We recommend adding clean-up crews after the tank is completely cycled and after the appearance of algae. Adding them before the tank has finished cycling can expose the clean-up crew to deadly ammonia or nitrite .
When can I add cleaner shrimp to my tank?
If it’s been less than 2 weeks , I’d wait on the Cleaner Shrimp. They’re very delicate and sensitive to swings water parameters. Let your cleaner crew establish itself for at least 2 weeks after you know that your cycle is complete and you should be good to go.
When can I add inverts to my reef tank?
When BOTH ammonia AND nitrites show zero , then you can safely slowly add fish, inverts and corals. Add any corals at least a month ( preferably 3 to 6 months) after you have these zero readings as most are sensitive to water quality and stability .
How do you add a clean-up crew to a reef tank?
Should I add clean up crew or fish first?
If you are cycling your saltwater aquarium with live rock (as most saltwater aquarists do) then you will want to add the cleanup crew right after the cycle is complete (before you add fish) . There will be die-off from the live rock and probably some algae from the cycle that will need to be cleaned up immediately.
When should I add my clean up crew?
We recommend adding clean-up crews after the tank is completely cycled and after the appearance of algae . Adding them before the tank has finished cycling can expose the clean-up crew to deadly ammonia or nitrite.
When should I add a CUC?
3) When To Add A CUC
Wait until the tank is cycled and you are noticing adequate algae growth . I always recommend adding a small amount of CUC members at a time, just to make sure there is enough food for everybody. You can always add more later, but not the other way around.
Will clean up crew eat diatoms?
Although they do not directly feed on diatoms , Nassarius snails (Nassarius distortus) and Fighting conchs (Strombus alatus and Strombus pugilis) are great at stirring the substrate and keeping it aerated.
Will clean up crew lower nitrates?
It seems so ironic that a clean-up crew can help keep your nitrates and phosphates down, but they are sensitive to high nitrates . I’m probably missing a few, but those are the big ones. A clean up crew is important, but hermit crabs don’t eat nitrates.
Do you have to acclimate cleaner shrimp?
Yes! Cleaner shrimp are delicate creatures and you’ll want to acclimate them . The drip acclimation method is preferable and will take you about an hour to do. Slow acclimation is a must with these creatures, so you don’t want to skip this step or your shrimp could very easily die.
Do you need to feed cleaner shrimp?
Feeding Skunk Cleaner Shrimp is very easy as they will eat any food you put into the tank, including flake foods . You will need to make sure that they’re eating their fair share of food. Other than that, these shrimps will climb all over your fish and pick all the yummy tissue and parasites off of them.
Will cleaner shrimp clean clownfish?
Clownfish (and some other fish) will not tolerate being “cleaned”. Cleaner shrimp do not attack fish . Just an FYI. Clownfish (and some other fish) will not tolerate being “cleaned”.
What do I add first to my saltwater tank?
Soft corals , in particular, leather corals are the best choice for a new tank. After adding your first leather corals you can also add mushroom anemones. This includes mushrooms like Ricordea, Rhodactis, and Discosoma. Mushroom grow rather quickly and spread out into large fleshy discs.
How many snails do I need for a 20 gallon reef tank?
For example, a powerfully-lit reef tank may have more algae issues than a fish-only aquarium with more subdued lighting. With the limitations of these rules in mind, one or two 4-inch snails per 20 to 30 gallons of aquarium capacity makes a suitable guidelines.
What do I feed my saltwater clean-up crew?
Sea cucumbers, snails, sea stars, shrimp, and conches are a few well-known inverts that will consume detritus in a reef tank. Your sand bed is an absolute magnet for leftover food and detritus and can be a real pain to keep clean.
Does Brown algae mean my tank is cycled?
Every aquarium at one time or another experiences a bloom of brown algae. You are most likely to see it during the cycling phase of a new tank or while curing Live Rock . Brown algae can also show up at any time in well established tanks. Brown algae is not an algae at all, but a tiny animal called a diatom.
Should you add coral or fish first?
For corals vs. fish, it comes down to which is more sensitive. Do the hardiest first, then slowly add the more sensitive animals over a couple months (being wary of adding any overly aggressive fish early).
Should I put a snail in my fish tank?
Snails can play an important part in maintaining freshwater aquariums as long as you choose the right type . Most snails are scavengers that dine on algae, dead plant material, dead fish and other detritus, which makes them an excellent option to help you keep your tank clean.
How many hermit crabs can you have in a reef tank?
This site recommends 1 crab for every 3-5 gallons . Drs. Foster and Smith’s site recommends almost almost 1 crab for every gallon.
How many cleaning crews make a gallon?
Though you can usually use 1 snail per gallon and 1 crab for every 4 gallons of tank water, the best is to combine all the shrimps, crabs, snails, urchins, etc. to create a balance. So, if you have a 20-gallon aquarium, do not think that adding either 20 snails or 5 crabs will help.
How many turbo snails do I need for a reef?
If you’re buying them for algae control, it’s best to keep 1 Turbo snail per 5-10 gallons .
Do blue legged hermit crabs eat diatoms?
If the diatom goes unchecked for long enough it will start to encrust and become very hard; hermits and snails will not be able to eat this stuff when it reaches that stage, so dont let it get out of control. They don’t . Crabs and good flow and you should not have a problem with diatoms.
When should I introduce snails to my tank?
What eats turbo snail poop?
nassarious snails took care of all my turbo poo problems. Nassarius are great detrivores. They don’t contribute much to algae control but do a great job of keeping the sand bed stirred up and clean. Make sure you get the tropical variety and not the temperate ones that are from colder climates.
How many snails does Cerith have per gallon?
ON average about 4 snails per gallon is suggested depending on the cleaners in your tank. They eat all types of algae as well as cyanobacteria, detritus and diatoms. A lid is suggested if you get these species because they can crawl out of your aquarium.
What clean crew eats cyanobacteria?
- Assorted Hermits. A random mix of assorted reef safe hermits crabs. ...
- Astraea Snails. Astraea sp. ...
- Blue Leg Hermit Crab. The Blue Leg Hermit Crab is good at removing hair algae, film algae, detritus and cyanobacteria from your tank. ...
- Dwarf Cerith. ...
- Tiger Conch.
What will eat diatoms in sand?
Nerite, Cerith and Trochus snails are all known to eat diatoms.
