new tank

bigp12 · 10-13-2006, 08:26 PM

Hello im now starting a new 65 gallon fish tank and have had it runnung for 2 months with only damsels and i am wondering wut kind of cleaning crew i should get (fish only tank) Any help would be great

BlackWhiteYellow · 10-13-2006, 10:34 PM

little hermits are cool, all sorts, except for big nasty anemity hermit crabs the size of your hand, they will tear your tank appart and eat your prised belovid.

RIP Arnald The Niger Triger

Willieo101587 · 10-13-2006, 10:45 PM

I have cerith snails and turbo snails. The ceriths are nice because they burrow in the sand bed. Little hermit crabs are nice too.

coral reefer · 10-14-2006, 03:16 AM

Welcome to 3reef first of all!
Now to answer your question: first of all, you don't need to add any kind of cleaning crew right now ,IMO, as you don't have much of a bio-load and you would be better off waiting til your tank gets better established and matures. You will take the risk of starving your inverts if you don't have micro/macro algae for them to feed on or even detritus. Do you have live rock in your tank?
The biggest question for you to answer before goingout and purchasing fish for your fish only tank is What kind of fish do I want to have in my tank? When you answer that question, you can then begin to focus on the inverts for the tank. Some fish will eat certain inverts so you need to be careful with proper selection to match. For example, certain Triggers will eat urchins, crabs, snails and crabs as well as small fish.
There is a book by Scott W. Michaels called "Reef Aquarium Fishes" which can help you with proper fish and invert selection to better enable you to keep both fish and inverts in the same tank!
Best of luck and enjoy... As always any questions...please ask! alot of knowledge and experience here at 3reef!

sssnake · 10-14-2006, 04:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willieo101587

I have cerith snails and turbo snails. The ceriths are nice because they burrow in the sand bed. Little hermit crabs are nice too.

+1

Welcome to 3reef bigp12. You're gonna like this place

bigp12 · 10-14-2006, 11:16 AM

well im looking at getting some clown fish i dont think any triggers r in the future for this tank and im looking at a puffer but am still debating if the tank is big enuff for one

SAW39 · 10-14-2006, 11:54 AM

I think that after 2 months, IF the ammonia and nitrites are zero, that Bigp12 can start adding creatures to the tank -- fish, hermits, snails, whatever. However, do it slow. No more than 1 or 2 creatures added each week, so that the bacteria have a chance to increase to handle the increased bio-load.

Take the advice of Coral Reefer: decide what you want, make a plan, do the research on compatability, and THEN buy. It will keep you from going out and impulse buying whatever strikes your fancy and then regretting it later.
(as I did: Large Chocolate Chip Starfish DO NOT play well with others!)