Cleaning crew, algae, and some basic questions

[courtneyclv]

My tank isnt ready just yet for fish, only been cycling for 3 weeks. My tank is 78 gallons very long and short.

When it is though..what can I put in my newer tank to help clean it up. I have two hermits so far that are doing well. What about some kind of algae eater or 'poop' eater?


I want to have a clown fish at first and an anemone when my tank is mature. Can I mix that with a piece of live rock? Will live rock help my tank?

I have a canister filter on one side and a power filter on the other. Do I need a protein skimmer?

Thanks for all of your help everyone!!! I love this site!

 

[Charlie]

This is where I bought my clean up crew. They have packages all figured out by tank size. Shipping and delivery was very good and all of the little critters arrived alive.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?pCatId=420

LR seems to benefit a FO aquarium even if it is only in small quantities. Adding anemones is a whole new ballgame. You will need to greatly enhance your lighting and will likely need a considerable amount of LR. Water parameters will need CLOSE attention.

I'll let one of the experienced "reefers" jump in on this one.

 

[roka64]

I want to have a clown fish at first and an anemone when my tank is mature. Can I mix that with a piece of live rock? Will live rock help my tank?

The clown would be a great addition, what kind?
I'm not sure what you mean, can I mix that w/LR?
Yes LR will help with the natural filtration of the tank. It is recommended to have about 1.5-2LBs per gallon.

 

[courtneyclv]

I swear I read on another post that someone said something about an anemone with a piece of Live Rock not working together???

So my nitrite has now spiked and when it goes down my cycling tank should be good for my first clown fish. I think I will go with a percula or ocel. (someone suggested those two for me)
Can I put the LR in my tank now? a small piece?

Can I put my cleaning crew package in when my nitrite goes down? Oh Oh..can I buy an algae eating crew and waste eating crew at the same time

 

[FishFrik]

LR is the base of the reef. Corals, anemones, sponges, etc grow on them. It also helps w/ filtration.

I swear I read on another post that someone said something about an anemone with a piece of Live Rock not working together???

You probably read that the anemone detachs itself from a piece of LR. It's normal for anemones to do that

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

it would be a good idea to add the rock while the tank is cycling. get as much as you can. good rule of thumb is 1-2 lbs per gal. also, its best to wait on the clean up crew til after the cycle is over, the 2 that are in that have hitchhiked may not make it throught the cycle.

 

[Trameltanz]

While there may be quite a few possibilities I remember one thing I read that I thought was a bit unusual. There is a type of anenome that looks like a hydra but with more tentacles. This anenome is usually brown or a light color tan. They are nuisances between they are hard to get rid of and will spread very easily to the point of taking over your tank therefore upsetting the bacterial balance. Aptasia was the one thing about anenomes that I can remember that has the potential of having a negative affect on your tank.

You truly want to have as much live rock as possible. The living organisms in the pores have a tremendous beneficial effect with biological filtration. The rock is fairly cheap compared to other means of filtration and makes great homes for your animals. Getting as much rock as possible can only help you.

As far as the skimmer: Skimmers are primarily used in reef systems where the corals are much more sensitive to trace organics and upsets in the PH, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, as well as many other elements and biological factors. What the skimmer does is it removes the proteins in the water before they can be manufactored into ammonia. This helps keep the water in pristine condition. Most home tank fish can live in a closed system without a skimmer with enough live rock and biological filtration with a canister or wet/dry. IMO, although the skimmer will in no doubt help you (I am seriously saving up for one that is compatible with my wet/dry) it is not entirely necessary unless you choose to go down the route of maintaining corals and a reef setup.

 

[courtneyclv]

Ok, I got a small 4lbs piece of live rock to start with. a mithrax (?) crab that is munching away on some algae, and some little snails. I need more of a crew though, a lot of brown algae on the bottom of my tank, the walls, and some dead coral. Dont want them to die though, because the nitrite is still purple when tested.

 

[Trameltanz]

You are just beginning to get good things going. The algae and "mess" on the bottom is a sign that your tank is still cycling.

IMO wait a few weeks before adding anything else. Let the habitat settle down. Then start adding 10-20lbs every other week. You can add a fish, snails, hermits, or other creatures here and there but make sure you are doing your water changes frequent and cleaning out your canister(s) every month using saltwater. You should be taking out the mechanical filter and the activated carbon and replace them. But be gentle with the other culture breeding media. Just gently shake them in saltwater to keep the cultures under control.