First denizens....

[Earlgrey23]

So my 40G breeder finished cycling. The numbers stayed steady for a couple days and I added my first livestock:

2 clowns
4 Nasarius
4 turbos
3 margaritas
3 hermits
2 peppermint shrimp

the clowns and the shrimp and the nassarius and margarita snails all seem to be doing fine and the levels all check perfect again today. My concern is the hermits and the turbos. The aren't moving much. The antennae move on the hermits but they are pretty locked up in there shells. Could it be to bright for them? I am running a Quad HO t5. Actinic from 9:30-11:30 then 5:30-7:30 and 2 10K bulbs from 10:30-5:30.

also I am worried there is not enough food for the snails. I have nori and a clip that I can put in. what is the best placement?

it's only a few days in and I am just nervous, but any words of encouragement or wisdom would be appreciated.

 

[obscurereef]

Great job on starting. Well the CUC is mostly nocturnal, although they'll work day and night. Maybe if you're really curious, shine a red light (can't see red light so won't be frightened) and see if they're moving. Sometimes they can be in shock and it could take a little while before they are adjusted. The light isn't too bright. Just left over food would be their main food source. They are scavengers, they'll survive.

 

[Earlgrey23]

Great job on starting. Well the CUC is mostly nocturnal, although they'll work day and night. Maybe if you're really curious, shine a red light (can't see red light so won't be frightened) and see if they're moving. Sometimes they can be in shock and it could take a little while before they are adjusted. The light isn't too bright. Just left over food would be their main food source. They are scavengers, they'll survive.

well the "they'll survive' was a bit premature LOL.... Night one carnage. I awoke this morning to one of the Peppermint shrimp dead and the larger one sitting there blithely chomping on a electric blue hermit crab leg!! He then tried to get into the hermits shell but seemed to get nipped... there should be plenty of food bits and a huge dead shrimp still for him to eat.... not sure what is up with that. But the snails and the other two hermits seem fine. Sturm and Drang the clowns seem happy so far.

I checked all levels. Salinity was close to 1.026 so I brought it down to 1.024. 0 ppm ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. PH is 7.8. and unless I am doing the Red sea test wrong my DkH is 13. Tested Phos at .25 and for kicks and giggles CA 450 and I think i need to redue Mg but it was 1600. The red sea test take some getting used to. I've been topping with RO and the Coral Pro should be sitting at 1340 Mg. i'll try that again tomorrow.

 

[Earlgrey23]

First Anemone question.

Assuming everyone does well. When is a good time to add a anemone? The little girls want one for the clowns to have a "house". will the clowns be ok long term without one if I decide not to? Is it better to get an anemone to avoid some of the coral hosting I have heard about on the site?

What are the best/easiest to house and that the Clowns will like?

Thanks

 

[Schism]

Assuming everyone does well. When is a good time to add a anemone? The little girls want one for the clowns to have a "house". will the clowns be ok long term without one if I decide not to? Is it better to get an anemone to avoid some of the coral hosting I have heard about on the site?

What are the best/easiest to house and that the Clowns will like?

Thanks

6-12 months for a nem, they require a stable and matured reef. Also high lighting, not sure what your lighting setup is.

Clowns with be fine without a nem, they do not require one. Best to wait for the nem.

Having a nem with a tank full of corals can be a bit of a problem as nems are often on the move and they will sting corals in their path so usually a lot of space is dedicated to a nem or things are moved around it as it moves so be aware of that.

Coral hosting is not always a problem. It can be rough on delicate LPS but not always, also many leathers will do fine with hosts, my clowns host a green toadstool for over well over a year now and all do very well.

 

[Earlgrey23]

6-12 months for a nem, they require a stable and matured reef. Also high lighting, not sure what your lighting setup is.

Clowns with be fine without a nem, they do not require one. Best to wait for the nem.

Having a nem with a tank full of corals can be a bit of a problem as nems are often on the move and they will sting corals in their path so usually a lot of space is dedicated to a nem or things are moved around it as it moves so be aware of that.

Coral hosting is not always a problem. It can be rough on delicate LPS but not always, also many leathers will do fine with hosts, my clowns host a green toadstool for over well over a year now and all do very well.

Thanks Schism.

This is my first salt tank so I am looking at softies for a long time so that should be ok (rics, zoas etc.). Thanks for the tips on the Nems. I don't really want one but the littles get excited when they see the Movie that shall not be named

My lighting is a Quad HO T5, 2 10k, 2 actinic, and lunar leds. That should be more then enough for most corals I think. the tank is a 40gallon breeder so its not very tall and to the sand bed it is only 13-15 inches from the lights.

 

[obscurereef]

Oh sorry some of the CUC didn't make it! Was just saying that they would probably not die by starving b/c they are scavengers. Also there is no guarantee that a clown will host anything, especially the tank raised ones.

 

[Earlgrey23]

Oh sorry some of the CUC didn't make it! Was just saying that they would probably not die by starving b/c they are scavengers. Also there is no guarantee that a clown will host anything, especially the tank raised ones.

Hehe. Yeah I knew what you meant obscure. It was just a funny coincidence

Who knows why they died. Although my wife suggested a nighttime security camera! This is why you start with CUC and not 400 dollar clowns....

 

[Beengirl]

Welcome to the wonderful (and sometimes murderous) world of SW!! Lol

Sorry to hear about your troubles already.
Do you have extra shells for the hermits to go into when they molt and outgrow their current shells? I ask because crabs and shrimp tend to molt after a couple of days in a new tank, and they will need new shells to go into or they'll be stuck without a shell and easy prey for larger things.

Just as an FYI, margarita snails tend to not live all that long in our SW tanks because they come from slightly cooler waters; so don't be surprised if you have to replace them in a few weeks.

Snails eat microscopic algae that we sometimes can't even see, so no need to feed them extra. And the hermits eat algae and the food that gets stuck in the rock, so don't add extra food for them either.

Ditto what Schism said in the nem. I have had a nem in my tank for a little while now, and my b/w clown hasn't gone near it. So getting a nem doesn't mean your clown will host it, Unfortunately. Good luck!!!

 

[Earlgrey23]

Welcome to the wonderful (and sometimes murderous) world of SW!! Lol

Sorry to hear about your troubles already.
Do you have extra shells for the hermits to go into when they molt and outgrow their current shells? I ask because crabs and shrimp tend to molt after a couple of days in a new tank, and they will need new shells to go into or they'll be stuck without a shell and easy prey for larger things.

Just as an FYI, margarita snails tend to not live all that long in our SW tanks because they come from slightly cooler waters; so don't be surprised if you have to replace them in a few weeks.

Snails eat microscopic algae that we sometimes can't even see, so no need to feed them extra. And the hermits eat algae and the food that gets stuck in the rock, so don't add extra food for them either.

Ditto what Schism said in the nem. I have had a nem in my tank for a little while now, and my b/w clown hasn't gone near it. So getting a nem doesn't mean your clown will host it, Unfortunately. Good luck!!!

Everyone made it through the night this time! I do have some extra shells not even counting the one that is sans-hermit now which was bigger then either that is left. All seems ok. Levels still really good.

I of course am obsessing over the clowns. Heard so many horror stories every time I look I worry they are about to keel over. Eventually I'll relax.