Noob questions around Bacteria, CUC, and waterchanges

[ziggyjane07]

Hi All,

Just wondering and I can’t find much info around it all but now that the tank is fully cycled and I am adding fish with no issues, I have no ammonia readings, nitrite 0 and nitrates practically 0, I have added some clean up crew (yesterday) which (well the starfish hasn’t started moving as yet,) but because they strip the sand bed of all the good bacteria that was built up Is there a good bacteria that people might use and add to replenish that?
What do you use? and how often? Or do you just leave it?

I do weekly water changes but do i not gravel vac the sand bed and just change the water for a while so they have stuff to eat?
Do I leave water changes and just do every fortnight? Once a month?

CUC that I got was 2 trochus snails, 1 strombus and a sandsifting starfish (i also got a juv checkerboard wrasse that has buried and not come out yet)

Thanks

 

[brandon429]

No further bacteria needs to be added, all forms of tank cleaning or animal feeding leave the required bacteria in place, don't spend money on that plan. Move on without concern over lack of bacteria


The only way your filter will ever be overcome isn't by animal grazing or tank cleaning it's solely by a dead animal or three left in to rot so remove them if they die and by that rule, you'll never have a shortage of bacteria from any scenario that requires you to supplement bacteria after a cycle.

 

[Reef.]

In a new tank there will be no food for the starfish and you may struggle to feed even the cuc.

 

[brandon429]

Agreed

The star was the first anticipated loss unless velvet beats it to the punch


Pull the carcasses if it happens and everything will be fine/ no loss cascade

*to prevent fish loss if some occur, fallow the tank and quarantine them. You may not need those approaches but if fish die you will.

All methods and description for fallow and quarantine are in the fish disease forum