Whats better to add first for a new cycled tank?

[Christine22780]

-A small fish, such as a clown, or a goby

OR
-A flame angel

-Crabs, Snails, shrimp...I know these are cleaners but If I have some algae and live stuff maybe theyll be okay..

OR both at once?

-Clam.. I know not a starfish yet!

My last tank I got some cheap damsels..they were aggresive ones and they lasted forever!

[cmor1701d]

It's best to come up with a list of the fish you want to end up with. Add the most aggresive fish last and the most docile first.

No problem adding a clean up crew before of even with your first fish.

A clam should wait til lthe tank is mature and stable.

So, come up with a livestock plan or two and post that for comments.

Also, you should QT everything before adding it to the tank, even the first fish. Snails and shrimp I generally just drip acclimate and then add them to the tank. There is a very, very small chance of introducing a parasite that way. Not so for fish. They should get the 30 day in QT treatment before going into the tank.

[melosu58]

I agree that the clam and star should wait till your tank stabilizes. BTW what size is the tank?

[Christine22780]

Its 50gal. Id like all nice fish an try to keep it sm. and lots going on
ok, so my plan is; in no order

2 ocellaris clowns
1 diamond, OR yellow watchman Goby w/ a
Pistol shrimp..(or a cleaner shrimp) those I would like to introduce at the sametime to pair up.
I was hoping for a Angel, maybe a flame angel (if not agressive towards the others)
Longfin Bannerfish
afew sm, crabs
sea cucumber
bumblebee snails
sand sifting, or a chocolatechip starfish

Im still debating on which fish and how many... Id like to keep them kinda small but Id like one bright larger one, such as the banner or the flame angel... What fish do you suggest? I could a chromis or something small to start with.. I REALLY dont like damsels.

[Innovator]

Add the goby first, flame angel if you go that route, and the clowns last. Pass on the bannerfish (Heniochus, right?) as they get too large and aggressive for your tank. Only a single species, maybe two, are planktivores, which means the others will pick at coral.

[cmor1701d]

I agree with James on the order of introduction (but then again I always take his advice).

As for your cleanup crew.. I've always gone with the 1 snail per gallon rule of thumb...

Bumble-bee snails : Carnivorous.
================================================== ==============
Astrea Snail-most common of all saltwater tank snails. They are excellent algae eaters and will forage all over the rock, sand, and glass. These guys fall very easily and can not right themselves up and die easily.

Banded Trochus Snail - Large snails that are excellent algae eaters although are very slow about it. These guys have a hard time picking themselves up as well if stranded in the middle of the sand.

Bumblebee snails- Not very hardy. Marginal algae eaters, but more of a detritus grazer. They can prey on other snails and sand bed critters.

Cerith Snails (Cortez) - Good algae and detritus eaters that forage rock, glass, and sand. Some can pick themselves up and some cant.

Cerith Snails (White)- Good algae and detritus eaters that seem to stay in the sand more than the cortez, but can be found on the rock and glass. Once again, some can pick themselves up and others cant. These guys are good sand bed snails to shift the substrate around.

Conch Snails - These guys are all about the sand bed and are very cool to watch. They usually dont get flipped over, but if they do, they can kick around and turn themselves back upright.They very hardy too.

Mexican Turbo Snails - super fast grazer that will knock out some algae in no time. They mostly stay on rocks and glass, but will work the top of the sandbed too. These may be cold water snails that dont do so well in a reef. But, once they are adjusted... they seem to be very hardy and active. Mine are going on two years and are huge now. I originally got them for a hair algae problem. They do tend to knock over anything that is not glued in place (corals, clams, rocks, etc.)

Nassarius Snails - They mostly stay in the sand, but will sometimes make short trips up the glass. They are mainly detritus eaters and do an excellent job cleaning and shifting the sand. I think these are also some of the most hardy snails out there. These guys can flip themselves upright very easily and quickly. They are fun to watch as they come bursting out of the sand bed at feeding time.

Nerite Snails - Mostly a rock and glass snail that are all about the algae. The dont move very fast but the areas they have been in are clean as a bell. These guys like to crawl outta the water some, but i have never found one that "jumped ship." These are great snails, but also have trouble turning themselves back over. Mine usually end p in the sump where they can get above the water line and come back down when they want to.

Stomatella Snails - They are supposed to reproduce very well. No personal experience w/ them.

[Christine22780]

Ok, Im going to start with the Goby and the shrimp.. I was going to get a pair of clowns first....or maybe a cheap 5.oo fish...Ill just double check to make sure my tanks ready before I add both of them (the goby and the shrimp at once)
I didnt realize snails get stranded! Mine have never lasted long, but thats b/c I got fish that ate them. I didnt know bumblebee snails were so aggressive...would they eat a starfish??

[roka64]

I had bumble bees and they were the first to go. They didn't last 6 months. I'm not too sure you would want the sea cuc, they can nuke your tank, if I remember correctly.

[Christine22780]

Ok, scratch the bumblebee...
Really? the sea cucumber, the look cool... i dont know anything about them yet

[roka64]

Here is some info:
Sea Cucumbers: Aquarium Sea Cucumber Species for Saltwater Aquariums