Clean up crew

[CluelessInNY]

So clean up crew first? That is fine, I just want to do it right. I'm also going to add more rock as budget allows. I am bleeding my wallet slowly here
I plan to add at least 10 more lbs of LR. I might ditch that funny looking hut I put in as a decoration. It looks more like a snail killer than a nice thiing to have.
Why so large a cleaner crew? It seems like 20 lil guys will be all over my tank

[cmor1701d]

They'll be on the rock, under the sand, on the glass. It really won't look like there's that many.

[Kurt_Nelson]

Yup... you'll never see the nassarius until you put food in the tank. Then they'll pop up out of the sand bed. The others will be on the glass and rock, and when they're on the rock they'll just blend in. Many folks say "ewwww... I hate snails, I don't want them in my tank", but they really are a necessary part of keeping things tidy. Without them, you will pretty much be guaranteed an algae problem.

There's no right or wrong regarding whether or not to put them in first or later. There's just no reason though to put them in later. In my opinion, the sooner the better. If you go too long without them, you'll be playing catch up with the algae.

If you're adding live rock in stages, just remember that unless you add FULLY CURED live rock (or completely dried out base rock), you'll most likely see a mini cycle with each new addition of rock, fueled from the die off from that rock.

[CluelessInNY]

I have to say again and again how great you guys are for helping the novice on this board. I can imagine that most of my questions make your eyes roll when you read them! LOL
I'm not turned off to having snails in my tank at all. If they help keep the tank clean, I'll add as many as I need
The rock I'm buying from my LFS is fully cured and went in that way. There is reddish hairy looking stuff starting to grow on them. Should I vacuum that out?
I'll be adding at least another ten lbs. in the next week or so. I'm anxious to add my clownfish, but I also want to be certin he/she gets a fair shot at a happy life in my tank.
Do you guys recommend the freshwater dip method for everything that goes into your tank? Even the cleaning crew?

[roka64]

Don't sweat the questions, we all had the same ones at one point.
No, FW dips are not recommended. You want to drip acclimate you new critters. Of course a QT would be the ideal way of watching for health issues, parasites or injuries and can be easily treated. Most folks don't QT inverts, but some do. Personally I drip my inverts about 2 hours, they are less tolerant to swings in water parameters.