- Location
- Staten Island
I think cuc was meant as clean up crew. Not cucumber as it seems you are referring to
Sent from my iPhone using Reefs
Sent from my iPhone using Reefs
Hey, New to SW Tanks
- Thread starter saveourship
- Start date
- Location
- SI
Yeah, clean up crew. I should of been more specific since I'm new to MR.
Thanks for pointing that out.
- Location
- Staten Island
Oops lol...
- Location
- SI
:biglaugh:
I think scarlett hermits, blue leg hermits and various snails will be good clean up crew. 6+6 of each hermit and about 8 snails of two or three different varieties will work out well.
- Location
- Staten Island
Sounds good check out reefs2go.com... there having a special on clean up crews.. i order from them all the time great service
- Location
- Staten Island
careful with crabs unless you plan on glueing all your frags down. they tend to throw them all over!
- Location
- SI
Thanks for the feedback. My water came from an established tank at the LFS were I got the supplies to start up. My parameters have been consistent, with nitrates dropping from 20 ppm to 10 ppm from one week to the next with testing every 5 days.
What indicators should I wait for before introducing a clean up crew ?
Some extra info to consider, there are some hitchhikers on the LR- a rock full of possible zoas (with no lights on, they haven't opened or developed color), some feather dusters and a brittleworm are in there. Green Hair Algae has also started developing, which why I thought the clean up crew was ready to be added
Please, if I'm missing something, share your experience. Thanks!
- Location
- Staten Island
Nice tank, I assume you've already tested for ammonia and nitrite? If you're reading zero already have nitrates under 20ppm and started getting hair algae a small cuc wouldn't hurt.
Being from Staten Island I can only give you one piece of advice stay away from Animal Kingdom unless you're in a emergency situation and don't mind paying extra for drygoods, don't put any livestock they have in that store in your tank. The place on hyland I forget what it's called.... Animal Pantry don't go there either tanks are disguising, good places locally you'll have to go over a bridge. If you go into the city hands down Manhattan Aquarum or if you go into NJ Aquatic Obsession or Ocean's Gallery but OG you'll really have to be careful if you're buying fish some are loaded with ich.
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- Location
- Staten Island
Yeah another member from SI.
Welcome to MR, be patient, ask a ton of questions, and you will be OK.
If you need help with anything just reach out.
Welcome to MR, be patient, ask a ton of questions, and you will be OK.
If you need help with anything just reach out.
- Location
- Overland Park, KS
what type of tests are you using? "test strips" you called them? Not sure about that. A good test kit is a very good thing to invest in at this point - one that is made specifically for salt water tanks. (the kits you are using aren't from your FW days, are they?) A good brand to use is Salifert, though I am sure there are others...
you began on May 12th? Even though you are using water from an established system, don't rush things. Your photoperiod can be nice and short, as there is not much in there that needs light. You probably won't lose those hitchhikers, as hitchhikers tend to be the strongest species on the rocks. Were the rocks from the LFS also? Because your cycle will depend on the bacteria in the rocks and in the sand - there is practically no bacteria in the water column, and certainly not the kind that is going to accelerate the cycle.
What have you added to the tank to cycle it?
you began on May 12th? Even though you are using water from an established system, don't rush things. Your photoperiod can be nice and short, as there is not much in there that needs light. You probably won't lose those hitchhikers, as hitchhikers tend to be the strongest species on the rocks. Were the rocks from the LFS also? Because your cycle will depend on the bacteria in the rocks and in the sand - there is practically no bacteria in the water column, and certainly not the kind that is going to accelerate the cycle.
What have you added to the tank to cycle it?
- Location
- SI
I'm using Mardel test strips. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000256E08/?tag=reefs04-20 They are certainly not from the FW days.
Yes, May 12th is the "birthday" for the tank. I do keep a photo period of two hours every morning, from 6am to 8 am on an automated timer.
LR came from the LFS and I picked each rock from the LR open top tank. Over Memorial Day weekend, you have to see the amount of tiny feather dusters there are popping up.
I haven't added anything to the tank to cycle it, I'm thinking of adding a bag of chemipure elite tonight to the middle chamber to help clarify the water. For filtration, there are no bioballs or stock filter media trays, just polyfil to collect detrius. I would place the chemipure right in the middle of the polyfil, where water makes contact w/ the fil, to ensure the best/ efficient passage of water through.
Being water parameters have been good, and after I add the chemipure, I was thinking of picking up a small clean up crew of scarlet hermits and turbo snails in a few days from Manhattan Aquariums. What do you think ?
I'm in NO rush as this is a small, sensitive ecosystem and I'm still learning, so please keep offering advice, I'm all ears.
- Location
- SI
Picked up part of my clean up crew yesterday of 8 red leg hermits, 2 emerald crabs and a cleaner shrimp. Totally forgot to get snails :banghead:
hopefully after a couple of weeks, I can pick up a rose bubble anemone and the snails- prob get cerith's. Thoughts on snails ?
For laughs, we named the shrimp Sir Bubba Scampi of Cocktail, the 2 emerald's Harry & Sally, and the 8 hermits Snow White and the 7 dwarves since one is pretty friggin big compared to the rest.
Can't thank the MR crew enough for the help and guidance.
hopefully after a couple of weeks, I can pick up a rose bubble anemone and the snails- prob get cerith's. Thoughts on snails ?
For laughs, we named the shrimp Sir Bubba Scampi of Cocktail, the 2 emerald's Harry & Sally, and the 8 hermits Snow White and the 7 dwarves since one is pretty friggin big compared to the rest.
Can't thank the MR crew enough for the help and guidance.
Attachments
- Location
- Staten Island
Animal Kingdom is highly frowned upon by the local reefing community, just about the worst place you can get any livestock on the Island. Place on Hylan (Animal Pantry) is pretty horrible too, always has floaters you tell the guy about them and he's like "oh I know, just haven't got around to it yet" nothing good on SI as far as LFS.
- Location
- Bridgewater, NJ
You want to wait longer for the anemone. At the very least 6 months, but the longer the better. They like established systems and yours is still pretty new.
- Location
- SI
thanks for the advice.
what's some good coral to add in there until I'm ready for the rose bubble ?
- Location
- Staten Island
While Animal Kingdom is not the greatest and some livestock is overpriced, in my opinion, it's still the best place on SI. It's the only place I really purchase fish from since i dont like ordering them online. Just be sure to thoroughly check out the fish before you purchase them (as you should do with any livestock). I just recently bought a diamond goby from them who is doing a great job sifting my sand.
What I highly recommend is taking the drive to Manhattan Aquariums on W 37th st. I havent been there is many months, but there's free parking on the weekends and they would give 10% off if you're a Manhattan Reefs member. Prices are very fair as well.
What I highly recommend is taking the drive to Manhattan Aquariums on W 37th st. I havent been there is many months, but there's free parking on the weekends and they would give 10% off if you're a Manhattan Reefs member. Prices are very fair as well.
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