CUC Question

[Grandreef 2]

I'm going to buy my clean up crew soon and I was woundering if this list would work? I have a 55 gallon tank and my substrate under one of my powerheads how can I get rid of it?
10 mexican turbo snails
6 nassarius snails
1 sea serpent star
1 emerald crab
5 bumble bee snails

[kingfisher62]

How old is the tank is there a lot of algae for the turbos and crab to eat?
I like blue legged hermits.

[dudley moray]

"I have a 55 gallon tank and my substrate under one of my powerheads how can I get rid of it? " huh???
as for cuc sounds fine but personally i would leave the sea serpent out maybe a couple mexican red leg hermits instead i haven;t had much luck with turbos but astrea 's are a good substitute as well as stomatella varia

[Grandreef 2]

It has be up for a month and a half. There is the brown powder in the subtrate and some coraline algae on the rocks. In one place there is a small patch or hair algae no bigger then your thumbnail.

[kingfisher62]

I believe the brown stuff on the sand is a cyano or diatom bloom. your crew sounds about right for that size tank.

[scotbehot]

If you are going with the large Nasarius that sounds good also, but if you are getting the mini ones, I would add about five more.

[loosecannon]

Bumblebee snail = ( Engina mendicaria ) , predatory on othersnails!

[bunzaroo]

I'm going to buy my clean up crew soon and I was woundering if this list would work? I have a 55 gallon tank and my substrate under one of my powerheads how can I get rid of it?
10 mexican turbo snails
6 nassarius snails
1 sea serpent star
1 emerald crab
5 bumble bee snails

I think for a 55 you have way too many mexican turbos. I think 3 0r 4 is more than enough. Also remeber that Turbos get big, somtimes 2 inches. They will knock down and bulldoze any corals. a good alternative are astrea and cerith snails. I woould do without the bumble bee snails.

[sedor]

I would do 4 turbos, 10 nassarius, 10 blue leg hermit, emerald crab, cleaner shrimp.

[Frogmanx82]

+1 against the bumble bee snails

I have red legs vs the blue legs. I've been scared off the blue legs because they seem to be a bit more aggressive based on posts I've read. I don't have direct experience with them. I know my 20 red legs have been fine with nassarius, astrea, turbo and trochus snails.

I haven't had luck with the turbo snails living more than a couple months and am trying the trochus snails now.

[Grandreef 2]

How about this
1 emerald crab
7 nassarius snails
5 dwarf red leg hermit crabs
5 cerith snails
1 peppermint shrimp

Also would this clean up crew be able to clean the diatom bloom in my sand bed? And can they get along with my aquarium livestock list that I'm hoping to get?
Fish
1 Percula clown
3 chromis
1 yellow stripe clingfish
1 green clown goby
1 firefish
Corals
1 Green Leather
1 Yelllow fiji leather
1 pulsing xenia
1 montipora green
2 plate corals
1 devils hand coral
1 finger leather
1 elegance coral
Inverts
2 Crocea clams
1 blue porcelian crab
3 pink and white feather dusters
1 coral banded shrimp
1 fire shrimp
1 crinoid lobster
3 blue tunicates

[surfthreeeleven]

I personally have never had any problems with my red leg or blue leg hermits. I think they both do an excellent job in all of my reef tanks. The stocklist looks alright, but I agree with the all the comments about replacing several of the turbos w/ astreas or even margarita snails (which I like but seem to be short lived compared to my astreas). FYI, I also have bumblebees in all my reef tanks and have no problems with them. The ONLY invert I have ever had any problems with whatsoever, is the **** emerald crab. I still have one in each of my tanks just to keep a handle on bubble algae, but I have witnessed them eating various lps and messing with softies & anenomes. I recently moved a frag of frogspawn from one tank to another, and literally watched the emerald rip out some polyps and munch them down....

[Grandreef 2]

Have any of you ever tried a sand shifting sea star?

[Frogmanx82]

If you have emerald crabs you need a bit of chaetomorpha in the tank for them to nibble on.

Read this http://www.wetwebmedia.com/clingfishfaqs.htm on the clingfish. That may not be a good choice. I'm not sure even how available they are. A hector's or rainford's goby might be a suitable substitute but you need a good pod population as they don't eat what you feed the other fish.

Margarita snails are collected in cool California waters and are a very poor choice for a reef tank. They won't live more than a couple months. It is terrible that they are even collected for this hobby. Even some of the turbos don't seem to be tropical. Trochus snails are probably a better choice than either of them though there are some tropical turbo snails.

I'll have to read up again on the bumble bee snail. I didn't recall them being compatible with other snails and you should get a few more opinions on them.

Sand sifting sea stars will strip your sand pretty quick and likely starve. I wouldn't think about it until your tank has been set up a year and your sand is heavily populated.

The coral banded shrimp should be a last addition if you even want to go there. They eat other shrimp and hermit crabs. They have a pretty bad reputation and based on your other inverts, I would say don't do it.

The peppermint shrimp doesn't have a sterling reputation either. They have been known to munch on corals. They eat aiptasia after all. I wouldn't get a peppermint shrimp unless you had an aiptasia outbreak that squirting Aiptasia X didn't fix. The skunk cleaner shrimp are a much safer choice and mix with the fire (blood) shrimp.

I have never seen the crinoid squat lobster, but I looked them up. They would seem to be a cool addition. I'm not sure how easy they are to obtain, nice find though.

1 xenia won't be one for long. Be sure you place frag rocks around it so you can remove it as it spreads and get your lfs to give you some store credit.

I think the devils hand and finger leathers are basically the same thing. A good easy care coral that should be an early purchase. Cabbage leathers are also cool.

The tunicates sound a little tricky. They aren't so common and I'm not sure we know how to keep them long term. That would be the last thing to get when you have mastered care for corals. They seem similar to feather dusters as far as being filter feeders. If the large feather dusters do well, which isn't easy, you have to be on top of feeding them, then you may have success with the tunicates.

You have a pretty aggressive list. Start slow, work your way up, test your water regularly. It seems like a lot for a 55, but at least you have a plan. The biggest mistake is going to the lfs and getting something that looks cool but you have no idea what is required to keep it or what it will do in your tank. You've come to the right forum to avoid the usual pitfalls.

[loosecannon]

I personally have never had any problems with my red leg or blue leg hermits. I think they both do an excellent job in all of my reef tanks. The stocklist looks alright, but I agree with the all the comments about replacing several of the turbos w/ astreas or even margarita snails (which I like but seem to be short lived compared to my astreas). FYI, I also have bumblebees in all my reef tanks and have no problems with them. The ONLY invert I have ever had any problems with whatsoever, is the **** emerald crab. I still have one in each of my tanks just to keep a handle on bubble algae, but I have witnessed them eating various lps and messing with softies & anenomes. I recently moved a frag of frogspawn from one tank to another, and literally watched the emerald rip out some polyps and munch them down....Margarita snail = ( Tegula funebralis ) are unsuitable for reef tank! They come from Pacific cost of North America. Can survive a few weeks in reef tanks . Then they die from being slowly cooked. In the wild they can live well over 100 years! :hmm3:

[loosecannon]

How about this
1 emerald crab
7 nassarius snails
5 dwarf red leg hermit crabs
5 cerith snails
1 peppermint shrimp

Also would this clean up crew be able to clean the diatom bloom in my sand bed? And can they get along with my aquarium livestock list that I'm hoping to get?
Fish
1 Percula clown
3 chromis
1 yellow stripe clingfish
1 green clown goby
1 firefish
Corals
1 Green Leather
1 Yelllow fiji leather
1 pulsing xenia
1 montipora green
2 plate corals
1 devils hand coral
1 finger leather
1 elegance coral
Inverts
2 Crocea clams
1 blue porcelian crab
3 pink and white feather dusters
1 coral banded shrimp
1 fire shrimp
1 crinoid lobster
3 blue tunicatesStenopus hispidus coral banded shrimp , aggressive, an will attack other shrimp and crustaceans. Also preys on snails, and worms!:eek1:

[Grandreef 2]

How about
8 nassarius snails
5 dwarf red leg hermit crab
5 cerith snails
1 skunk cleaner
5 spiny star astaea

Can they handly the diatom bloom in my algae?

[johnc43113]

Bumblebee's can be dominant...I would not include them in the CUC. I have just 2 zebra turbos in my 29...they are just enough for it...I put algae sheets in every once in a while...they do knock a lot of stuff over.

[garzaci]

I would reconsider the elegance coral. I've never personally had one, but they haven't fared to good in the past few years.

[Frogmanx82]

I think I read that they have been collecting the elegance corals from deeper waters in the last couple years and that makes it tougher on shipping and acclimation.

[Grandreef 2]

Do anty of you know how to get rid of the diatom algae? It looks like this http://anters.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/diatoms_03.jpg I just want to get rid of it pernamently so I can fell good about adding my first load of fish. :fish1::DThanks

Merry Christmas:bounce1:

[phil519]

Do anty of you know how to get rid of the diatom algae? It looks like this http://anters.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/diatoms_03.jpg I just want to get rid of it pernamently so I can fell good about adding my first load of fish. :fish1::DThanks

Merry Christmas:bounce1:

patience....

Diatoms are a sign of the tank properly maturing. You will see blooms like that initially. Actually with my tank I think i had them for almost a year sporadically before they stopped. With me the improved flow seems to have cinched it.

However, as I know it's boring to just watch diatoms disappear on their own, you could consider the following inverts to assist in eating them:
strombus conch
sea cucumber
cerith snails (not necessarily to eat the diatoms, but to break up the sandbed)
nassarius snails (not to eat the diatoms, but to break up the sandbed)

Everyone has different experiences on the board. I avoid hermits as they will eat fauna and with their pointy legs jab into corals just by walking around. I know reefkeeping mag authors will swear by the red legs or the scarlet reef hermits. The comments on astreas snails are somewhat misleading on longevity. I still have one in my old 55 gallon tank - that's been around now since I registered on RC - so 6 years old. The thing is the size of a mexican turbo. Granted many have succumbed since.

Of these that you name:
8 nassarius snails (will not eat algae, just turn the sandbed. They eat fish food or dead fish)
5 dwarf red leg hermit crab ( no exp)
5 cerith snails (will not really eat diatoms, but helpful in turning sandbed)
1 skunk cleaner (does no cleaning with regards to algae).
5 spiny star astaea (these guys are cool but really just eat algae on glass/LR - not the sand).

The key to keeping inverts alive is:
proper acclimation
enough food for the inverts.

most cuc packs are far more than what is needed for the sized tank we have. Good luck!

[MalIII]

Put in 50 blue leg hermit crabs. They eat all algae.

[Grandreef 2]

I've heard plenty of stories where the hermit crabs will eat the snails to obtain thier shells, is this true?

[Grandreef 2]

Also my nitrate levels are at 10ppm, can I add my clean up crew now? Do they need any other food source?
Also what is a good chemical to raise the ph for long term because mine is just under 8?

[MalIII]

I've heard plenty of stories where the hermit crabs will eat the snails to obtain thier shells, is this true?

Blue legs are real small. I have them with my snails and they are ok. They are the best cleaners.

[MalIII]

Also my nitrate levels are at 10ppm, can I add my clean up crew now? Do they need any other food source?
Also what is a good chemical to raise the ph for long term because mine is just under 8?

10ppm is ok. Anything under 20ppm is ok. Just add the crew. they will find their own food.

Use DKH buffer to raise the DKH and the PH will raise also. If you magnesium (MG) is low, the buffers will not hold. MG should ge 1300.

[Grandreef 2]

I'm so confused should I go with the red leg or the ble leg hermit crabs :(

[MalIII]

I'm so confused should I go with the red leg or the ble leg hermit crabs :(

You can use either, but don't mix them. I would use blue legs over red, but both will work. Blue legs are smaller, and can get into all small places in the reef.

[Grandreef 2]

Than all for your help :)

[srjordon]

I have the red and blue leg hermits in my tank and have not had any problems mixing them

[Falconeer]

Stenopus hispidus coral banded shrimp , aggressive, an will attack other shrimp and crustaceans. Also preys on snails, and worms!:eek1:

I was just going to say...don' mix CB shrimps with other shrimp, haha.

I made the call to go with a single Gold (for size reasons) CB shrimp in my tank, and occasionally I wonder if that was the right move, but he's just so cool to watch, haha.