Last Steps before adding livestock

blalaw87 · Jun 19, 2021

Good Morning,

It seems like my tank has all finished up and is done cycling and I want to start off with some fish first and then I will start adding some corals after. Trying to take my time.

I did have an algae problem but that cleaned up and seems like everything is under control now between keeping the lights off and putting in a CUC. I have noticed that with the live rock I have about 5 or 6 urchins I believe of different size that are just black. This guy seems to be the biggest. I tried searching and couldn't find too much information but should I be worried about them or having too many with a newer tank? Or should I just removed some of them?

I also have started noticing a couple spots of aptasia from what I believe. I know that since I have a new tank I have read an article I believe on here the easiest way to deal with it would just be to remove the rock and taking it out by hand by just getting rid of where it is on the rock unless I miss understood that. I was wondering if I do that are there any negative consequences? I know that doing that would maybe break up the rock a little and thing of that natures and mess up the aquascape I have right now but other than that I can not think of any.

I am planning on starting next week with some clowns and slowly add over time so I don't go crazy with stressing the system. Thanks!

Rmckoy · Jun 19, 2021

Picture 1 looks like a urchin ..
does it move ?

as for aptasia . I’d leave the couple you have without disturbing the rocks .
squirt lemon juice or kalk paste into the mouth .
as soon as you try lifting the rock it will recede into the rock and you will not be able to find it .

looks great so far.
add your livestock slowly and I would strongly suggest waiting for the system to mature a little before adding corals .

brandon429 · Jun 19, 2021

Disease will wipe out the fish if you skip tank preps

normally, ordering from pre quarantine places circumvents that aspect of required prep, but with pre cured live rock it doesn’t. This isn’t a downer type claim, it’s a direct relay from daily posts about new tanks from the fish disease forum. The loss rates are very high, thats the stats, and overlooking them won’t change 8 month outcomes we already see on file going back years in the forum.

if solely two clowns was the full destiny of the tank you can have a decent chance skipping preps, say 60-70% ability to keep two clowns for years without issues (at best a C grade chance, D)

but the plan is for mixed fish, so the % outcome positive chance is zero. Merely click the fish disease forum, discern the tank age for the majority of any disease help entrants on any page going years back, let me know if you find other patterns at work.