[tara_karan]

Hi
Wondering about things to look for in a new cycling tank? My books are not helpful. There is brown algae (hair algae?) which I assume good but then some tiny patches of green moss looking stuff. Saw one more aiptasia!

First water tests last thursday were perfect except dKH.

No fish in this main tank yet. There are three chromis in the QT.
Thanks.
Will post pictures but need to get a link, etc.

 

[darasy]

i would get some snails and keep waiting

 

[HFG]

I agree snails and peppermints should be the first critters. Hold off on the fish as long as possible.

 

[mtfatwork]

Definitley, fish are a PITA wait as long as possible, and then add them extremely slowly. Oh and if this is your first saltwater tank, keep in mind that you will most likely have losses of epic proportions the first year. At least I did, so stick with cheap easy to care for fish when you get to that point.

 

[thefishtank]

Tara,
The fish keeping is the easy part, don't get discouraged, SPS is the hard part. I would say that clean up crew is ready to be added, slowly add some cheaper hardy fish like clowns, chromis shortly to see how they do. After the break in period like 1 year, then you can add pretty much anything as long as you have enough room and a great skimmer!Acclimation is also very important, especially for shrimp! Roughly 90% of the fish I've lost were due to my mistakes like forgetting to put the top back on the tank after water changes, things like that. I'd like to say the other 10% that died just died of natural causes.

 

[epidemic]

Use frashwater mollies. They are uber cheap and can be acclimated to SW in a few hours. Put them in a bowl of FW and drip SW in slowly for about 3 hours. Once they are ok in the salt water throw them in. I have had good luck with mollies on several tanks, and you can usually find them for like $1.99.

 

[dirk griffin]

Patience......is the key

 

[reeftanktime]

Patience......is the key

Well stated ol' wise one.

Take your time and get outside in the summer.

 

[Reefer Dude]

Use frashwater mollies. They are uber cheap and can be acclimated to SW in a few hours. Put them in a bowl of FW and drip SW in slowly for about 3 hours. Once they are ok in the salt water throw them in. I have had good luck with mollies on several tanks, and you can usually find them for like $1.99.

One quick note on the Mollies, only Black Mollies will work, other types of mollies are fresh water it is only the blacks that hang out in Salt Water. I just don't want you to buy a bunch of whites or others and have them all die on you, but Mollies are great starter fish.

What is your tank temp out I have noticed Mollies do not like 80+ temps, you may want to bring your temps down to 78 or so, your reef stuff will be fine and there is actually less of a chance of disease with a lower temp.

 

[rihanssu]

i'v always used green chromis as the sacrificial "canary" and i'v always had good luck.

 

[tara_karan]

what snails to buy??????????

Hi What kinds of snails do I get? Do I buy them from a LFS? I guess I do not have a choice here in Roch. I need to buy a peppermint shrimp too due to the disastorous aptasia all over .
Yeah I know about being patient with the fish. I plan to add the green chromis into the tank at some point.

 

[otolith]

Get a bunch of astrea and cerith snails.

 

[HFG]

asteria cerith are great. It helps to get a few peppermints. They have worked for me, but I know they are hit and miss, and anecdotally have trouble with large aptasia.

 

[tara_karan]

Hermits?????????

WHAT about hermit crabs? wait right????
There is probably not enough food for them. I have wanted these since the beginning. weird i know.
Thanks for the advice. I will get the snails and peppermint.

 

[mtfatwork]

you can get hermits, just make sure you get the reefsafe ones... ie. scarlet, blue legs..etc.

 

[HFG]

Hermits will occasionally kill a snail for its shell. But, the fact is they are cool so if you like them get some. But, the snails will go places the hermits can't. And, what Marry said for selection.