CUC

[ShaunV]

Hello all,

I am getting excited to start putting items into my tank. I started the tank on 3/5/2012. I do not have an algae bloom however I am getting some coralline algae on the rocks and looks like My San is starting to get darker (diatoms?) I figured I would start with a CUC and was wondering if my stock list looks ok. I have a nano tank 16.75 gallons (supposedly 20 gallons). Here is what I am thinking of putting in

4 bumble bee snails
1 Mexican Turbo snail
3 Virgin Nerites snails
3 Nassarius Vibex snails
2 dwarf blue tipped hermit crab ( already have 1)
1 hermit crab ( I think it is an electric orange. It has blue eyes and tan legs and claws) already have
1 green lettuce sea slug
2 porcelain crabs
3 peppermint shrimp
1 scarlet cleaner shrimp aka blood shrimp or fire shrimp

Please let me know if I am overdoing it with the CUC. Should I have more variety or does this look like a good clean up crew?Will these all get along ok? How much should I be feeding these guys with seaweed or meaty foods if I don't have much visible algae? how long should I wait before adding fish after adding the CUC?

After I have the CUC in for about a week or 2, I will be looking at adding some fish and corals.
I would like 2 B&W clowns and one other fish and I was thinking 1 Goby or Blenny.
Then corals, but that can wait. I did have my LFS put aside an amazing looking mushroom for me. It has a dark purple body with small sky blue stripes and dots. It looks similar to a lavender rhodactus for just $15.00. I paid for it, he is just keeping it safe for me until I am ready.

Any and all suggestions are welcome. Thanks in advance.

 

[Kio707]

Tank is to small for 2 clowns. They need a 30g tank. Also, the cleaner shrimp is different than a fire shrimp. Have you tested your water to make sure ur cycle is done? Also, may I suggest going to liveaquraia.com and checking out their nano section. I hope this helps. If you could, post some pics, would love to see ur tank.

 

[Gboy66]

I personally think you could a small occ. Clown in your tank. 2 will be too much because of possible aggression, but 1 is fine IMO.

 

[ShaunV]

Tank is to small for 2 clowns. They need a 30g tank. Also, the cleaner shrimp is different than a fire shrimp. Have you tested your water to make sure ur cycle is done? Also, may I suggest going to liveaquraia.com and checking out their nano section. I hope this helps. If you could, post some pics, would love to see ur tank.

Kio, thanks for your quick response. Just fyi,II won't put any other creatures into my tank until I am sure it is ready and established. I was on live aquaria and that is where I got the list of names I listed earlier. What I am looking for is a shrimp that will help clean parasites and what not from the fish. My LFS sold me the tank as a 20 gallon and told me I could have 2 small clowns in it plus one more smaller Goby or Blenny. That is completely different than what you are saying. It is amazing how one hobby can have such varying answers. One of the main reasons I was able to talk my gf into getting a tank was to get a mated pair of small B&W clowns. If 2 is out of the question, I hope 1 would be ok. The corals are what I want to do. I will read some more on live aquaria as you have suggested. Thanks for your input.

As for the tank being cycled, I am not 100% sure. I had started this tank with 22 lbs of live rock and 30 lbs of live sand. Since day one I have never seen ammonia or nitrites. The nitrates have always been visible and would rise to about 40 ppm. I did PWC of 4 gallons at a time every week for 3 weeks. Nitrates had risen to 40 ppm. Nitrates now at 20 and holding steady for 1 week. PWC tomorrow and retest. I am not going to get any stock until I can keep my nitrates at or near zero for 2 week. The LFS swears my tank is cycled and I am ready. He said that after the first week so he may not be as smart as he thinks he is or he is right. I don't trust him yet. So far he hasn't been very good. I just can't fully explain why I would have an increase in nitrates without seeing ammonia or nitrites. I did add some seaweed for the 2 hermits to eat while I was on vacation for a week which could explain it or "die off" on the rock or dead spots? If it was caused by seaweed then that means my tank is converting ammonia to nitrites to nitrates quickly enough to where I don't see them rise. This, to me, seems to indicate it is cycled. I am still a couple weeks out at least before I put anything in, just looking into it.

As for pictures, I will take a more recent photo tomorrow after the lights are on. Here are some photos from a couple weeks ago. I have done a little more aquascaping since this one just to improve flow.

On a side note, I have discovered various life forms, asterina starfish x 4 on the flat cratered rock on the top left of the tank. Lots of small white tube worms. One bristleworm. Too much aiptasia. I have gotten rid of most of it. Still finding small ones and I am hoping peppermint shrimp will help. And 5 very small feather dusters. Lots of amphipods and tiggerpods. Plus some extremely tiny bugs crawling on the glass. They are few in numbers. I have been unable to identify.

 

[ShaunV]

I personally think you could a small occ. Clown in your tank. 2 will be too much because of possible aggression, but 1 is fine IMO.

I have read now on live aquaria that the off are ok in 20 and true perc at 30 gallons. Would 16.75 gallons be pushing it for one?

 

[Gboy66]

I have read now on live aquaria that the off are ok in 20 and true perc at 30 gallons. Would 16.75 gallons be pushing it for one?

Personally, i'd do it Give It swimmimg space and hell do ok.

Ps. No anenomes!

 

[ShaunV]

I wasn't planning on getting an anemone. I was thing a torch for the clown to hopefully play with. ,y LFS has a really nice looking longer tentacled torch I am interested in. If I just get 1 clown, 1 goby or Blenny, what would you recommend for a third fish or should I just leave it at 2 fish. I was told this tank should be able to handle 3 fish. If not, that is ok too.

 

[ShaunV]

New tank photos as of 4/6/2012