IPSF.com and clean up crews...

[aLucidDream]

Quick questions ..my tank still has about, i would say another full 2 months to cycle. My live rock is in the tank for a good week so far. All is looking well. However, due to the extreme cold weather here in NY my rock was ice cold taking it out of the boxes. So i have very high doubts much of anything will make it out alive. Time will tell i guess. Therefore I am looking to go for the 9 for $99 deal on ipsf.com . Seems like a really good deal and you get all types of critters and what not in there also. Question is can this be added during the cycle? After? And, is it that like putting a clean up crew in there? Most of ammonia and nirates and everything just started to go up...so i wouldnt want to kill off any thing else ....so what to do ? This will be a crab free....well no I should say hermit crab free. I might get a pompom or something like that.

[aLucidDream]

bump

[elliottsa]

I'd wait until your cycle calms down (readings.) You're asking for an algae outbreak if you add this crew too soon. Just be patient and wait til your readings go back down to normal. You'll be surprised to see just how tuff the critters are in the rock and how much survived.

[CrystalAZ]

Wait until AFTER the cycle... when you start getting algae bloom.

Then, IPSF is a great option. Don't waste money on the sandbed clams (I never saw mine alive again after I put them in, but have since found their dead shells).

Definitely get the strombus grazer snails. They breed like crazy and are great little grazers (even though they are really columbellid snails, not strombus).

And reconsider the hermits. The hermits I got from them have stayed tiny and are great cleaners. They have caused no negative effects at all.

Crystal

[aLucidDream]

thanks for the advice. Will do.

[romunov]

I would advise against those bioterrorists (hermits). they may not hurt your corals or fish, but they wreck havoc upon microfauna.
I would also wait for the weather to get better, or you'll get an expensive "frozen food" package. :D

[mike89t]

Originally posted by romunov
I would also wait for the weather to get better, or you'll get an expensive "frozen food" package. :D

You can purchase heat packs with your IPSF order.

[aLucidDream]

I have had 4 heat packs coming with my live rock....believe me in this -340 degree weather we are having here in NY the rock was so cold I could barely touch it with my bare hands. Although it might be different with livestock like that.

P.S. After one week I'm getting alot of brown algae started to cover the sandbed and on some rock...isn't this alittle quick for that to be happening ? I cant imagine what this is going to look like in 2 months before I throw any clean up crew in there. Its going to look like an underwater jungle.

[romunov]

Wait until your parameters stabilize. Add some snails from there on...

[Duchess]

I agree with romunov -- wait until your levels settle down and then add your snails. Watch that you don't add temperate-water snails because they won't last too long in your tropical tank. The snails will take care of your algae in short order. I purchased the IPSF Reeftank clean-up crew and they cleaned my tank very quickly. Keep in mind that the heat packs don't last too long -- mine were no longer warm when I picked up the box from FedEX. I lost four of six Trochus snails. IPSF guarantees live animals for five days but they do not pay for the packing and shipping of replacements.

[aLucidDream]

I'll keep that in mind, I might not be ordering until the weather is alittle better, but thanks for the advice.