Reef cleaners how soon?

[GR214]

I just returned to the hobby a few weeks ago and I dont remember when to start putting in a clean up crew. I have been running my tank about a week and a half now tested the tank for ammonia none detected I used some water from a local reefers tank to help get my tank going. So I have 1 fish that I have been feeding minimal amts past few days. He is a strong eater and seems to be happy. When should I start adding a clean up crew?

[AmberL]

Usually you add the CUC before you add the fish. I've had mine tank for 4 weeks and added my CUC about two and a half weeks in. I don't have any fish in the tank yet (I have two in the QT).

[Dono]

Have you had an ammonia spike? sometimes it will happen quickly, sometimes it wont. Have you been adding shrimp or pellets to the tank to 'seed' it?

Once your tank has 'cycled' (ammonia spiked, then nitrite spiked, then those bacteria caught up and levels came down to zero), you can start to add small portions of CUC. You bio load is probably really really low right now though, so if you add too much your ammonia and nitrite might spike again and stress or kill the CUC.

imo, just wait another week or two.

[GR214]

sounds good thank you.

[duncantse]

You can add your CUC once your ammonia is at 0, nitrite 0, and nitrate is <20ppm

[bertoni]

I would add cleanup crew members when I saw the need, at this point. A few herbivorous snails might be useful, for example.

[SushiGirl]

I would add cleanup crew members when I saw the need, at this point. A few herbivorous snails might be useful, for example.

+1. I didn't add a CuC until they had something to eat.

[KRBNSOL]

I added mine after the cycle completed. They seem to have kept fairly busy working the sand, glass and the rock.