My First Critters

[Flip121]

OK so my local aquarium supplier agreed that my water quality was good and I was ready for a few guys.

So to start things I off I got
2 Blue Leg Hermits
2 Dwarf Zebra Hermits
2 Scarlet Reef Hermits
6 Cerith Snails
6 Nassarius Snails
1 Cleaner Shrimp
1 Peppermint Shrimp

Nassarius Snail


Cleaner Shrimp


Scarlet Reef


Dwarf Zebra


Blue Leg


Blue Leg and Cleaner


I didn't want to get to many till I knew that all of these guys would do ok! I am really enjoying watching these guys go all over the tank!

[Flip121]

Took me a little while but I finally got on of the Peppermint Shrimp!

[Steve McKay]

The animals look good,nice photos.So how long has your aquarium been up and running?

[Flip121]

Surprisingly I just set my tank up this past week!

[Steve McKay]

That's what I thought,your tank looks new.That is also why I asked,then you must not know about the nitrogen cycle.There is a good chance that many of your animals will die because you didn't research what you were doing.Seeing the empty snail shell in your photos proves this.Above your thread in Reef Aquariums Forum there is a thread you should read,it is the sticky thread entitled "click here before you ask".I suggest you read all of it.Good luck.

[Flip121]

The empty shell is for the hermit crabs when they are ready to move to new homes(given to me by the my aquarium dealer). And my tank has actually completed its cycle. I have had consistent low-no ammonia and nitrates/nitrites. Additionally my local aquarium dealer will test your water before you purchase and they agreed that my tank was ready for these few critters. I do appreciate your concern though. If I have something wrong please explain.

[Steve McKay]

I will only say two things.One,it is impossible for a tank to cycle in one week or two.Two,read what I suggested and find out for yourself if you don't believe me,not for me but for your livestock.

[Flip121]

I am not saying that I am right you are wrong, if you misunderstood that I am sorry. I was simply telling you what I know and what I have found about my tank. I have watched as my tanks levels have cycled through and out of what I have seen it has in fact cycled.

[Steve McKay]

I stand by what I have said,I wish you the best of luck.

[Flip121]

Thank you for the luck and I had already begun reading the post before I had bought the little guys.
Additionally I bought cured rock so that helped speed the process up

[blennydude]

Did you buy anything to feed them? They are scavengers, and w/ a new tank there is nothing for them to scavenge. Especially w/ the number of critters you got.

[Flip121]

Yes I did buy small fish pellets that I sparingly have scattered over the bottom of the tank to make sure there is not excess feeding. I actually hand fed the shrimp! The Peppermint Shrimp took the three pieces out of my hand and quickly retreated back to his hole while the Cleaner just sat there and ate it

[blennydude]

Cool, keep testing your water often til your in the clear. Good Luck.

[Flip121]

Will do and thank you Blenny! I will keep you updated

[twisted]

i agree with steve...there is no possible way your tank has cycled. a tank cannot be safe after a week. sorry man, its way too soon and there are probably gonna be quite a few empty shells in there within the next few weeks. its just not how cycling works and your lfs is garbage. sorry to sound rude but shame on you and your lfs

[Parrothead]

Hey Flip,

Gotta couple of quick questions for you,

1. who suggested that you use the Aragonite Gravel(aka crushed coral), are you aware that this will become a serious nitrate factory? second, you have all your sand underneath the bed of this stuff, how do you propose that your sand sifters(cleaners)are going to get to the sand? Third, you set this tank up on thursday 1/7/10 correct? do you really believe that your tank super cycled in two days, because you bought your clean up crew yesterday. Now I know that even with "cycled" rock, you have not cycled, your water test perfectly simply because you have not even started the cycle, I set up a 14 gallon bio cube awhile back with the so called live bagged sand and CURED rock from a local lfs, it still took it over 2 weeks to just go through the nitrogen cycle, you haven't even started. Please trust me and others on this. You are setting yourself up for failure.

The only thing you should have in your tank right now is your rock and you sand bed, you are about to see a major change in your water parameters, and you basically just threw the money you spent on your clean up crew out the door.

There is no such thing as magic rock, you are going to cycle. Did you even see a diatom bloom on your substrate? Did your skimmer even produce any skimmate? these are all things that you should be seeing or have seen during your cycle, these are things that cannot be avoided, they will happen, and if you haven't seen them, you haven't cycled
Do you own a test kit, if not I suggest you go buy one TODAY,

Good Luck, and if you have any questions post them, or even pm me and I will help as best I can