Ready for CUC or First Fish?

floydie83 · 06/25/2010, 04:10 PM

I just finished my cycle about a week ago with all my parameters in check on my 72 gallon.

Salinity 1.026
pH 8.6
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0-5

Diatoms have disappeared and now hair algae seems to be dying out. There is barely any left. Cyano seems to be coming in. I am performing regular water changes and have got some cheato growing in the fuge.

I am thinking about running some carbon and GFO in an old HOB filter in the next couple weeks. I am sure there is phosphates since I am using marco rock and sand.

Am I ready for a CUC (few peppermints, snails, hermits) or a fish (blue green chromis)? Should I wait a bit more? The tank will be 4 weeks old on monday.

kkrawler · 06/25/2010, 04:33 PM

sounds like your in almost the same boat as me! I started with the CUC Blue leg hermits, asteria, cirith, and a peppermint shrimp. I haven't added anything else because my Phos' were/are high so I've been working on reducing those before moving any further

MCCOOL · 06/25/2010, 04:35 PM

Sounds like you are ready to SLOWLY start adding livestock, i'd start with a few snails or hermits and make sure they do ok for a week or so.

floydie83 · 06/25/2010, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MCCOOL

Sounds like you are ready to SLOWLY start adding livestock, i'd start with a few snails or hermits and make sure they do ok for a week or so.

Any recommendation on how many? I will ask the LFS but I want a second opinion.

Thanks!

MCCOOL · 06/25/2010, 05:08 PM

I'd start with a couple (<10), just to be sure they aren't going to die from some unknown factor. Assuming they do good for a week or so, i'd slowly start adding 5-10 more at a time.

drew8 · 06/25/2010, 05:10 PM

my as well buy a fish and put in a QT tank so its ready when the tank is

drew8 · 06/25/2010, 05:10 PM

go Blue by the way...

Nakzter · 06/25/2010, 05:13 PM

I would start with probably 10 hermits and 10 snails (small ones) and a couple of nessarius snails if you started out with live sand.

floydie83 · 06/25/2010, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nakzter

I would start with probably 10 hermits and 10 snails (small ones) and a couple of nessarius snails if you started out with live sand.

The sand started out as dead. Should i forego the nessarius then?

floydie83 · 06/25/2010, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drew8

go Blue by the way...

Go Blue as well. Thanks for the QT idea.

kkrawler · 06/28/2010, 05:56 PM

how are the additions coming?

floydie83 · 06/28/2010, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kkrawler

how are the additions coming?

kkrawler,

I added 6 small red leg hermits, 6 cerith, and 3 turbos. There is a lot of eating going on. everything seem to make it okay.

I'm thinking about getting a BRS dual reactor in the next few weeks to run carbon and gfo and reduce some of those levels.

how is your tank going?

kkrawler · 06/28/2010, 06:42 PM

Sounds good!

In my tank I'm having a small battle with phosphates and trying to bring them down. I have a few asteria snails that are become a small PITA because it seams every other day I have to save one as they fall off the rocks and land upside down and they can't flip themselves back over. Dumbasses LOL!

floydie83 · 06/28/2010, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kkrawler

Sounds good!

In my tank I'm having a small battle with phosphates and trying to bring them down. I have a few asteria snails that are become a small PITA because it seams every other day I have to save one as they fall off the rocks and land upside down and they can't flip themselves back over. Dumbasses LOL!

I've had to save a cerith a couple times too...makes you wonder how they actually survive in the wild. I guess there isnt any glass to crawl up

06/25/2010, 04:10 PM	#1
floydie83 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Lawrence, KS Posts: 287	Ready for CUC or First Fish? I just finished my cycle about a week ago with all my parameters in check on my 72 gallon. Salinity 1.026 pH 8.6 Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 0-5 Diatoms have disappeared and now hair algae seems to be dying out. There is barely any left. Cyano seems to be coming in. I am performing regular water changes and have got some cheato growing in the fuge. I am thinking about running some carbon and GFO in an old HOB filter in the next couple weeks. I am sure there is phosphates since I am using marco rock and sand. Am I ready for a CUC (few peppermints, snails, hermits) or a fish (blue green chromis)? Should I wait a bit more? The tank will be 4 weeks old on monday.

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06/25/2010, 04:33 PM	#2
kkrawler Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: London Ontario Posts: 84	sounds like your in almost the same boat as me! I started with the CUC Blue leg hermits, asteria, cirith, and a peppermint shrimp. I haven't added anything else because my Phos' were/are high so I've been working on reducing those before moving any further

06/25/2010, 04:35 PM	#3
MCCOOL Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 1,135	Sounds like you are ready to SLOWLY start adding livestock, i'd start with a few snails or hermits and make sure they do ok for a week or so.

06/25/2010, 05:08 PM	#5
MCCOOL Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 1,135	I'd start with a couple (<10), just to be sure they aren't going to die from some unknown factor. Assuming they do good for a week or so, i'd slowly start adding 5-10 more at a time.

06/25/2010, 05:10 PM	#6
drew8 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 67	my as well buy a fish and put in a QT tank so its ready when the tank is

06/25/2010, 05:13 PM	#8
Nakzter Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 55	I would start with probably 10 hermits and 10 snails (small ones) and a couple of nessarius snails if you started out with live sand.

06/28/2010, 05:56 PM	#11
kkrawler Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: London Ontario Posts: 84	how are the additions coming?

06/28/2010, 06:42 PM	#13
kkrawler Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: London Ontario Posts: 84	Sounds good! In my tank I'm having a small battle with phosphates and trying to bring them down. I have a few asteria snails that are become a small PITA because it seams every other day I have to save one as they fall off the rocks and land upside down and they can't flip themselves back over. Dumbasses LOL!