CUC Question

If it is true that CUC typically cannot tolerate ammonia very well and when introducing the first few fish it is possible to spike the ammonia slightly while the bacteria is adjusting then why would I want to add CUC before the first fish?

Wouldn't it make more sense to add a small fish let the bacteria catch up and stabilize then add CUC? I don't understand the ratinal for adding CUC first.

Can someone explain with a valid argument rather than just because?

I just want to understand the logic.

 

I always thought you wanted to have a few fish in the tank first before adding the CUC. That way you have some food in there, algae has grown some etc etc for them to feed on. Ive seen a few add some snails at the start with a cyano or diatom problem just to help clean that up. I dont plan on adding my CUC until 2-4 months in..

Shane.

 

It depends on the situation.

Some people suggest to do so because when using uncured LR to cycle a tank, there will be enough organic material and detritus to sustain the CUC and for them to take care of diatoms.

If you cycled a tank using cured LR, there may be very little die-off and people sometimes do wait to add a CUC after they add the first fish.

It is also cheaper to replace a snail or two (and less stressful to the aquarist) due to an uncycled tank than it is to replace a fish from an uncycled tank (the snails are the canaries in the coal mine so to say).

Hope that helps a little

 

Just to add, when adding your CUC, do not add all you plan to have at once. Work up a little at a time just like you would when adding fish. If you add all the CUC at once, they may just end up starving from lack of food.

 

Good points Peter, that makes more sense.. Goin slow like everything else with a tank..

 

OK so for BIOCUBE 14 with 14 lbs live rock and 14 lbs live sand and nothing else would the following be reasonable to start with?

4 nerites
4 Banded Trochus Snail
4 Cerith Snails,
(I will add 4 Nassarius Later down the line)

 

I would go with the 4 ceriths, 1 nerite, and 1 trochus snail. I would add a snail or two a week after that. But that is very general. You can gauge your tank better than we can and make the call as your tank goes along.

This is not my video, but I saw this video in the forums and thought it was very interesting. Trochus snail and hermit

YouTube - Hermit Vs. Trochus

 

i was gonna say that! wait no wonder we have the same names!;D


~Shane

 

if yah have any questons on what to add scroll down to reafcleaners and they will hook you up.

 

LOL at 1.0reef...