A what's good algae attack pack?

[Otherone]

I'm only a week into cycling a 30gal bowfront - 10lbs cured LR, 20 Lbs dead LR, Ammonia 0 Nitite 5 ppm Nitrate 10 ppm, PH 8.2, Salinity 1.0024, temps 78. I have a 10 gal waterchange tank which is bare but parameters are similair. I'm in no rush expect to wait another 2 weeks. We've got some coraline algae and other stuff growth but very minimal.

In 2 weeks if nitrite is 0 and nitrate 20 ppm or lower we thought maybe 1 Damsel fish, but I don't want anything gettin' outta control, was told get an algae attack pack next but it seemed excessive - 6 scarlet reef hermits, 15 red leg hermits, 5 turbo snails, 20 margarita snails.

The eventual goal is to leave the door open for a small reef if possible, 3 fish max - Royal gramma, flame pygmy angel, fiji devil damsel.

So far system has powerheads w/02 feeds, biomedia, protien skimmer(not running), HO lighting (not on, using a standard florecent to peak on the LR)

Advice greatly appreciated

 

[TMartinez]

I have astrea snails and blue legged hermits. Also a lawnmower blenny would be ok.

Unless you have excessive algae I would do 5 astrea snails and 5 crabs and see what happens....

 

[nonstophoops]

I'm only a week into cycling a 30gal bowfront - 10lbs cured LR, 20 Lbs dead LR, Ammonia 0 Nitite 5 ppm Nitrate 10 ppm, PH 8.2, Salinity 1.0024, temps 78. I have a 10 gal waterchange tank which is bare but parameters are similair. I'm in no rush expect to wait another 2 weeks. We've got some coraline algae and other stuff growth but very minimal.

In 2 weeks if nitrite is 0 and nitrate 20 ppm or lower we thought maybe 1 Damsel fish, but I don't want anything gettin' outta control, was told get an algae attack pack next but it seemed excessive - 6 scarlet reef hermits, 15 red leg hermits, 5 turbo snails, 20 margarita snails.

The eventual goal is to leave the door open for a small reef if possible, 3 fish max - Royal gramma, flame pygmy angel, fiji devil damsel.

So far system has powerheads w/02 feeds, biomedia, protien skimmer(not running), HO lighting (not on, using a standard florecent to peak on the LR)

Advice greatly appreciated

Sounds like you have a good and patient plan for getting your tank going, good job there.

You must have bought some live rock that was not fully cured or added something to have nitrates coming in that high with nitrites still present and no bioload. Seems to be coming along well though.

I assume you mean 1.024 for salinity, which is good.

I would make sure you do water changes once the nitrites are gone to keep those nitrates under 20.

Adding a damsel would be fine once the nitrites are gone.

I agree that the cleaner crew they suggested was very high(financial motive?). You can do up to 1 crab or snail per gallon, but no more. I would recommend something like 10 blue leg hermits and 10 snails(either astrea or margarita or a combo of both).

Another note, so you are aware, all 3 fish that you want are known for being quite aggressive so you may or may not end up having problems keeping them together.

 

[FLESHY]

In my 125g tank, I have less than 5 turbo snails, and 15 astrea snails. There are a few (less than 5) hermit crabs wandering around, but that is it.

You really dont need that many once they get established with good h2o quality.

 

[Otherone]

Thanks! I thought it was excessive esp. since I don't as of yet, have any algae issues. We've got maybe the most minimal amount of brownish algae on the LR but none on the dead rock what so ever. We keep the Lights off thru the cycling stage esp. since the Nitrite is so high. I seeded the tank w/food for the ammonia spike and used seeded freshwater biomedia inside the box to get that spiking as well.

As for the fish being aggressive - what stunners aren't ? we did change are minds on the Fiji Devil Damsel tho, woman wants a Clown - that to may change. think we'll just start slow - 1 hermit 5 snails and see what it tests out at seeing how I'm probably gonna be feeding them since the Dead and Live rock aren't producing much at the moment.

 

[FLESHY]

There are a lot of really ornate fish in the sw side of things that are non aggressive

 

[nonstophoops]

Thanks! I thought it was excessive esp. since I don't as of yet, have any algae issues. We've got maybe the most minimal amount of brownish algae on the LR but none on the dead rock what so ever. We keep the Lights off thru the cycling stage esp. since the Nitrite is so high. I seeded the tank w/food for the ammonia spike and used seeded freshwater biomedia inside the box to get that spiking as well.

As for the fish being aggressive - what stunners aren't ? we did change are minds on the Fiji Devil Damsel tho, woman wants a Clown - that to may change. think we'll just start slow - 1 hermit 5 snails and see what it tests out at seeing how I'm probably gonna be feeding them since the Dead and Live rock aren't producing much at the moment.

I agree with Fleshy that there are lots of cool looking fish that aren't aggressive. I wouldn't be too concerned doing the stocklist you suggested, just letting you know there is a possibility for problems(I know you could say that about all fish).

No need to feed the snails and hermit, they will find plenty of food.