Cleaner Shrimp

[pmartin]

I am going through the tank cycle at the moment and I am starting to plan what fish to house in the tank

I am hoping to keep a fish only tank at the moment. with live rock

Would it be of any benefit to put a Cleaner Shrimp in first? My theory is that he could give the tank a once over before the other fish arrive.

can the shrimp survive in a fish only tank?

Thank you

Paul

[Seahorsedreams]

A shrimp could definately live in a fish only tank... as long as none of the fish are large shrimp eaters.

He might not clean up too much that you can see and if there was a long time span between his entry and the first fish I would throw some food.

[Rob]

yes, but you will have to keep more reef like conditions with invertabrates. they are sensitive to nitrates and copper...
you dont need a full blown reef system, but you need to keep an eye on such things.
i wouldn't use a cleaner shrimp during the cycle, wait for the cycle to complete since they are very sensitive to nitrates. once thats done you can add shrimp... :)

[pmartin]

To be honest I am in no hurry to add fish or shrimps. I hope to leave my tank for an additional 4 weeks after it has completed its cycle.

The amount I have had to learn about salt water as apposed to my African Cichlid tank is immense.

A point I forgot to add to my first post was that I am using uncured live rock (as discussed with Rob before) to cycle my tank and I feel that the hitchhikers/plants on the rock look as if they would poison a fish if the nibbled on it.

Thanks again for all your help, the podcasts and forums have really helped me not to rush into any rash decisions.

Paul

[Seahorsedreams]

Remember to feed the tank with a source of ammonia after it finishes cycling. Otherwise your biofilter will die off.

[pmartin]

i am sorry but could you explain a little more.

i am guessing that a source of ammonia is a fish/shrimp

biofilter? i have the live rock and i am using a filter with carbon in it just for the nitrogen cycle and i on the right path?

appoligies if its a dumb question

[Seahorsedreams]

The biofilter is what you are building right now by cycling your tank. It involves the bacteria that are found in/on your LR to convert the ammonia to nitrite to nitrate. Right now they are being feuled by the ammonia from the dieoff of the uncycled rock. Once it uses up the ammonia from the LR produced from the die off you will need to give it a source of ammonia so it can continue to live. Your fish will serve this purpose in the future. If there is nothing to produce waste in the tank, the bacteria will starve and die.