Adding Clean-up Crew

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Pamela

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I've had my 55g SW aquarium going for 18 days now. I have 3 fishes and a shrimp. Everything is still looking very neat and clean with no visible algae, although there must be, of course, fragments of uneaten food and waste. My question is, when should I add a CUC? Will the poor little things starve if I put them in before there is a noticeable need?
 
Usually the clean up crew goes in before any fish. If you don't already have 1 you should go buy a test kit for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Ammonia and nitrite are fish killers, so you will have to monitor them to make sure they don't elevate and do water changes and or add prime (or something similar) to keep the levels down. The algae for the clean up crew will come after the cycle is complete. and that is when the clean up crew comes in. Usually you would put the clean up crew in and let them do their job for a while before adding fish. Once the fish are added you have to feed them and they poop, adding phosphates and nitrates to the water that in turn adds to more algae. from about a month to about 6 month your tank will have (what I call) ugly tank syndrome. Things will grow that you don't want and you will be in a constant battle to keep it under control. That's why everything in the saltwater hobby is done slowly (at least until you get the hang of it).
All is not a loss though just I wouldn't add anything else until you get some test kits and know for sure the cycle is done. You will know this when you consistently test 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and elevated nitrate. There are a lot of threads that explain the cycle process so I wont go into that. I would assume since your fish are still living that you added some kind of bacteria in a bottle (micro bacter, stability or something like that), which is good, but you want your biological filter (live rock, bio balls, ect) to be able to keep up with your bioload (fish food, and fish poop) to be able to convert that into nitrates.
Good luck and keep us informed. Don't get discouraged if things don't work out this go around, but do keep reading on how to properly start and care for a saltwater tank. We have all been there and every single one of us, no matter how rude or how friendly, have made mistakes in this journey but even through it all its well worth it.
 
Have you cycled your tank?!?
I bought live sand and keep checking my parameters and all is well so far. Everything's in nice, safe range.

When I set up my first freshwater tank over 14 years ago, I experienced that awful algae bloom and some deaths. It was so discouraging. Since then, I understand about using gravel with beneficial bacteria from an established aquarium and I've had no issues with new tank syndrome. The live sand seems to be doing the same for my new SW aquarium. I did read extensively about this before recklessly tossing in living animals.
 
I would wait another 15 days, let some algae grow in some of the cracks in the rocks, so that the CUC have some thing to eat. Have a good one:)
 
That is good, for cuc I would first get nassarius snails to eat left over food and sturdy the sand. Then I would add turbos asterea ect slowly.
 
Usually the clean up crew goes in before any fish. If you don't already have 1 you should go buy a test kit for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Ammonia and nitrite are fish killers, so you will have to monitor them to make sure they don't elevate and do water changes and or add prime (or something similar) to keep the levels down. The algae for the clean up crew will come after the cycle is complete. and that is when the clean up crew comes in. Usually you would put the clean up crew in and let them do their job for a while before adding fish. Once the fish are added you have to feed them and they poop, adding phosphates and nitrates to the water that in turn adds to more algae. from about a month to about 6 month your tank will have (what I call) ugly tank syndrome. Things will grow that you don't want and you will be in a constant battle to keep it under control. That's why everything in the saltwater hobby is done slowly (at least until you get the hang of it).
All is not a loss though just I wouldn't add anything else until you get some test kits and know for sure the cycle is done. You will know this when you consistently test 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and elevated nitrate. There are a lot of threads that explain the cycle process so I wont go into that. I would assume since your fish are still living that you added some kind of bacteria in a bottle (micro bacter, stability or something like that), which is good, but you want your biological filter (live rock, bio balls, ect) to be able to keep up with your bioload (fish food, and fish poop) to be able to convert that into nitrates.
Good luck and keep us informed. Don't get discouraged if things don't work out this go around, but do keep reading on how to properly start and care for a saltwater tank. We have all been there and every single one of us, no matter how rude or how friendly, have made mistakes in this journey but even through it all its well worth it.
Thanks for all the info. Fortunately for my fish, I do have many years experience with freshwater fish keeping and although some things are very different, some of the basics (like new tank syndrome, ammonia, nitrates, nitrites and all that) are the same. I did start with live sand and it seems to be doing the job as my ammonia, etc., is very low. I'm staying on top of water conditions/changes and testing and all seems to be well with the few fishes I have. They are bright & lively and happily swimming around.

I do really appreciate what you said about everyone having made mistakes and about friendliness and being not so friendly. It does seem that there are unkind know-it-alls in every group and every hobby imaginable. I will be sure to slow down and not add anymore fish for a while, and will get cracking on that cleanup crew. Thanks again!
 
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I would wait another 15 days, let some algae grow in some of the cracks in the rocks, so that the CUC have some thing to eat. Have a good one:)
Thanks! That's what I was thinking. I mean, they'd have the leftovers my few tiny fishes don't eat, but no algae at this point.
 
That is good, for cuc I would first get nassarius snails to eat left over food and sturdy the sand. Then I would add turbos asterea ect slowly.
Great! Nassarius snails first then.... Appreciate it!
 

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