snails in cycling aquarium?

[brundlefly]

Hello all

I just recently bought and set up a 12 gallon fluval edge. I have 18 pounds of live rock and 20 pounds of live sand. This was set up Wednesday. Foolish me believed the LFS and used a bacteria supplement to cycle the tank. Its called smartstart. Yesterday I added 3 hermit crabs and 3 snails because my water params were perfect. However I am very concerned abouttheirbwelfare if/when the bacteria from the supplement dies off. What can I do to preserve as much life as possible without buying and up keeping with more of the supplement?
I'm at work at the moment so I don't remember the exact param numbers but the condition of the water was post-cycle with 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites.

Thanks!

 

[brundlefly]

Bump for help!

 

[crister13]

If its cycled it's cycled. The bacteria wont die unless it's starved. Did ammonia and nitrite rise???? If not, the cycle never started. It could have cycled already actually. You may be fine. But you need to feed the hermits and snails, so put a tiny amount of pellets or food in.

 

[JustinKBreen]

Bottled bacteria can be helpful for those who are impatient in speeding up the cycle.

When I started, before joining AA I was told use use bio-spira and it would be ready for fish. Now it worked for me adding fish slowly but I will not go that route for my upgrade.

You have no way of determining if the bacteria is good. It should have an expiration date, but even then if it were exposed to either really hot or cold temps then it would be useless. I think now that you have some inverts you should test daily for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. If ammonia shows up you are not cycled, if not then you will be fine. Either way take it slow and add some, as in just a little, food for your hermits.

If ammonia shows up, not a big deal really. You just have a fish in cycle. You will have to perform water changes very often, possibly daily to ensure the ammonia stays down.

Good luck.

 

[TheTodd]

Most stores don't stock it, but Dr Tim's works great if you want a quick cycle. You can order online. Still need to do water tests to be sure that everything is happening as it should.