CUC crew suggestions?

[hhoang]

Hey guys, I'll be starting to cycle my tank soon and wondering if people could throw out some suggestions for a CUC. I'll have about 56 gallons, 2" sand bed & 70lbs live rock and the dimensions of my tank are 30"w X 24"h X 18"d

[bnumair]

look up cuc packages from any reputable online vendor and only advise i will give you is to cut their recommendation of package to 1/4th or 1/2 to begin with then add on as you need to.
inverts do not handle shipping well and not transfer/shipping also in new tanks there is not enough for inverts to graze on. Nitrates are also an issue with inverts. thus all those factors cause lot of die off in the beginning.

[nlgill13]

+1 above

You wont need a CUC until you start seeing algae which is usually about a month into the cycle. Make sure your ammonia and nitrites are zero before adding any inverts. I would suggest adding slowly, maybe a few snails at first. If they are doing well after a week or two then I would buy more as needed.

[hhoang]

Thanks guys, I didn't plan on adding anything in there until I saw some sort of algae growth/stable water parameters.
I've done lots of planted FW tanks, but this is my first SW.
I was looking at those packages and thought it'd be too much livestock for such a new tank, I guess just some affirmation was needed.
I thought maybe it would be totally different from a planted FW tank. I think I may go to my LFS and just buy 1 or 2 snails and see how well they do health wise.

I want to do some shrimp, but I guess that would be best to add once I've got some fish in there and eat the extra food, huh?
I heard emerald crabs were good for bubble algae if it appears, pros/cons with those guys? I want to do corals later on, I head these guys will tear apart mushrooms, which I want to start with.
How about sand sifting stars? I really like the tile sea star, but don't plan on adding one until next year just so I know there's enough food for it to find so it doesn't starve and shrivel up.

I decided to go with 2 clowns, my LFS has a pair. I've been keeping an eye on them all week and they are very healthy. Vibrant colors, clear eyes, active and good appetites

[bnumair]

looks like u did ur home work and yes you are pretty much right on all assumptions and timelines to when to add certain livestock.
i personally dont do any crabs at all in my reef tank. Shrimp can be added later on as well when you have the water chemistry well under control. like i mentioned earlier inverts do not do well in tanks with swinging chemistry and high nitrates.

[hhoang]

looks like u did ur home work and yes you are pretty much right on all assumptions and timelines to when to add certain livestock.
i personally dont do any crabs at all in my reef tank. Shrimp can be added later on as well when you have the water chemistry well under control. like i mentioned earlier inverts do not do well in tanks with swinging chemistry and high nitrates.

haha yeah, the only time I like to ask questions is just to reaffirm what information I've soaked up. I probably looked like a crazy person when I started my first planted FW, constantly on my phone looking up any random question my brain came up with :lolspin:

[Crooked Reef]

I had an emerald crab in my display tank. He was a bad one. From what I understand it can be hit or miss. Mine went after hermits. He killed 4 or 5 in one night. I wasnt sure it was him until I saw him attack one and pull it apart. All crabs are opportunistic. You may want to look at porcelain crabs as they are predominately filter feeders.

I personally do not like sand sifting stars because they will decimate all of the life in your sand bed. The life in there is more beneficial than the star.

[adamwheel]

I would avoid hermits. Far too opportunistic. You won't miss them. Nassarius snails are really cool to watch burrow/rise from the sand. I've also had good luck with cerith and trochus snails.

[mkoop]

I have a combination of chestnut turbos, Astraea and nassarius. Sounds like you are on the right track.

[reeferstace]

I would not put a starfish in a tank that small. It will likely slowly starve to death. Instead, opt for a brittlestar.

I agree with Nassarius and ceriths. I also like turbos in my tank because they are such excellent algae eaters but they are not usually long-lived. I avoid Astreas because they are in constant need of being flipped over.

Some people hate crabs and some love them. They are opportunistic feeders and can cause problems. My tanks all have scarlet hermits , the really tiny blue-legged hermits, and also Mithrix crabs in them. I keep plenty of empty shells in hopes the hermits leave the snails alone. It mostly works.