Tank cycled and CUC added, now what

[xkon]

So my 60gallon tank has cycled. I used lived sand, 5lbs of live rock and about 50 lbs of dry rock with raw shrimp for the cycle. Now that ammonia and nitrite readings are 0, I added 6 nassarius snails, 6 cerith snails, and 4 hermits.

Do I need to feed these guys anything as there isnt really any left over food from fish (because there are none yet)? Or should I add one fish or so from my stocking list to make sure there wont be a re-cycle of the tank?

[ReefPony]

The common technique seems to be, once your nitrites have gone back to zero, add some pure ammonia sufficient to raise the level to 2 ppm and see if your tank can process that in 24 hours (everything except nitrates goes back to zero).

Since you already have your cleaner crew in there, I'd probably skip that - they can probably survive it but why risk it?

I'd just go ahead and pick the hardiest fish on your stocking list and add it within the next couple days.

[pyithar]

if there's no algae or food for them, they'll starve and die. if you're sure the cycle is finished, you could try and add one fish. just don't add many all at once. feed a few pellets a day to the snails and hermits in the mean time. hermits can kill snails for the shell. you should make sure the fish you're adding is free of diseases and parasites. quarantine it if you can.

[xkon]

Cool, Ill be look over my stocking list and try to figure out which to add first. What kind of pellets would be good for snails/hermits?

[MinnFish]

Have you tested for nitrates? Have you done a water change?

[acabgd]

I would just feed a few flakes, should be enough. With lights running you will soon have enough algae for your CUC.

[xkon]

Yes I have nitrates in the tank. I have not done a water change yet, as nitrates are not out of control, only added water due to evaporation.

I just started running the lights the other day so maybe that will fuel a little algae like you said ababgd to feed them. It seems like there is some kind of crystallized slime or something of the sort growing on the heater and powerheads? Is that some form of algae?

[thegrun]

Originally Posted by xkon

Yes I have nitrates in the tank. I have not done a water change yet, as nitrates are not out of control, only added water due to evaporation.

I just started running the lights the other day so maybe that will fuel a little algae like you said ababgd to feed them. It seems like there is some kind of crystallized slime or something of the sort growing on the heater and powerheads? Is that some form of algae?

It sounds like cyanobacteria, fairly common in new tanks.

[xkon]

anything to take care of or it will sort itself out on its own?

[Shawn O]

Will sort itself out, usually. Feed the CUC for a couple weeks and then start adding fish slowly, as pyithar stated. As far as adding a fish, rather than the hardiest fish on your stocking list, maybe it would be best to add the most peaceful fish first to avoid having a bully harass or kill any other fish you add later. Work from the most peaceful fish to the most aggressive to allow each fish to acclimate and stake out it's territory. If the most peaceful fish needs a mature tank, wait until the tank has matured or add the things it requires ahead of time, if possible, like a good sized copepod population or additional algae.

[fishhuman]

What's your stocking list

[Sk8r]

Don't add a fish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Quarantine a fish. 4 weeks of the cuc working and growing and pooing into the sandbed will prepare it for the fish, 4 weeks later.
Yes, some people survive rushing it. But I have to do many, many posts trying to mop up the mess that results from haste in this hobby. If you want a stable, trouble-free tank, stay the course and finish the preparation.
Yes, a few small flakes of food a day will support your cuc, and life on your rocks will increase.

[Remmers]

I'm getting ready to do just what the OP did with the raw shrimp, my question is what cuc? I'm assuming its a clean up crew but I could be wrong.

[shesacharmer]

Originally Posted by Sk8r

Don't add a fish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Quarantine a fish. 4 weeks of the cuc working and growing and pooing into the sandbed will prepare it for the fish, 4 weeks later.
Yes, some people survive rushing it. But I have to do many, many posts trying to mop up the mess that results from haste in this hobby. If you want a stable, trouble-free tank, stay the course and finish the preparation.
Yes, a few small flakes of food a day will support your cuc, and life on your rocks will increase.

What she said!!! Give your clean up crew a few flakes to eat and let them be for 4 weeks. Meanwhile put your first fish into a Quarantine tank. What you don't want to do is add any fish directly to your Display Tank and contaminate it. If you get Ich in your display it will take you 72 days with no fish to get it out!

Go slowly.

[Big_Boss_77]

Originally Posted by Sk8r

Don't add a fish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Quarantine a fish. 4 weeks of the cuc working and growing and pooing into the sandbed will prepare it for the fish, 4 weeks later.
Yes, some people survive rushing it. But I have to do many, many posts trying to mop up the mess that results from haste in this hobby. If you want a stable, trouble-free tank, stay the course and finish the preparation.
Yes, a few small flakes of food a day will support your cuc, and life on your rocks will increase.

Sk8r,
Your pearls of wisdom never cease to make me chuckle.
On that note, I always check and make sure I don't do something Sk8r has already covered sufficiently and proved empirically as a bone headed move. Go nice and sloooooow, it'll pay dividends in the long run!