Newbie needs tank advice

[danine]

Ok - so I have been curing my 66 pounds of live "uncured" rock, in my tank, for over 6 weeks...the smell is gone and it's been sporting a golden brown algae for about 4 weeks and long green strands of algae for about the same...I have all new equipment including a euro reef skimmer...The tank is a 72 gallon bow front and quite beautiful! My pH, ammonia and nitrate levels are where they should be and have been from over 3 weeks...my nitrate level is at 20 and has been for 2 weeks (I did a partial water change last week)...My question is - can I begin to stock with a cleaner crew of crabs and snails...My kids, husband and I have been looking at an empty tank (so to speak) for over 2 months and just anxious (I know, I know - must be patient) for some life...Books I have read have pointed me in a positive direction...but don't want to spend any money on something that may just end up dying because I didn't wait long enough...Also - I have seen nothing come from the rock...I know it can sometimes take many months for anything to sprout from rock work...I am just wondering if my live, uncured rock sat in storage for a longer amount of time than I was told? Any and all advice very much appreciated...thanks! d

[brifirst]

Yes, Yes get that clean-up crew. I would.

[yardboy]

Yes, you can begin additions of a cleanup crew. I actually put mine in as soon as I saw the first sign of any algae and subsequently had no problems with hair algae at all. I'm assuming you are running your skimmer now? If not, do so as the you should work to get the nitrates down low also, the cleanup crew will eat the algae and provide another source of nitrogen through their wastes plus reduce a consumer of nitrate by eating the algae!

Sounds like you've done very well practicing patience with your tank. Due to this you will likely reduce or eliminate many of the problems that can plague a reeftank when patience is not used!
Good Luck!

[yardboy]

Oh, and WELCOME TO TRT.

[Twitterbait]

Bravo on the patience. You must have started with good advice. Welcome to TRT hope we can help. When i was ready on my 80 gal i added the cleaners at about this same point too. i do recommend starting with about twice as many snails as crabs because you may loose a few when they fall and the snails can go throughout the whole tank whereas the crabs can't (unless you have a large patch of hair algae growing on your glass).

[Loverotties]

Welcome to TRT you really have been patient!Yes go ahead and buy the crew!Good luck and ask any questions you have!