Cycle Complete.....Cleanup Crew

Embowe · 10/21/2006, 06:38 AM

My cycle is ALMOST complete...my ammonia is 0 and my trites are 0 but my trAtes are WAY up there....about 80 or so....and I may add some snails/shrimp soon...my question is...I dont seem to have any algae growning in the tank....none on the glass and nothing on the sandbed or LR....What should I feed the snails/shrimp, and how many of each would you suggest for a 38 gallon with 50lbs of LR

racrumrine · 10/21/2006, 09:13 AM

With lighting, you will begin to have algae.

Trochus snails are better than astraea snails because they can flip themselves over if they fall on the sand. They also seem to tolerate warmer water better.

I like snails that reproduce in our tanks. IPSF Strombus grazers and collonista snails reproduce.

For the sand bed, nassarius snails are scavengers. You will probably also have bristleworms in your live rocks that will act as scavengers.

Asterina starfish are great little algae eaters.

If it were me, I would start out with no more than 10 to 20 snails and then add more if needed to maintain a balance in your tank. If you buy snails that reproduce, you'll need even less.

For your size tank, a couple of hermits would be adequate if you have a full compliment of snails.

Best of luck,

Roy

Embowe · 10/21/2006, 09:49 AM

Are my NitrAtes ok to add snails or should I wait till they drop lower....

daveverdo · 10/21/2006, 10:05 AM

The nitrates will probably not drop too much. Do a water change, at least 25%. That will bring the nitrates down.

Dave

dugg · 10/21/2006, 10:24 AM

If you put snails in with a nitrate reading of 80ppm, they will most likely die. Are you sure about that reading? If so how is it that high in a new setup? Did you use uncured live rock? I would reccomend that you don't do anything for now, just let it finish it's cycle. It should be fine in a few weeks. Nothing good happens fast in this hobby.

When the nitrates have come down, add 1 nassaurius snail per gallon of water. Get the bigger tonga nassaurius snails instead of the small atlantic ones. Then add about 1 Trochus snail per 2 gallons. I personally don't like hermits, they destroy more then they fix. One or two won't hurt, but get the red leg ones if any. Just give it time, you will be way better off in the long run.

Embowe · 10/21/2006, 10:59 AM

The LR I used was shipped to me from Walt Smith...it was packed in a "wax" box and lined/covered with wet NOT damp newspaper....does that change anything or no?

dugg · 10/21/2006, 10:19 PM

Sorry it took so long to get back to you. Yes, it makes a huge difference. That rock was uncured which means it had a lot of life on it, and a lot of stuff that died during and after it was shipped. That is both good and bad. Bad in that it will take you longer to cycle, but good in that in the long run, you will have a lot better more diverse system. There will be all kinds of little critters that survived the trip inside the rocks.

Just do like 5 gallons water change every 2 or 3 days for a few weeks until the nitrates come down to atleast 25ppm before adding anything alive. Be sure you have good flow in the tank, and run the lights just like it was full of fish and corals, so that anything left on the rocks will have a better chance of survival. Keep doing regular water changes (5 gallons per week) until you get to under 10ppm nitrates. Under 10 ppm is the ultimate goal. The amonia and nitrite should always stay at 0 ppm. You may see them both come back up and go back to 0 before the cycle is finished, but after everything settles, they will stay at 0.

Basically anything you put in there right now has little chance of survival, so save your money and be patient.

dugg · 10/22/2006, 02:17 PM

.

10/21/2006, 06:38 AM	#1
Embowe Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: South Jersey Posts: 331	Cycle Complete.....Cleanup Crew My cycle is ALMOST complete...my ammonia is 0 and my trites are 0 but my trAtes are WAY up there....about 80 or so....and I may add some snails/shrimp soon...my question is...I dont seem to have any algae growning in the tank....none on the glass and nothing on the sandbed or LR....What should I feed the snails/shrimp, and how many of each would you suggest for a 38 gallon with 50lbs of LR

10/21/2006, 10:05 AM	#4
daveverdo Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Horseheads, NY Posts: 1,881	The nitrates will probably not drop too much. Do a water change, at least 25%. That will bring the nitrates down. Dave __________________ 90g Display with fish, LR and a few soft corals, 65g basement sump, eBay LEDs

10/21/2006, 10:24 AM	#5
dugg Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Florida Posts: 3,807	If you put snails in with a nitrate reading of 80ppm, they will most likely die. Are you sure about that reading? If so how is it that high in a new setup? Did you use uncured live rock? I would reccomend that you don't do anything for now, just let it finish it's cycle. It should be fine in a few weeks. Nothing good happens fast in this hobby. When the nitrates have come down, add 1 nassaurius snail per gallon of water. Get the bigger tonga nassaurius snails instead of the small atlantic ones. Then add about 1 Trochus snail per 2 gallons. I personally don't like hermits, they destroy more then they fix. One or two won't hurt, but get the red leg ones if any. Just give it time, you will be way better off in the long run. __________________ What happens if you get scared half to death, twice? Current Tank Info: 90 gallon reef with tek-T5 lights, sealife systems skimmer in 30 gal. sump. 70g Oceanic Tech, 30 gallon sump/refugium,1 250 watt 14k metal halide, 2 65watt PC actinic, Octopus NW-150 Protien Skimmer

10/21/2006, 10:19 PM	#7
dugg Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Florida Posts: 3,807	Sorry it took so long to get back to you. Yes, it makes a huge difference. That rock was uncured which means it had a lot of life on it, and a lot of stuff that died during and after it was shipped. That is both good and bad. Bad in that it will take you longer to cycle, but good in that in the long run, you will have a lot better more diverse system. There will be all kinds of little critters that survived the trip inside the rocks. Just do like 5 gallons water change every 2 or 3 days for a few weeks until the nitrates come down to atleast 25ppm before adding anything alive. Be sure you have good flow in the tank, and run the lights just like it was full of fish and corals, so that anything left on the rocks will have a better chance of survival. Keep doing regular water changes (5 gallons per week) until you get to under 10ppm nitrates. Under 10 ppm is the ultimate goal. The amonia and nitrite should always stay at 0 ppm. You may see them both come back up and go back to 0 before the cycle is finished, but after everything settles, they will stay at 0. Basically anything you put in there right now has little chance of survival, so save your money and be patient. __________________ What happens if you get scared half to death, twice? Current Tank Info: 90 gallon reef with tek-T5 lights, sealife systems skimmer in 30 gal. sump. 70g Oceanic Tech, 30 gallon sump/refugium,1 250 watt 14k metal halide, 2 65watt PC actinic, Octopus NW-150 Protien Skimmer

10/22/2006, 02:17 PM	#8
dugg Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Florida Posts: 3,807	. __________________ What happens if you get scared half to death, twice? Current Tank Info: 90 gallon reef with tek-T5 lights, sealife systems skimmer in 30 gal. sump. 70g Oceanic Tech, 30 gallon sump/refugium,1 250 watt 14k metal halide, 2 65watt PC actinic, Octopus NW-150 Protien Skimmer

10/21/2006, 09:13 AM	#2
racrumrine Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: San Francisco Posts: 2,290	With lighting, you will begin to have algae. Trochus snails are better than astraea snails because they can flip themselves over if they fall on the sand. They also seem to tolerate warmer water better. I like snails that reproduce in our tanks. IPSF Strombus grazers and collonista snails reproduce. For the sand bed, nassarius snails are scavengers. You will probably also have bristleworms in your live rocks that will act as scavengers. Asterina starfish are great little algae eaters. If it were me, I would start out with no more than 10 to 20 snails and then add more if needed to maintain a balance in your tank. If you buy snails that reproduce, you'll need even less. For your size tank, a couple of hermits would be adequate if you have a full compliment of snails. Best of luck, Roy

10/21/2006, 09:49 AM	#3
Embowe Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: South Jersey Posts: 331	Are my NitrAtes ok to add snails or should I wait till they drop lower....

10/21/2006, 10:59 AM	#6
Embowe Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: South Jersey Posts: 331	The LR I used was shipped to me from Walt Smith...it was packed in a "wax" box and lined/covered with wet NOT damp newspaper....does that change anything or no?