Cuc And Peppermint Shrimp

[Uriel]

I've just tested my water in my tank and results are

KH 8dkh Alk 2.85
PH 8.3
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 2
Phosphate <0.003

I know most people add CUC now but as i don't have any algea really at the moment is there much point ? Won't they starve ? Also i wanted to add a couple of peppermint shrimp as i keep finding glass anemone and although I've been burning the big ones. I seem to have some small ones appearing now. Is this ok as first additions to tank ?

 

[seffieuk]

Its very wise not to rush in to buying a big cuc without food, I am somewhat surprised that you dont have diatoms though - please forgive me, have you finished your cycle?

Also, imo people add shrimps far too early as well, they are sensitive creatures and should only be added to a stable tank

Seffie x

 

[Uriel]

Yeah i think it's cycled. I may not have algea as the rock was in a curing/cycling tank for about a month before being put in display tank as i bought the rock before the tank. I been putting half a cube of mysis in every 3 days to keep the tank fed so if it wasn't cycled i would have thought i would have a ammonia or nitrite reading. Peppermint was instead of having to start adding apistia x or similar.

 

[Donya]

Ditto what Seffie said about shrimp - they are not really CUC animals under most circumstances and should be treated like mroe sensitive livestock that needs a stable system. If you want to avoid additional Aiptasia overpopulation, switch to big chunks of meat (like whole chunks of scallop) that they can't eat. If you do that and don't see any spikes a few days later, you could easily put in a few hermits to eat up the leftovers and just keep feeding them chunks of meat for a while. If what you've been adding food-wise so far has been frozen cubes that release lots of little bits to blow around the tank, that will almost certainly be part of why you have a jillion little nems, since they are very good at capturing stuff from the water clumn. If you're unsure about the cycle, always best to double check your readings at a LFS before putting any animals in.

 

[Uriel]

Cheers hadn't thought about mysis feeding the glass anemone. Just wanted to get a hold of the situation now before it became a distaster as i seem to find more of them every day. Think they must have come in on my LR and either been big enough to spread spores or maybe one got smashed when rock was moved. I have been removing rock and burning them off with a lighter.

I'm happy that the readings are correct. Used salifert tests for all of them. I did have hair algea and what looked like coraline on the glass of my cycling tank so maybe there just isn't enough phos or nitrate to produce algea at moment.

I'll leave adding any CUC until i have something for them to eat.

 

[seffieuk]

Well it sounds like you are cycled, i would do as Donya suggests and get yourself a couple of hermits for interest, you can feed them the small prawn

I would take the rock out and blast each little with the soldering iron now whilst its easy

Seffi ex

 

[Uriel]

Put 4 prawns in on the 13th and retested today and still
0 ammonia
0 nitrite
0-1 Nitrate

1 of the prawns got shreded by my mp 40 though so not sure how much it will help the glass anemone situation.

 

[seffieuk]

Get them out and burn em.....

 

[Uriel]

I am about 5 a day

 

[woody88]

I am about 5 a day

I know I should'nt have, but i've left my glass anemone in as I like the look of it!.......Watching out though for any more!