dumb question, chicken or the egg?

[Island1Day]

This might be a dumb question, but I'll ask anways...

I'm finishing off my cycle....

Do ya'll get the cleaner crew first before the algae bloom?
(For containment; prevention; possibility of starvation)

or

Do ya'll wait for algae bloom, then cleaner crew?
(gaurantee food, no possibility of starvation)

I don't have anything in the tank yet...livestock, but diatoms are beginning to show.

I've already gotten advice from a few people.
What do ya'll think?

[T Man]

You are going to want to test your water parameters often for stability before adding any livestock. Patience is the true measure of success in this hobby. Welcome to Reef Central!! TinMan

[alan214]

You can start adding the cleaning crew anytime after the cycle has completed. Just make sure you have read zero ammonia and nitrites for at least a week. In the meantime, keep up the water changes to minimize the diatom bloom.

[Shooter7]

What I've done is wait until ammo and nitrite levels are undetectable for about a week, water change to bring down any high nitrate levels if they exist, then go ahead and start up with the cleanup crew. Not sure what you're planning for your cleanup crew, though. I just start out with snails. I've got a couple of fighting conchs, but didn't put them in until the tank was running for several months.

[Island1Day]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10051005#post10051005 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LU359TINMAN
You are going to want to test your water parameters often for stability before adding any livestock. Patience is the true measure of success in this hobby. Welcome to Reef Central!! TinMan
Thanks Tinman. I sure did alot of things i wish i didn't the first tank I set up. This time around, I'm doing it right. The water has been running for about 6 weeks now. I guess the diatoms are on time!




<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10051010#post10051010 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by alan214
You can start adding the cleaning crew anytime after the cycle has completed. Just make sure you have read zero ammonia and nitrites for at least a week. In the meantime, keep up the water changes to minimize the diatom bloom.

I haven't picked the full test kit yet...so i need to bring it in to my lfs to test the whole thing. Good thing its free!

[Island1Day]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10051030#post10051030 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Shooter7
What I've done is wait until ammo and nitrite levels are undetectable for about a week, water change to bring down any high nitrate levels if they exist, then go ahead and start up with the cleanup crew. Not sure what you're planning for your cleanup crew, though. I just start out with snails. I've got a couple of fighting conchs, but didn't put them in until the tank was running for several months.

The cleaner crew I was planning to get, but not set in stone, is the "special" from keyscritters.com.
something like 100 ceriths and 100 blue legs.
I don't have any algae in the tank yet (knock on wood) so I'm debating should I even get it.
I'll wait after I test my water parameters then we can take it from there!

[Shooter7]

I used to have just a few blue legs and all they did was go around and murder my snails, even though there were empty shells around they could move into if they wanted. I don't have any crabs in either of my tanks now. Just FYI.

I use ceriths, astreas, nassarius, and the conchs.

[Island1Day]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10051147#post10051147 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Shooter7
I used to have just a few blue legs and all they did was go around and murder my snails, even though there were empty shells around they could move into if they wanted. I don't have any crabs in either of my tanks now. Just FYI.

I use ceriths, astreas, nassarius, and the conchs.

I have been warned about that.....good thing I haven't ordered anything yet.

Does anyone else have success keeping blue legged hermits?
Do they eat your snails also?!

[ionredline0260]

I have 3 hermits to every one snail in my 40 gallon and no one is dead yet. I guess I can understand people hating hermits because they killed some of thier snails but I've never had a problem with mine and believe they play a valuble role in keeping your reef clean. Snails just sorta slider over every thing where as hermits get down in the cracks where no snail would go.

[Criminal#58369]

I wouldn't buy a package, buy snails i would not get any hermits as they attack and kill snails what i have found out when i got mine.

Some packages are larger than what a tank needs so they tend to starve, i would add what is needed.

[Island1Day]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10051263#post10051263 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ionredline0260
I have 3 hermits to every one snail in my 40 gallon and no one is dead yet. I guess I can understand people hating hermits because they killed some of thier snails but I've never had a problem with mine and believe they play a valuble role in keeping your reef clean. Snails just sorta slider over every thing where as hermits get down in the cracks where no snail would go.

So thats 1 yay for hermit crabs. Thats tru what u said about hermit crabs. They can get into the nook and cranny that snails can't.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10051285#post10051285 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Criminal#58369
I wouldn't buy a package, buy snails i would not get any hermits as they attack and kill snails what i have found out when i got mine.

Some packages are larger than what a tank needs so they tend to starve, i would add what is needed.

Thats 2 nays for hermits. You know, I was told that snails disturb corals as they crawl all over them. Do you have that problem?