View Full Version : When to add cleaning crew
Adimondinthesky
10-09-2007, 08:20 AM
I am going to be setting up a 34 gallon tank with cured live rock and aragonite based substrate. When should I add the cleaning crew and are shrimp and hermit crabs considered fish or part of the crew? How many of each should I have for a tank that will probably end up being 29-30 gallons once the rock and sand are in it?
Also, with this rock being cured, I have some Purple Up that I am going to try with the new lighting, when should I start adding that to the tank?
Dave66
10-09-2007, 09:56 AM
Add the clean-up crew when ammonia and nitrite are zero. They usually advocate 1 per gallon. Purple up should be added after the first month.
Dave
Adimondinthesky
10-09-2007, 02:31 PM
Am I able to add them all at the same time?
cocoa_pleco
10-09-2007, 02:33 PM
Am I able to add them all at the same time?
should be, but just make sure you have algae growing for the hermits to eat
I generally recommend adding 5 to 10 cleaning crew at time. While they do not have a large bio-load I feel it is better to add a smaller number in order to make sure there is no issues as a reult of adding them to the tank.
zackish
10-09-2007, 03:13 PM
I know everyone says to add a cleaning crew first but to me it seems kind of pointless. Most snails and such eat certain types of algae and in a new tank there isn't a lot of algae yet so isn't it kind of pointless to put them in a tank with no algae?
I know everyone says to add a cleaning crew first but to me it seems kind of pointless. Most snails and such eat certain types of algae and in a new tank there isn't a lot of algae yet so isn't it kind of pointless to put them in a tank with no algae?
I have a tank set up with live rock for a little over a week and I am starting to get algae in the tank. Cycle is completed so it is time for me to add my crew... I'm picking them up at lunch...
Adimondinthesky
10-09-2007, 03:40 PM
Along with snails and crabs, I am wanting to get 2 cleaner shrimp and 3 sexy shrimp, is that too many for a 34 gallon tank?
Also, I have been thinking of adding an in tank refugium...any comments on that? Good, bad or useless?
Thanks!
Sexy Shrimp should have an anemone to call home. If you do not have any, I would not recommend getting any of the sexy shrimp until you do.
zackish
10-09-2007, 04:10 PM
I have a tank set up with live rock for a little over a week and I am starting to get algae in the tank. Cycle is completed so it is time for me to add my crew... I'm picking them up at lunch...
I got very cured rock but it is only covered with coralline algae. What eats that?
My cycle is done and I have my new clown in there and he is doing great. I am about to turn the lights on today for the first time for him. The zoo patches I got should like it too!
Adimondinthesky
10-09-2007, 04:16 PM
I have ordered some live rock that has been cured for 6 months and she says it comes with macroalgae. What do you add to your tank to get the coralline algae?
zackish
10-09-2007, 05:11 PM
I have ordered some live rock that has been cured for 6 months and she says it comes with macroalgae. What do you add to your tank to get the coralline algae?
Good water parameters and time....
A healthy tank will naturally grow coralline algae over time. It is purple in color.
Good water parameters and time....
A healthy tank will naturally grow coralline algae over time. It is purple in color.
I have purple, pink, orange, and blue coraline algaes currently....
Adimondinthesky
10-09-2007, 06:46 PM
Sounds great, I would like to see that!
Do you add anything to your tank for coralline algae? Do you add any other supplements to your tank for other things, like calcium, ph etc?
Sounds great, I would like to see that!
Do you add anything to your tank for coralline algae? Do you add any other supplements to your tank for other things, like calcium, ph etc?
Currently no... The rock in question came to me with the coraline already on it... However, my other rocks are now starting to show similiar colorations as well. I would recommend you try to get a piece that is pretty well seeded from someone's tank or an LFS' tank if possible. The LR that you get out of the bin is cured, and has the beginings of all the wonderousness that LR is, however, getting one that is already established really helps jump start the entire process.
unleashed
10-09-2007, 08:52 PM
I got very cured rock but it is only covered with coralline algae. What eats that?
Urchins are your best bet for eating coralline. However, they do tend to knock things out of the way and ones with long spines can be quite dangerous during tank maintenance
jttt3
10-10-2007, 12:36 PM
Urchins are your best bet for eating coralline. However, they do tend to knock things out of the way and ones with long spines can be quite dangerous during tank maintenance
They can also go around dislodging new corals and things stick to them like velcro lol. I got a bargin on a piece of corals because it was stuck to the side of one.
Coraline is cool, and pretty though, not sure why people would want to get rid of it except for keeping everything under control of course.
Hermits will eat anything, but mostly algea, it really depends on the hermits you put in, but most are opportunistic and will eat anything that happens to be lying around. The snails will need algea though. After a month you should have algea start to grow anyways unless you are using a heavy phos control.
Adimondinthesky
10-10-2007, 05:24 PM
What type of hermit crabs are the best for a reef aquarium? Ones that won't touch the coralline algae.
Also, what types of snails are good to get that ARE able to turn themselves over?
zackish
10-10-2007, 08:35 PM
Urchins are your best bet for eating coralline. However, they do tend to knock things out of the way and ones with long spines can be quite dangerous during tank maintenance
I thought coralline is good algae?
unleashed
10-10-2007, 10:09 PM
zackish - it depends on you. Some people find that coralline is 'bad' becuase it uses calcium so therefore competes with sps corals. Others, like myself like it because of its colour.
Adimondinthesky - any hermits will eat algae and detritus. Most snails and hermits won't touch coralline becuase it is too hard from them to break off pieces.
a good list of inverts for battling algae would be:
emerald mythrax crab
electric blue hermits
blue legged hermits
zebra hermits
scarlet hermits
electric orange hermits
halloween hermit
orange tip hermits
etc
etc
trochus snails
turbo snails
astrea snail
bumble bee snails
Nassarius snails
nerite snails
tiger cowries
margarita snails
as you can see 'Adimondinthesky', there are heaps of snails and crabs which you can pick from which will eat algae for you
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