Emerald crab in, three small hermits. The emerald seemed so happy. He flew around the tank for hours. He was in a tank with about 30 other emeralds. Now he has a huge domain for himself.

 

[schnebbles]

My cleaner shrimp will get on my arm in the tank. They seem pretty friendly. Out and about all the time.

Wish I hadn't gotten the blue legs too bc they have killed my snails too. They are kinda cute though. I ADORE my urchins. I had a blue tuxedo and picked up a halloween the other week.