Day 25 of cycle!!!

[gcgrad]

Day 25 of cycle. Temp 78, salinity 1.025, pH 8.2, ammonia 0, nitrate 0, nitrate 10. I think I am ready to add a clean up crew. Any ideas as to how many and what types to add? (125 gallon tank)

Thanks!

[gcgrad]

*bump*

[MinnesotaTwins]

Turbo snails, hermit crabs, are excellent for a CUC, I would do a partial water change first to get your nitrates down though before adding them.

[gcgrad]

Thanks for the response Minnesota Twins! I'm thinking a 20 gal water change. Then maybe 3 turbo snails and 5 hermits.

[MinnesotaTwins]

Thanks for the response Minnesota Twins! I'm thinking a 20 gal water change. Then maybe 3 turbo snails and 5 hermits.

Yea np,

3 turbos would be good to start out with, I have 3 of those guys in my 46 gallon and they are workin hard and barely keeping up so maybe a couple more would help for your big tank. I would probably get around 15 hermits, preferably the blue legs, I think they work really well. and also maybe sometime in the future some peppermint shrimp.

Also in my experience I would stay away from bumblebee snails.

[gcgrad]

Thanks for the help! I'll be sure to stay away from the bumblebee snails and check out the blue leg hermits.

[MinnesotaTwins]

Yep no problem, keep in mind this would only be for starters for a CUC, here is a link that really helped me determine what I needed in the long run. Good luck with your tank !
http://reefcleaners.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=33

[TruespeedEM1]

x2 on reefcleaners. I talked to them and got a custom cleanup crew and they have been great. I definitely recommend it!

[gcgrad]

Well after testing the water all parameters are the same except for nitrate which decreased to 5. So I went and purchased 12 turbo snails and they are my first inhabitants of the tank! I will perform a 20 gallon water change fairly soon (125 gallon tank).

[snorvich]

Well after testing the water all parameters are the same except for nitrate which decreased to 5. So I went and purchased 12 turbo snails and they are my first inhabitants of the tank! I will perform a 20 gallon water change fairly soon (125 gallon tank).

Sounds good. I hope you are using a refractometer that is properly calibrated?

[gcgrad]

Yes I calibrated it correctly. Thanks for asking though! This is my first system but I have done a ton of research. I'm also a chemists so I tend to focus a lot on the water parameters.

[boombox3]

Hope you dont get a blue legged hermit crab that will attack and eat all your turbo snails. Mine was evil and after many snails. I returned the crab back to the LFS. Finally the turbos are at peace

[fdonophan]

Hope you dont get a blue legged hermit crab that will attack and eat all your turbo snails. Mine was evil and after many snails. I returned the crab back to the LFS. Finally the turbos are at peace

I hear so many blue-leg hermit horror stories, but I havent had a problem. I have a big turbo snail, 3 small astreas, and 2 little blue-legs. They havent messed with my snails (so far at least - maybe they are too small?) One of the blue legs was hitchhiking on an astrea yesterday eating algae off his shell - it was kinda cute!

[gcgrad]

Hope you dont get a blue legged hermit crab that will attack and eat all your turbo snails. Mine was evil and after many snails. I returned the crab back to the LFS. Finally the turbos are at peace

No. I though about getting some but decided not to. I think I remembered how some people had problems with them. All my snails are clumped together right now. Should I pull them apart or just let them huddle together?

[fdonophan]

No. I though about getting some but decided not to. I think I remembered how some people had problems with them. All my snails are clumped together right now. Should I pull them apart or just let them huddle together?

They'll go on their merry way once they chill out and get hungry enough to start poking around.