New Tank

[muskox]

Sart doing water changes after the tank is cycled. You will be able to tell that it is cycled when all of your paramaters
are in place. Get the liquid tests for what dreadhead told you. You could get a the quick dip test strips that are cheaper but not as good. I got my shrimp when I thought that it was done cycling. I got him to see if the tank was suitable for other living things. If it lives the tank is good. That is how I did it.

Water changes.
I used to do like 5% every two weaks. Not good. I learned to do them right even though it never seemed to effect my tank. I think that you are supposed to do 10% weekly or 20% biweekly.

 

[dreadhead]

I do 10% to 15% weekly.

 

[Animal Mother]

Im not planning on putting cephs in it, or even getting cephs for right now, it's my "first time experimental tank" I also thought it was too small for any ceph. Does anyone know of a ceph that would go in it, and if not, whats the most personable fish that will go in it?

So now that I know I need to get a clean up crew, what should I get for this size tank?

This is a decent selection of small fish: Nano Fish | Marine Fish

You could keep just about any shrimp or crabs in it. For a clean up crew a dozen hermits and half a dozen turbo snails would probably do.

 

[L8 2 RISE]

Aren't lettuce naudibranches considered clean up crew? Could I get one of them

 

[Animal Mother]

Yes they are, but you should wait for your tank to mature. They need a constant supply of algae, and some of them are particular about which algaes they will and won't eat. They get sucked into powerheads and overflows real easy too.

 

[L8 2 RISE]

Sorry to keep bothering you guys, but I found some sort of slug thing in my tank last night. It has a greenish-brown color and has a flat marble pattern shell on its back. It's not a shell it goes inside, it just kind of lays on its back

sorry again

 

[Redoc]

Sometimes its fun just to see what comes off the live rock. I set up a 40 gal a while ago and got a pistol shrimp and a couple of interesting crabs that don't seem to bother anything in the tank. I wouldn't worry too much about what comes from the rock unless you notice it doing damage to something else you like, just enjoy the freebies. Also if you are looking for an interactive fish most types of blennies are very sociable they may end up watching you more than you watch them. There are many different kinds and are fairly easy to keep.

 

[esquid]

why don't you buy or check out from the library a book on tank setup like "The New Marine Aquarium" by Michael Paletta or "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" By Robert Fenner. These and other books about setting up a tank will tell you what you need to do, when and why. Also they have info about aquarium fish and inverts. And please don't use a living creature to test your water quality.

eriu

 

[Animal Mother]

Sorry to keep bothering you guys, but I found some sort of slug thing in my tank last night. It has a greenish-brown color and has a flat marble pattern shell on its back. It's not a shell it goes inside, it just kind of lays on its back

sorry again

Sounds like a stomatella snail.

Beneficial, and they reproduce rather quickly. Kalypso loves eating them.

 

[muskox]

I never get anything on my live rock

oh well, I guess that that is good

 

[L8 2 RISE]

yup, sounds like it, but I only have one, so I guess it wont reproduce.

 

[esquid]

what type of live rock did those come in on?

 

[L8 2 RISE]

I got it from an established tank, it is fiji and tonga rock

 

[Animal Mother]

Most all live rock includes some sort of hitch-hiker(s). Some just go unnoticed for a while. It might be pods, mysis shrimp, mantis shrimp, snails, worms, micro feather duster worms, micro stars, micro or macro algae, corals... and occasionally octopuses.

 

[monty]

yup, sounds like it, but I only have one, so I guess it wont reproduce.

Not always a safe assumption with gastropods...

Effect of self-fertilization on Biomphalaria tenagophila (Orbigny, 1835) (Pulmonata: Planorbidae)