Concerns About New Tank Additions

[Jodie]

Hi All,

I expect you are all used to my posts filled with 'newb' questions by now, so heres another one!

My tank just finished cycling (all parameters are fine), so I thought I'd treat myself to some new inmates. I bought 5 blue legged hermits, 2 turbo snails, 1 cleaner shrimp and 2 percula clowns.

I thought these would be fine to add at once as the inverst to add much of a bio-load to the tank? Anyway, they all seem fine and happy apart from one of the turbo snails which has crawled all the way to the top oof the tank so it is only half in the water??

Is this normal?

Also, the clowns haven't left one corner of the tank since I introduced them. Are they just settling?

Thanks in advance

 

[maestro]

My snails sometimes climb right up, I dont think it means anything.

Clowns arent open swimmings, mine always hang out in one corner

 

[petey Z]

yea i always find my snails halfway out of my tank. i think its normal, since there fine

 

[RoyalGrammaPrincessHannah]

The bioload is fine with the little inverts.

 

[Mr Miagi]

My snails travel to where the food is. Even if thats half way out of the water. Sometimes they sit on top of the powerhead. The clowns areprobably settling. They sound nervous. They will start to perk up in a few days. If you params are fine, it sounds like normal behaviour to me.

 

[Navarre]

Nothing to worry about, all these animals appear to be behaving normally

 

[Jodie]

Thanks for the reassurance (my favourite word)!

The clowns seem to have settled quite well, and are adventuring a bit more toward the front of the tank. They do some really odd things when I turn out the lights though. They almost play dead, as if they think someones coming to get them!

The snails are also fine, and the crabs are having a 'whale' (scuse the pun) of a time on the LR.

The shrimp has kind of hidden himself away at the back so I only see him occasionally.

Anyway, I'm thinking of getting a couple more snails and crabs as they don't seem to getting through the algae on the LR too quickly.

Thanks again for all your replies.

 

[Navarre]

a cleanup crew @ a ratio of 1 per gallon is the minimum needed for any tank. Dont expect them to eat every type of algae either. as your tank is new, I would suggest that you continue to build the cleaner crew but also be patient and allow other life forms to get a foothold on the liverock and outcompete the unwanted algae. Keep rigid to using RO water as this aleviates a great deal of nutrient input into the tank. If you follow this and keep feeding to a minimum then it will eventually die back.. Dont expect the tank to look like its turning any corners for about 4-6 months. Marine tanks can look like the most beautiful things on this planet when fully matured but they can also look like the outlet of a swer in the initial stages of their life! Many people love to show their prized tanks off and we all drool at their beauty.. however they rarely show their tanks when they were first setup and the hair algae was everwhere.. the cyano was all over the rocks etc. We all have had it during our times so dont feel that the tank is taking a wrong direction when you see these algaes. Keep up the good work, you seem to have taken the right initial steps so far.