am i ok to add my cleanup crew?

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DJ

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so next week will be 3 weeks my tank has been running and i have been testing my water every cpl days everything has been good so far. this being said do you think if my water tests still show up good next week i will be ready for the cleanup crew? if so im thinking of putting in 5-10 turbo snails 5 hermits acpl blue and a cpl red legged and a shrimp not too sure what kind yet any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, my tank is a 20g.
 
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shayneh

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I would wait on the shrimp and that seems like a lot of turbos for a 20g. I will only be using 3 to 4 turbos on my 75. I would recommend a mix of margarita, cerith, and nasarrius with 1 or 2 turbos. I personally don't use hermits and the blue hermits have a tendency to attack and kill snails and may also go after the reds too. If you are going to get hermits I would say stick with the reds. What did you use as your ammonia source to start your cycle?
 
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DJ

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i was told to use live rock so i started it up with the live rock
 
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DJ

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ohh sorry no not yet ive tested it every few days since i starte it
 
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DJ

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nope i didnt do my first test till about 4 or 5 day after i started it but none so far
 
pulpfiction1

pulpfiction1

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who knows?you might even like damsel fish,i just get rid of  them when the job is done,actually i just read somehwre here they were give some away,check the free section in the classifieds
 
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shayneh

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lol or you can use a piece of shrimp or scallop out of the freezer and not have to worry about having a fish that no one wants. Using damsels to cycle a tank is so old school it isn't funny. That was what people did back in the late eighties and early nineties (I know cause it's when I started) Hell it would be better to just drop some fish food in there before adding a damsel.

Unless you actually want a damsel I'd say keep them out.....
 
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shayneh

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Just sucks if you don't want the fish! In this hobby it's always wise to remember that we can't stock our tanks with tons of fish so it is prudent to carefully select and thoroughly research the livestock we wish to keep. Damsels are great in an aggressive fowlr aquarium and are known to eat the tentacles off of zoanthid polyps and harass and kill feather dusters as well as anything else they don't like in the tank....Like I said put one in if it's what you want.... not to cycle a tank. If you must use a fish even though I think it's also not nice to make the fish endure the ammonia and nitrogen cycles might I suggest the more docile blue/green chromis.....Again just my opinion but a chunk of seafood (shrimp/scallop) will start the cycle and allow you to go and pick the fish you actually want without any fish dying needlessly.
 
pulpfiction1

pulpfiction1

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never tried a chromis,might be able to tolerate a cycle,but as i mentioned earlier some dont agree,personally this has served me fine for years,and one can enjoy a fish and might even become attached and keep it,but like i said,this is my tried and proven many times over approach to cycling a new tank,there is great merrit to what sheynah points out,but seeing as we just keep them in a closed system and most are bred captive and will probably suffer stresses from this hobby in general at some point or another, one might want to enjoy what we have.myself i will try a chromis and see if it will tolerate a cycle next tank
 
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