First Saltwater Tank

[pkppv]

Also, any ideas for stocking? Iverts and fish ideas would be well appreciated

and CUC

 

[SaltNoob]

People run stuff at all different temps. I run my tank at 79F, I have fish and a few corals. My LR is well inhabited with corraline algae etc. Stocking for a 15g... there have been a few posts about small tanks like this. It is too small IMO for clowns... I could see a goby, maybe a firefish if its the right one?

CUC, id go with astreas, ceriths, a turbo (choose a smaller one), maybe a hermit or two.

-Tyler

 

[pkppv]

Thank you!

Tonight's readings:

Ammonia: 8+++
nitrite: 5+++

Both way off the charts. I'm gonna have some seriously effective bacteria in this tank

 

[lljdma06]

Thank you!

Tonight's readings:

Ammonia: 8+++
nitrite: 5+++

Both way off the charts. I'm gonna have some seriously effective bacteria in this tank

Silliness!

I agonized over my CUCs. I wanted a lot of different kinds. The solution? Multiple tanks.

Hmmm... this is a 15g. This is my CUC from my 8g

2 Electric Blue hermits, they get bigger and are snail killers
1 Emerald crab
1 Blood shrimp
2 Nassarius snails
1 Astereaa snail
1 Banded trochus

I've since upped it to 3 hermits, and 3 trochus. I love this CUC, though I will say, EBHs are clutzy. I had to eventually epoxy all my corals. They also get big. If you start with a small crew though, you can always add, but I'd always start off small. Lots of people start with loads of CUC then wonder why they die. Well, they run out of food. I feed my CUCs, they still do their jobs, but the supplemental feeding has resulted in very few deaths by hermit crabs. Hermits will kill snails for their shells and eat them. If you feed them and provide them with shells, they won't do this as much.

L

 

[pkppv]

Do these kids of saltwater snails reproduce prolifically?

Out of curiosity, what else did you keep in the 8g?

 

[lljdma06]

Do these kids of saltwater snails reproduce prolifically?

Out of curiosity, what else did you keep in the 8g?

I still keep the 8g, if you click on my signature, you'll be taken to the journal. It's the Yuma/zoanthid garden.

Right now, in addition to the above, it has a yellow watchman goby with its Tiger pistol shrimp companion.

I also forgot, I've got 2 porcelain crabs in there. Not the porcelain anemone crabs, but the more robust Caribbean porcelains. I added them when I added my anemone porcelains to my 4g, I had too many crabs, so the Caribbean porccelains went into the 8g. Honestly, was risky stocking with the emerald crab, but he's small and well-fed. Didn't see them for a month and then BOOM! I see them all the time now.

In addition, this is very heavy and fast stocking. I've even put disclaimers in my journals. I don't recommend stocking the way I do.

I've had ceriths breed in my 36g. Very fun, I have a couple of mated pairs of shrimp and fish, so hopefully, I'll get some breeding.

L

 

[pkppv]

ammonia is still well over 10ppm...should i lower that? I dont think its that nessecary for me to have it that high

 

[lljdma06]

ammonia is still well over 10ppm...should i lower that? I dont think its that nessecary for me to have it that high

I don't think so either. Just my opinion, though.

L

 

[pkppv]

ammonia- over 10ppm
Nitrite- 4ppm
Nitrate- 5ppm

This is interesting... it appears that the nitrates are being processed QUITE well.
Ammonia is excusable as the source is still in the tank.
Nitrite is sinking gradually.

Ill be doing about a 50%wc to get rid of excessive ammonia and to take out any seafood still present.

 

[pkppv]

Would it be a horrible idea to do like a 95%wc, give the levels a few days to fall to zero, and then add some snails? I dont know, it just seems like i have tons of bacteria, plenty to take care of snail waste.

 

[lljdma06]

Would it be a horrible idea to do like a 95%wc, give the levels a few days to fall to zero, and then add some snails? I dont know, it just seems like i have tons of bacteria, plenty to take care of snail waste.

Yes, it would, you need to let the ammonia absorb and build up your nitrates. So just leave your tank alone. When your ammonia & nitrite read zero and you have nitrates, then you do like 20% water changes until you bring it back down to 10ppm of Nitrates, then you add snails.

It's important that you let the cycle happen, you can't interfere with the process.

L

 

[pkppv]

alright, just checking

 

[pkppv]

Update:

I have loads of diatoms growing on my rock. I think this is a good sign, as when the CUC finally gets added, there will be plenty for it to snack upon.

 

[pkppv]

finally got more LR!!!! This stuff is actually live already so I should just be waiting out my cycle, which SHOULD be a little faster now.

Ammonia is 6ppm, which is much lower than the 10ppm+ i had it at before

Ive chosen not to watch the other levels until ammonia is just about gone.

 

[lljdma06]

finally got more LR!!!! This stuff is actually live already so I should just be waiting out my cycle, which SHOULD be a little faster now.

Ammonia is 6ppm, which is much lower than the 10ppm+ i had it at before

Ive chosen not to watch the other levels until ammonia is just about gone.

Pictures, what's wrong with you?



Just leave it alone and the let cycle happen. You testing your sg? and doing top-offs of RO water. That, IMO, is more important.