Setting up my 150 gallon tank....question re: cycling and is my tank 'ready'

naesco · #1 02-24-2009, 04:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rbacchiega

I hope you mean no more than 10 at a time. Only 10 snails in a 150 sure isn't that many. When I ran a sand bed I had 40-50 snails at any given time.

It may be that 10 is all that he may need. But, if more are needed, he can add more or let them populate themselves as Marie has suggested.
The myth of one snail per gallon is a marketing ploy.
We sometimes see marketing schemes where recommended 'clean up crews' are advertised.
They contain far too many snails and often contain snails like astrea that never see sand in the wild and, when they do find themselves in our aquarium, they find themselves stuck upside down in the sand only to be eaten by the first hermit crab that comes upon them.
The excess snails in these crews starve to death and are often see being eaten by hermit.
The hobbyist not the hermits is to blame. All the hermit is doing is eating a dead snail. Sometimes just an empty shell is found.

newreefer_59 · #2 02-24-2009, 02:43 PM

ok....so is now the time for those 10 snails and hermit crabs? I do not have sand at this point - only live rock, which begs another question. Do you run your system with/without sand? I have heard the comments on either side of this.

Whatigot · #3 02-24-2009, 02:54 PM

thats a great debate and really a personal choice.
both have beneficial attributes, both have downsides.
It's really whatever you like the look of better.
at the end of the day Live Rock should do just about everything that live sand can.

digital-audiophile · #4 02-24-2009, 02:58 PM

My own opinion:

Bare bottom tanks look like fish store tanks. Sand makes a tank look more natural.

newreefer_59 · #5 02-24-2009, 03:02 PM

and either way, is now the time for those 10 snails and hermit crabs?

digital-audiophile · #6 02-24-2009, 03:05 PM

Adding the clean up crew is the great place to start

I dont think I ever really waited more than a couple weeks before I added snails and crabs.

Rbacchiega · #7 02-24-2009, 05:05 PM

I'm currently running a tank that is mainly bare bottom, but does still have some sand for the goby. I love it. There are ways to create faux bottoms if you were worried about it, but I don't notice it anymore.

Doug · #8 02-24-2009, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by digital-audiophile

My own opinion:

Bare bottom tanks look like fish store tanks.

and whats the matter with that.

I think it depends on what your stocking, although both can ve run with anything. I prefer the nice clean no sand look in my sps tank with a whack of current. I can see and siphon out the detritus and snail doo-doo,s during my weekly water change

naesco · #9 02-25-2009, 06:17 AM

It is ok to add them now.
Remember snails like high and constant salinity 1.025 to 1.026and must be acclimatized very slowly. 3 hours minimum
Any questions on how to do it ask.

Sand bed. I like to natural look and I like the fact that there are lots of stuff in the sand that creates minute food for all the other critters.
But, unless it comes to tangs, each to his own.