Several Random Questions

[animalrie]

My Biocube 14 has been up for 3 weeks now. I have 3 astraea snails, 3 cerith snails, 6 blue legged hermits, and 1 scarlet hermit.

 

This CUC will soon consist of 3 astraea snails, 3 cerith snails, 2 nassarius snails, 2 trochus snails, 1 peppermint shrimp, and 1 cleaner shrimp.

 

My questions about this:

 

Will this take care of my algae, is there anything else I need to add to this? (I do have the bristleworms that came with my LR)

 

Can I add the nassariu snails, trochus snails, and two shrimp at the same time?

 

Next questions:

 

Should I feed my CUC now?

 

Will they find food within my tank or should I start feeding frozen food or flakes?

 

Next:

 

When can I add fish?

 

Should I get most of my coral in first?

 

Thanks to anyone who takes the time to answer these questions for me!

[animalrie]

Bump??

[Alias1]

What type of algae do you have?

[animalrie]

Hair algae, diatom blooms...

[neanderthalman]

Patience grashopper. CUC sounds good, perhaps even a little overboard. Me, I like overboard. Don't feed them, they'll get enough algae on their own.

 

The #1 thing that will take care of your algae is time. Expect various algae blooms for the first six months to a year as your tank matures. Your CUC should keep it manageable, but you may need to intervene from time to time. Don't panic when you do.

 

While most people really really really want to get the fish in there first, I personally think that you're better off with corals first. Lower bioload, lets you get everything well established before introducing a carnivore into the mix. Your tank is most stable without fish, and you can make a few more noob mistakes with a tank stocked only with GSP, shrooms, leathers, and zoos. Those things are nearly bulletproof.

 

Interesting thing is that this is how reefs develop in the wild. The pioneer species are, I'm told, SPS and other stony corals. After time, fleshier LPS move in and compete, and finally, softies. Only after all this, do fish find habitat and begin to inhabit the reef.

 

In our tanks, we suffer from different limiting factors, so it's best to do the corals in reverse, softies to SPS. However by adding fish last, you ensure that you are adding fish to a well established and mature ecosystem.

[animalrie]

Patience grashopper. CUC sounds good, perhaps even a little overboard. Me, I like overboard. Don't feed them, they'll get enough algae on their own.

 

The #1 thing that will take care of your algae is time. Expect various algae blooms for the first six months to a year as your tank matures. Your CUC should keep it manageable, but you may need to intervene from time to time. Don't panic when you do.

 

While most people really really really want to get the fish in there first, I personally think that you're better off with corals first. Lower bioload, lets you get everything well established before introducing a carnivore into the mix. Your tank is most stable without fish, and you can make a few more noob mistakes with a tank stocked only with GSP, shrooms, leathers, and zoos. Those things are nearly bulletproof.

 

Interesting thing is that this is how reefs develop in the wild. The pioneer species are, I'm told, SPS and other stony corals. After time, fleshier LPS move in and compete, and finally, softies. Only after all this, do fish find habitat and begin to inhabit the reef.

 

In our tanks, we suffer from different limiting factors, so it's best to do the corals in reverse, softies to SPS. However by adding fish last, you ensure that you are adding fish to a well established and mature ecosystem.

 

Thanks!

 

I've asked this on another thread, but might as well ask here. How fast do zoas spread?

[oceanhighz]

it really depends on what type, some of them spread like weeds, others spread really slow. I wouldn't add any super expensive or rare ones at first if that is your plan, see how a cheaper group does and go from there.

[Alias1]

I haven't gotten to play w/ those algae yet. I baked my rock brown but I don't think it was diatoms. My cuc started with a very large scarlet hermit, and while he was my canary - and I wasn't feeding the tank - I would every few days pick him up and put him onto a peice of flake food - he appreciated it. That's the extent of what I can help with.

[neanderthalman]

zoas spread faster under brighter and lower K lighting. They can also be fed certain foods, which speeds up growth. I have also heard of people slicing the mat with an exacto knife to help promote new polyps to bud. Have not yet heard whether this is true or not.

[animalrie]

zoas spread faster under brighter and lower K lighting. They can also be fed certain foods, which speeds up growth. I have also heard of people slicing the mat with an exacto knife to help promote new polyps to bud. Have not yet heard whether this is true or not.

 

I just have the Biocube stock lighting. Will this be good enough? And what do you mean by certain foods? I thought they ate through photosynthesis.

[neanderthalman]

They get virtually all of their energy requirements through photosynthesis, yes. However, they do have mouths, and they can eat small foods (cyclopeeze is one). What this does is provide them with a nitrogen source, which accelerates growth.

 

Edit - to clarify, feeding is not necessary. In fact, until you have a better handle on tank parameters, I don't recommend it (messy). It can accelerate growth, that's all.

[animalrie]

They get virtually all of their energy requirements through photosynthesis, yes. However, they do have mouths, and they can eat small foods (cyclopeeze is one). What this does is provide them with a nitrogen source, which accelerates growth.

 

Would phytoplankton be sufficient?

[neanderthalman]

Would phytoplankton be sufficient?

 

no, that's intended for filter feeders. Regardless, I do not recommend feeding zoos until you have a little more experience. You'll be surprised at how fast they grow without it.

[animalrie]

Thanks for your answers! Do mushroom corals use photosynthesis as well?

[neanderthalman]

Thanks for your answers! Do mushroom corals use photosynthesis as well?

 

absolutely they do. Nearly all corals in the industry are primarily photosynthetic. Only a handful do not use any photosynthesis at all (dendrophyllia, tubastrea).

 

I woudn't be dosing your tank with phyto unless you know, for certain, that you are specifically keeping a filter feeding animal that requires it. Otherwise, it just becomes unnecessary nitrate.

[animalrie]

Okay, thanks so much for your help!

 

Just a couple more questions :

 

Can I add a peppermint shrimp and cleaner shrimp anytime soon?

 

My peppermint shrimp died and was eaten by my scarlet hermit crab recently (I don't know if the scarlet killed him or not...), should I wait?

[neanderthalman]

Okay, thanks so much for your help!

 

Just a couple more questions :

 

Can I add a peppermint shrimp and cleaner shrimp anytime soon?

 

My peppermint shrimp died and was eaten by my scarlet hermit crab recently (I don't know if the scarlet killed him or not...), should I wait?

 

 

If you can wait....wait. Shrimp tend to be fairly sensitive when introduced to a new tank - much moreso than other inverts. Tank is also a little small for two shrimp, though the pepps are pretty small. You're probably fine. Waiting a little longer will help the chemistry stabilize and improve survivability. There's more to chemistry than the nitrate cycle, it takes a long time for everything to even out.

 

Make sure that you're getting a peppermint shrimp and not a camel shrimp. The two look nearly identical, but camel shrimp have a taste for eating coral. They should be translucent, mostly red. If they are opaque, red/white, then it's a camel shrimp. Pass on that.

 

Edit:

 

peppermint shrimp:

 

 

Camel Shrimp:

 

[animalrie]

If you can wait....wait. Shrimp tend to be fairly sensitive when introduced to a new tank - much moreso than other inverts. Tank is also a little small for two shrimp, though the pepps are pretty small. You're probably fine. Waiting a little longer will help the chemistry stabilize and improve survivability. There's more to chemistry than the nitrate cycle, it takes a long time for everything to even out.

 

Make sure that you're getting a peppermint shrimp and not a camel shrimp. The two look nearly identical, but camel shrimp have a taste for eating coral. They should be translucent, mostly red. If they are opaque, red/white, then it's a camel shrimp. Pass on that.

 

Thanks! Does this look like a peppermint? This was my shrimp, I'm planning on getting another from same place, same tank...

 

 

Also, do corals like frogspawn use photosynthesis? (Sorry for all these photosynthesis questions... )

[neanderthalman]

Yup, definitely a peppermint shrimp (I added pics of each to my last post). Frogspawn is definitely photosynthetic, but benefit from occasional feeding of meaty foods like mysis shrimp.

[animalrie]

Good! Sorry, didn't see the pics! When I get fish, would the frogspawn just eat the leftover mysis shrimp, or would I need to target feed it?

[neanderthalman]

I posted the pics after you posted. Don't worry about it, I was just referencing them so that you could see what a camel shrimp looks like. The frogspawn will definitely catch the occasional bit of leftover mysis from feeding the fish. Of course, sometimes it's fun to target feed. I just don't recommend overdoing it in a nano. Once in a while....go for it.

 

BTW, if you feed frozen mysis, don't add the "juices" to your tank. Strain out the mysis, rinse with a little RO, then add it to to the tank.

[animalrie]

I've pmed someone about getting some frogspawn, these are pretty hardy corals right?

[neanderthalman]

yeah, they're pretty hardy. Not a typical beginner coral though.

[animalrie]

yeah, they're pretty hardy. Not a typical beginner coral though.

 

Do you think it would be safe to add this now? My two zoa frags seem to be doing GREAT!

[neanderthalman]

Your tank is still a little young. That's a tough call. I don't really want to promote stocking early and quickly. Wait a week or two if you can.