CUC thoughts/questions

[Jamiesheffield]

Hello Reef Central,

I've been lurking and reading and ordering, and am now cycling my new saltwater tank. It's a 6.5 gallon bookshelf tank from petco, and I've got a bunch of live rock and sand in there now waiting for my numbers to come into line...

So here are my newb-tastic thoughts on my CUC...I'd like to know which (and how many) snails and hermits are best to cover detritus and algae...

I was thinking about a few brittle stars...

I'd also like to have a small group of sexy shrimp...

I addition, although it may be unrealistic in terms of biology for such a small tank, I'd like to have A blue porcelain crab and a Sally Lightfoot crab...

And to put the icing on the already overstuffed invert tank...I was strangely attracted to a mini yellow cucumber...

I need the help of the RC brain trust with the following:
1) how many and which snails/hermits?
2) 3 or 5 sexy shrimp?
3) blue porcelain and/or Sally lightfoot?
4) mini yellow cucumber...cute addition or sure sign or madness?

Thanks for your help in laying out my plans for this tank...

Jamie

[EpicExposures]

OOOOOOOOOOhhh Mini tank. THose look pretty cool, to bad they are $50.

1.) I would say 4 hermits and two snails.
2.) Sexy shrimp are very small, calculate on the age old rule .5 inch of critter to one gallon of water. Be wary of specific size requirements
3.) I would NOT put either or those guys in your tank, especcialy if you have sexy shrimp AND a sally. Your fish tank is wide and VERY narrow. Sally lightfoot crabs get BIG.
4.) Sure after your tank is up and running for at least 6 months, and you have enough filter foods to supplement the tank. I have no idea how big a mini cucu gets but youll have to calculate that into your tank. Also he needs medium water flow.

I have a 6 gallon mini with a small power compact bulb, and I have some frogspawn, yellow gupie, and a peppermint shrimp. My tank is square though so there is more room for the critters. Just find some miniature tank inhabitants and do your research, you will make a neat tank in no time.

[SushiGirl]

Sally lightfoot will get too big for a 6 gallon tank, plus they're aggressive.

I would stick with a couple of cerith snails (they'll clean glass, rocks, and sometimes burrow in the sand) and a few nassarius snails to eat food leftovers and stir the sand.

Yellow cucumbers aren't clean up crew, they're strictly filter feeders. I wouldn't keep one in a 6 gallon tank, cucumbers usually release toxins when they die. Plus feeding would be so minimal in that tank that they would starve pretty quickly unless specifically fed, which would quickly pollute the tank.

Brittle stars are going to get too large for a 6 gallon tank (except mini brittle stars that get about 2" leg-tip to leg-tip, those usually come as hitchhikers on frags or rock).

If you get hermits, don't get more than 2 or 3 micro hermits.

Some sexy shrimp and a porcelain crab would be fine.

[Jamiesheffield]

Thanks so much for the replies...good to know about the beasties...I'll amend my plans accordingly...

Jamie

[SushiGirl]

No problem. My first tank was a 3 gallon, had it for 4 years. I kept a porcelain crab, one peppermint, a couple snails, one hermit, and about 6 mushrooms (which filled it up LOL).

[Jamiesheffield]

No problem. My first tank was a 3 gallon, had it for 4 years. I kept a porcelain crab, one peppermint, a couple snails, one hermit, and about 6 mushrooms (which filled it up LOL).

That's about what I'm looking for...

Jamie

[EpicExposures]

Put in a clown gobie for their yellow color, they are SO cool, and wouldn't mind a nano. Just IMO

[aleonn]

I'd get 1-2 small nassarius snails, which are great at eating left-over food and detritus. I also like cerith snails too for some algae control.

[SushiGirl]

Clown gobies are recommended for 10 gallons and up.