Lighting and clean up crew ?'s

[wernettejr]

Hello all.
I have a 55 gallon FOWLR with a sump. It has been running about a month now. I have been using bio spira and have not had any real noticeable spikes and my levels all are on track. Last week my LFS suggested I add a Molly to indroduce amonia to the system and help the cycle along. So far all is well except she had babies. I now have 20-30 little ones swimming around. I have been feeding them frozen baby brine shrimp.
So first question. I'm pretty sure I have lost a few but cannot locate them. Is there a member of a clean up crew I can introduce that will help clean out any dead guys so they don't polute the water yet wont harm the living ones. I also would like to put in some snails. I have a nice film on the glass so there should be plenty to eat for a few anyway.
Next issue. I do not have any lights currenty up. I intend on keeping a FOWLR with some anenomies but not much if any in the way of corals. With that in mind do I need anything more than the flourescent light that came with the tank(with the best bulb I can get for it) or do I need to have LED or something better.
Thanks for all your advice everyone

 

[Dav3]

For anemone you're going to need lighting and filtration good enough for corals. Lighting on the end of good enough for SPS corals.

 

[Rmckoy]

For anemone you're going to need lighting and filtration good enough for corals. Lighting on the end of good enough for SPS corals.

Being a new tank I would stay clear of anemones .
At least for a year to assure stable parameters ,
A new tank fluctuates too much for anemones .
And anemones require strong lighting ,
Metal halide , led or t5 HO
Is what I have .

 

[mr_X]

I agree with the above posters, and I would also like to add that you are trying to build a bacteria colony sufficient for a community tank. These little molly babies won't do anything but feed the bacteria colony. I wouldn't even worry about them.
Whatever you put in the tank will need to be fed. If you introduce crabs, they will need food to sustain them, not just a few dead mollies.

 

[Rmckoy]

Hello all.
I have a 55 gallon FOWLR with a sump. It has been running about a month now. I have been using bio spira and have not had any real noticeable spikes and my levels all are on track. Last week my LFS suggested I add a Molly to indroduce amonia to the system and help the cycle along. So far all is well except she had babies. I now have 20-30 little ones swimming around. I have been feeding them frozen baby brine shrimp.
So first question. I'm pretty sure I have lost a few but cannot locate them. Is there a member of a clean up crew I can introduce that will help clean out any dead guys so they don't polute the water yet wont harm the living ones. I also would like to put in some snails. I have a nice film on the glass so there should be plenty to eat for a few anyway.
Next issue. I do not have any lights currenty up. I intend on keeping a FOWLR with some anenomies but not much if any in the way of corals. With that in mind do I need anything more than the flourescent light that came with the tank(with the best bulb I can get for it) or do I need to have LED or something better.
Thanks for all your advice everyone

During the month before the mollies were introduced did you have any kind of ammonia source in the tank ?
I've heard of a lot of LFS's suggesting mollies as a hardy fish for cycling ,
I would strongly suggest being careful how many fish you add at a time and giving your tank time to cycle properly .
What's your set up ?