Beneficial Bacteria

Vinh · Nov 26, 2015

I have a 10 gallon tank that just finished cycling. For CUC I'm going with 2-3 scarlett crabs. No snail - just don't like the looks of snails in a tank. I'm not relying on crabs to do a lot of cleaning. I want them primarily to add more diversity and interest to the tank.

There's a lot of different opinions on this but I decided to go with CUC first before fish (pair of clowns only). I know the crabs won't add too much to the bio-load. Therefore, what can I do to keep the BB thriving until I add fish (about 2-4 weeks after CUC)? I want to spend this time getting my water params more stable and allow the tank to mature even more.

Waters · Nov 26, 2015

Easiest way is to just ghost feed the tank. Pretend there are fish in there, and throw a little bit of food in each day.

Vinh · Nov 26, 2015

Hmm ok. I was thinking the crabs would end up eating anything I put in the tank.

Vinh · Nov 27, 2015

By the way, is it OK to add a couple scarlett hermit crabs if my nitrates are at 60 ppm? Ammonia and nitrites are at 0. I've done two 20% water changes but can't seem to get that number down.

twilliard · Nov 27, 2015

More water changes will do it

melypr1985 · Nov 27, 2015

It's ok if they crabs eat the food you put in. When they eat, they poop and that serves the same purpose

inetjnky · Nov 27, 2015

You won't hurt the crabs by putting them in with high nitrates. But doing a few 50% water changes will eventually help you get your nitrates down below 5ppm. I did like 3 or 4 50% changes, and the like two 25% changes and then a 10% change to get mine down from 80ppm to below 5ppm

brandon429 · Nov 27, 2015

also, within the time frames mentioned established bacteria will not backtrack. once a tank is cycled, so many forms of contamination and direct feed get inside the tank that bacteria do not retroscale like the forums think they would. if your cycle is established and verified by a ~4ppm digestion test, the definitive post cycle test, then leaving it absolutely as-is and not feeding or adding a thing for 60 days wont retroscale it.

microbiology is different than aquarium forums allow. plenty of people do the fallow ich thing for 72 days and re enter the bioload with no ramp up, using this type of biological preservation. aquarists are convinced they control the bacteria from downscaling, but it actually holds course or continues to upscale while you are waiting due to additional contaminant loading...one of several is standard mixed aerobic bacteria that flood the tank as new contaminants daily...when they die, they rot and are feed for nitrifiers in direct association with them.

many other alt feed pathways exist besides that incoming lot

if purple live rock is in the tank, it has its own animals that respire (ammonia endpoint) and it has organic stores that are bac substrate for others where nitrifiers still gain additional support. many pathways exist. I think if you had an all plastic not real porous reef scape like they do on tanked, and no where was live rock included, then months wo ammonia support might register. the typical live rock tank...nope.

the point is, once you can digest 3-4 ppm for sure down to true zero within 24 hours of it being 3-4 ppm, you don't lose that ability if you stop adding things for quite some time, don't know how long. as long as other contaminants get in and feed them, it may never retroscale without direct antimicrobial meds or actions. simple feed withholding wont do it in the time frames you mentioned, a month or so.