# when are you ready to add a clean up crew



## marcandre (Dec 1, 2011)

Hello again,
It has been close to 2 weeks since i have started the cycle on a saltwater fluval edge. Salinity has remained constant, i have done a 10% water change every week and everything seems fine. Unfortunately, i do not have a water test kit as my lfs told me that i should bring him a sample of water every 3-4 weeks and he will take care of the water parameters. I understand that this was a bad idea and i have ordered myself a simple test kit.

My question is when will it be safe to add a clean up crew to my tank and what would be the best choice of inverts. I plan to keep a FOWLR system with a goby and a shrimp (sexy or fire).


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

When the Ammonia and Nitrites are 0.
Aquarium Algae Reef Cleaner Packages: Algae Eating Fish and Detritus Feeders for Saltwater Aquariums


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## drunkenbeast (Nov 13, 2011)

2nd that.

for sure post cycle


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## NeonShark666 (Dec 13, 2010)

Some clean-up animals are very tough. Get a couple of the small hermit crabs or small snails to start. Initially stay away from Shrimp, they are pretty sensative. To cycle completely you need to have some animals present for a few weeks.


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## marcandre (Dec 1, 2011)

u see thats what confuses me. some believe you must have some sort of living organisms that will create wastes (nitrates???) in order to fully cycle a tank.

Anyways, ironically my test kit arrived a couple minutes ago and i just completed my first test. 

pH = 8.2
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 0 (Probably cuz i did a water change not to long ago and i have no organisms in the tank)

My lfs told me to wait 1 month before adding anything. Should i still wait another 2 weeks or is it safe to add some clean up crew?

I still want to wait at least a couple of days to see if my levels will fluctuate with time


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## drunkenbeast (Nov 13, 2011)

are you adding ammonia to your tank to simulate waste to do a cycle?

the impression i am getting is there is no ammonia in the tank to complete a cycle.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

How much Live Rock do you have in there? Fully Cured Live Rock? If you did nit use fully cured, then the rock will have die off, and this is where the cycle begins. You could throw in a shrimp From the stor to jump start the cycle, im not one to tell you to throw in ammo ia, thats a tough one to monitor of not do e right.


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## marcandre (Dec 1, 2011)

i have 7 pounds of cured rock in the tank. The reading today are still the same


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

what size tank? You should have 1lb minimum, 1.5 normally and 2lbs per gallon. If you went the short route, you must be careful adding fish. O ly add one fish every couple of weeks so as to give your bilogical filter time to catch up. If readings are 0 and you have cure live rock, your safe throwing in a CUC.


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## marcandre (Dec 1, 2011)

Oh it's a very small tank. It is the 6.5 gallon fluval edge. So I have a bit more than 1 lbs per gallon of live rock. I don't want to put more than one goby and a fire or sexy shrimp in the tank and of course the CUP.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

marcandre said:


> Oh it's a very small tank. It is the 6.5 gallon fluval edge. So I have a bit more than 1 lbs per gallon of live rock. I don't want to put more than one goby and a fire or sexy shrimp in the tank and of course the CUP.


*w3 Your good to go. Slow going. Little at a time in a small space. Watch which GOby you get, some will get alittle bit big for that tank.


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## marcandre (Dec 1, 2011)

I have just added 2 snails into the system. I will monitor my levels for a couple of days and if everything is under control i will add 2 hermit crabs and later another 2.

My lfs believes that this will be enough for my CUC.
What do you guys think?


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

marcandre said:


> I have just added 2 snails into the system. I will monitor my levels for a couple of days and if everything is under control i will add 2 hermit crabs and later another 2.
> 
> My lfs believes that this will be enough for my CUC.
> What do you guys think?


you could probably get 6-8 snails in there no problem, but 4 crabs might be a problem, if they don't get enough to eat, they will start in on your corals.


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