Newbie, what next? Chaeto, copepods, etc...

[Coxey81]

Hi, last week I purchased a used 4 month old tank with 4 fish, 3 shrimp, a Halloween crab, and several snails and hermits.

So far everything is going good. Tank was already cycled, but there was some hair algae growth in the sand, but not on the rocks. I used new sand and have not seen any algae growth, but have decided to keep the lights off for a while until I new my nitrates where in control, how much to feed, etc.

I don't have a PO4 test kit yet, but considering purchasing it next.

The tank was set up with dry rock, but has been dosed with green and purple coralline. The green covers 2/3 of the rock, but because of the move and not being able to aquascape it the same as it was there are lots of large bare areas. There are small spots of what I think is the purple starting.

So should I continue to keep the lights off for a while and let the coralline take over more?

Would this be a good time to consider adding chaeto to the refugium?

Good time to add copepods? If so, which ones and how? Dose them in, get a piece of live rock, or would they probably hitch hike in on the chaeto?

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

I'd say add both. Good to add good bio diversity and the chaeto can act as food and a place for the Copepods to live.