Ugly phase

[auditech17]

One or two small fish shouldn't hurt. I wouldn't do any more than that.

So clowns?

 

[1112-425XL]

Sure

 

[killer2001]

I'd say 2 small fish and some nassarius snails, that way any extra food that drops to the bottom they will eat right up. Wait a little bit longer for algae to accumulate before getting all the algae eating sails.

 

[etcee]

No fish yet or can I go ahead and grab some fish this weekend. I was going to check to make sure my nitrites are 0 today and my nitrates are above 0. So I haven’t done a water change yet I’ve jus been topping off from evaporation

You can add a fish or two, definitely. Get some copepods, also a really good addition early on.

 

[auditech17]

I'd say 2 small fish and some nassarius snails, that way any extra food that drops to the bottom they will eat right up. Wait a little bit longer for algae to accumulate before getting all the algae eating sails.

I just checked my ammonia is 0 but my nitrite is at .25 ppm and my nitrate is still 0 ppm. I thought nitrite has to be 0 and nitrate has to be not 0?

 

[Knight420]

What about zombie snails? I think they are pretty cool

I think you are thinking of Cerith. They will burry their selves in the sand. They are a great start to a cleanup crew. I have countless dwarf ceriths. Mexican Turbo is a power house. Just be sure to get one maybe 2 to start. A pitho crab will also burry itself and they will devour any hair algae.

What you have are diatoms. You can even go the filter media type and filter or silicates. Which they eat. But it's way more fun with a cleanup crew.

 

[Knight420]

So clowns?

Clowns are always a good starter fish.

 

[auditech17]

I think you are thinking of Cerith. They will burry their selves in the sand. They are a great start to a cleanup crew. I have countless dwarf ceriths. Mexican Turbo is a power house. Just be sure to get one maybe 2 to start. A pitho crab will also burry itself and they will devour any hair algae.

What you have are diatoms. You can even go the filter media type and filter or silicates. Which they eat. But it's way more fun with a cleanup crew.

So get my clowns and some snails? Do I have enough to support snails?

 

[flagg37]

There’s no finite set way of reefing. So much of it is opinion and anecdote. We live in a culture where we are used to an established scientific consensus on matters. You won’t find that here.

Personally, I wouldn’t add the fish yet. I think the copepods would be a great addition and then in a week or so start adding the clean up crew and then a couple weeks later the fish. The idea is that you’re creating a whole ecosystem where you are establishing a food chain. Bacteria -> diatoms, phytoplankton, and other microscopic animals -> copepods amd amphipods -> clean up crew -> fish. Make sure each is established before moving on to the next so there’s no breaks in the chain.

Again, there’s many ways to approach reefing, and I’m not offended if someone disagrees with my approach. I just look for a logical reason to do what I’m doing.

 

[jda]

Let the ecosystem develop. Anything that you do to interfere usually has to be paid back many times in like. Once the ecosystem starts to develop, then you can get things to help... like snails to eat some algae, etc. If you get dinos, cyano, diatoms that move in quicker than the more desirable things like film algae and coralline, then you might just have to wait... this is a terrible hard truth about dry/dead rock that too few tell you when you buy it. Some live rock will help this, but the uglies still settle faster than the good things do.

When you buy some snails, urchins, etc., if you order them direct from a diver in the Keys, they usually have some Z&P or some other things that come on jewelbox clam shells that will introduce some diversity to the tank. Event the snail and crab shells have some, just lesser amounts.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that you are done with one type of bacteria or a few types of pods in a bottle. Those are a drop in the bucket of the amount of things in a mature and diverse tank. If you didn't start with real live rock, then it will take you longer to get there.

Fish are hard. You need the waste from the fish to feed many of the things that people are talking about adding. You also need the gut bacteria from the fish to start to have some diversity - much more diversity than bottled bacteria. Adding fish too early can damage their gills and even if they live, they can be hurt forever - there is no 1-800 mesothelioma lawyer for fish whose gills are harmed by being added to early and they live a short life of a year or two instead of twenty. Be smart and go slow when you add fish and you are likely OK.

 

[Knight420]

So get my clowns and some snails? Do I have enough to support snails?

Yes if you have 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite then you are ready for fish. Clowns are a very hardy fish that was once used as the fish to cycle the tank. I would go ahead and add the clowns and some of a cleanup crew. Don't go overboard too fast. I would add a clean up crew slowly. If you want a sand sifter then a Cerith snail is the go to. Also a conch is a great sand sifter if you have the room for one. They can be a bit destructive by knocking things over.

 

[auditech17]

Yes if you have 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite then you are ready for fish. Clowns are a very hardy fish that was once used as the fish to cycle the tank. I would go ahead and add the clowns and some of a cleanup crew. Don't go overboard too fast. I would add a clean up crew slowly. If you want a sand sifter then a Cerith snail is the go to. Also a conch is a great sand sifter if you have the room for one. They can be a bit destructive by knocking things over.

Nitrite is at .25 ppm, I’m not looking to go fast I want to take my time for the future of the tank and others I may want to do.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Nitrite is at .25 ppm, I’m not looking to go fast I want to take my time for the future of the tank and others I may want to do.

You don't need to measure nitrite in saltwater systems.

 

[Knight420]

Nitrite is at .25 ppm, I’m not looking to go fast I want to take my time for the future of the tank and others I may want to do.

Better safe then sorry. That is fine you have nitrates for sure. You can at least add the clowns. As stated before they are very hardy fish. It will also help your cycle along.