clean up crew

another newbe

another newbe

'bubbles, bubbles, bubbles!!'
Dec 11, 2004
35
0
0
new zealand
hi guys, just a few questions.....
are cleaner shrimps hard to look after? how long does a tank have to be set up before you add them? and what do you feed them? also, are snails hard to look after? ive got the hang of looking after my clowns, are snails, hermits and shrimp as easy to look after? are there any special things i will have to add to the water for these guys?
i would like to get these guys for the big tank once its cycled (i cant wait!!!!! :D )
also, what sort of lighting do you need for mushrooms. the big tanks lighting is pretty bad (all i can afford at the moment :( ), just 2 x 40w floresents, i dont really know much about lighting except that you need metal halides or power compacts for the more advanced corals etc. just wanted to know if i could keep anything under the pitiful lighting i already have.
thanks sooo much. this site has helped me more than any other source of info ive ever come across. keep it up!
 
I'm not sure about the shrimp, but I'm sure someone here knows about them. As for the snails and hermit crabs, they are a breeze. I've got 8 Trochus snails right now and they keep to themselves and eat algae. I've also got about 10 various hermit crabs and they'll graze on some algae, but also and more important for me they'll eat fish food that reaches the bottom of the tank.
 
thanks speedjk, anyone know about the shrimps? cleaner shrimps in peticular? and any help with the mushrooms/lighting question would be great.
 
Cleaner shrimp will eat all the leftovers from the fish (including poo) just like snails and hermits.
You don't have much for lights as I know you know already. I wouldn't think you could keep mushrooms unless they would be placed at the very top.
I finally bit the bullet and bought 2 250w metal halides after wasting my money on pc. Actually, I now use the pc for supplemental lighting.
 
for the cleaner shirmp, u might have to put some iodine in the system, to help them molt easier,
i dont know the exact details for the dosing of iodine or whatever, but u mgiht not need it at all...
cleaner shrimp will also eat dead skin off ur fish, they will clean them and i beleive also eat any sort of paracite taht exists on the fish...

hope someone gives u a more exact answer and good luck,
-brandon
 
thanks! you all know so much! i guess ill just have to wait for some more money to come my way and get some metal halides. ive just been drooling at all the pics on the internet of different reef setups and ive fallen in love with the mushrooms. ill just have to patient. thanks for the info in the shrimps, i had been looking every where for basic info on them like feeding etc, but couldnt find any thing, so youve helped heaps, thanks again! any other advice?
 
thanks, any one know what levels of iodine are needed to keep cleaner shrimps, and how do you add iodine? im only adding calcium at the moment.
does iodine come in a bottle like the calcium does?
 
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i test for nh3, no2, no3, ph, salinity, alk/calcium, and kh. dont test for iodine as i dont add it yet. will there be iodine in my water anyway? should i find a test kit for iodine and test for it anyway?
 
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