What to do after a cycle?

[pdiehm]

My biocube and 120 display tank are both on the verge of being completely cycled and I've been looking into what to do.

My Ammonia is 0 after 24 hours, and nitrites are being tested at 0 on average 36 hours after I dose ammonia (1ppm). In talking to a place, they advised me that if I stock very slowly (which I am planning on doing 2-3 fish every 6-8 weeks at minimum), that I have enough of a bacteria load to handle livestock now.

He recommended stocking each tank with hermit crabs to A) test the tank bacteria bank and B) add some bioload, albeit small to the tank. Said 2 hermits in the 29 gallon biocube and about 5-7 in my 120..

Few questions though.

1) What hermits to get? Eventually will be some corals in both tanks, and I've read some horror stories about hermits and corals
2) I have no algae or anything (the biocube has some diatoms) because I've been cycling without the light. I'll probably start running the light on its normal schedule to build some algae growth in the 120 now.
3) If I do add the hermits, what do I feed them (and how much)?
4) Should I add some hermits to the tank? Why couldn't I add snails? Are the hermits a little tougher than snails in terms of a new tank?

Getting fish isn't an option yet as the QT hasn't cycled yet. Nitrites are dropping, but I wouldn't feel safe putting a fish in there at this point.

 

[Tahoe61]

If you have no algae because your lights are off you have nothing to feed snails.
This is the rare occasion when it seems like the LFS is steering you in the right direction.
Not a huge hermit fan. I get the smallest variety possible.
Saltwater Aquarium Crabs for Marine Reef Aquariums: Dwarf Yellow Tip Hermit Crab
Lightly feed them fish food, continue to test.

 

[pdiehm]

Thanks. It appears that there's a wide variety of small hermits that are "safe".

Dwarf Yellow Tip
Dwarf Zebra
Scarlet Reef
Electric Blue
Electric Orange
Halloween

Read their descrips that in the absence of algae, will eat dried seaweed. Is it as simple as getting a sheet, tying it to some fishing line, and dropping it to the sandbed? Leave in overnight and pull out the next morning?

 

[Tahoe61]

I just use Pellets designed for saltwater fish and inverts.

 

[pdiehm]

How many pellets? Like is 1 pellet sufficient to feed 5 hermits?

Using my brother in laws analogy...I am in kindergarten, many of you are in masters degree programs. Many probably know the answer, but newbies, like myself need more detailed answers.

I honestly have no clue how much a hermit can eat. Once I get fish it's a moot point, food will be plentiful. Until then it's up to me, particularly since there isn't any algae at this point.

How many of these dwarf hermits would I be wise to get? Is 5 a good starting point for my 120?

What about for the biocube 29?

Up til now my questions were about setting up and equipment. How to make water and such. Now it's about feeding and livestock.

 

[Tahoe61]

I keep five small ones in a 20 gallon that I feed once a day with marine flakes and pellets. The food is for the fish, the hermits get all the left overs, that is why they are part of the clean up crew. For a new tank you could probably start with 10-15 small types in the big tank and 5 in the biocube.

Just a small pinch of food a day is fine.

 

[pdiehm]

Thank you