Clean-uo Crew Question

reefgeezer · 03/05/2018, 08:08 AM

I've let the nutrients rise in my reef tank. Unfortunately that has caused the growth of a little bit of brownish green algae. It's not a lot but it's building up on the rocks. I have a Cole Tang & Yellow Tang that pick at it, but they aren't doing the job. I also have a dozen or so Red Legged hermits.

What snails, urchins, crabs , or etc. might be valuable additions where control of this algae are concerned? Thanks.

Uncle99 · 03/05/2018, 10:31 AM

Personally, I don't use urchins or crabs of any type in my DT. Urchins are good cleaners but knock over stuff all the time. Crabs are next to useless in cleaning as they tend to grab the snails, in addition to anything else that's slow or non moving.

My clean up crew is snails, great water with no phosphates, 8 hour photoperiod, with just the intensity to grow my corals.....and my hands....I can pull out 100 times more algae than the crabs...

earwicker7 · 03/05/2018, 05:55 PM

My LFS "rents" sea hares. They will decimate hair algae, but once it is gone, they will starve, so they allow you to return it for store credit. You obviously won't get full value back, but it's a good deal if you can find a place that does that. Or you could pass it on to another reefer when you are finished with it.

skimjim · 03/05/2018, 08:02 PM

Snails will only clean glass.

Crabs and shrimp may eat 10% of algae if youre lucky.

All inverts will die within 12mos.

Best way to rid akgae is to:
3-4 day blackout followed immediately by 25% water change
Reduce duration of lighting cycle to 6hrs
Reduce what youre feeding by HALF
Het back on a 10% water change every 2 weeks

ramseynb · 03/06/2018, 03:10 AM

Mexican turbo snails would get my vote depending on the size of your tank. If it’s a really small tank, you might buy a couple then donate them once they’ve gotten rid of your algae. If you have a medium-large tank, they’ll likely be fine.

reefgeezer · 03/06/2018, 08:32 AM

Thanks everyone. The algae is due to purposely allowing nutrients to rise above 0 in an effort to get better growth and/or color from my SPS corals. I'm not looking for algae remedies, I want to add some additional algae eating critters to help control the little bit of red-brown turf algae that is popping up on some of the rocks.

Has anyone had any problem with Tuxedo or Long/Short Spine Urchins knocking over stuff? I tried a Pencil Urchin. He proved to be a bulldozer.

Crooked Reef · 03/06/2018, 03:51 PM

I have a purple pincushion urchin and never have had any issues. He doesn’t even move the frags on the sand. From what I was told the tuxedos pick up more. They will eat all of your coraline algae though.

Imaexpat2 · 03/06/2018, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by earwicker7

My LFS "rents" sea hares. They will decimate hair algae, but once it is gone, they will starve, so they allow you to return it for store credit. You obviously won't get full value back, but it's a good deal if you can find a place that does that. Or you could pass it on to another reefer when you are finished with it.

Mine doesnt do that...but I wouldnt be beyond getting one and then giving it back to them or a friend a couple of weeks later. Those guys are algae eating machines!!!

Donut528 · 03/06/2018, 08:00 PM

Ah honestly instead of buying a clean up crew at all, I dose about 2ml of vodka a day (45 gallons) and then scrub the rocks off every month or so. If I get a cyano bloom in my water column from too much carbon in the water, then I view that as my cue to start doing my monthly water changes. I literally don’t have any algae, I only occasionally get cyano from too much light/carbon. Clean up crews are kind of over rated for the amount you pay, but that’s just my experience.

Uncle99 · 03/07/2018, 10:37 AM

Donut528, You are absolutely right!
Bravo!

reefgeezer · 03/07/2018, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crooked Reef

I have a purple pincushion urchin and never have had any issues. He doesn’t even move the frags on the sand. From what I was told the tuxedos pick up more. They will eat all of your coraline algae though.

Thanks. That's the info I'm looking for. I don't have and don't want Coralline so that would be fine.

Bent · 03/07/2018, 03:13 PM

I’d love to have another sea hare.

If I can find an easy to grow macro algae that they will eat I will gladly get another.

Joe0813 · 03/07/2018, 04:17 PM

ive wasted so much money on a clean up crew..... and they always end up dying within a year. then you get the snails that cant flip themselves over and always have to help. but sometimes you cant get them and they just die that way

Uncle99 · 03/08/2018, 01:01 PM

I agree Joe0813, waste of money.
I thought these things would keep the tank clean.....NOT....
I think the crabs said forget the algae....I see escargot!

I have found that creating an environment which algae does not like much (low nutrients, balanced photoperiod) and me, pulling by hand was better, cheaper and faster than any crew I ever had.

The added bonus is I had 31 snails 17 months ago and today....still 31.....

Bent · 03/08/2018, 01:33 PM

I think the little things are the most interesting to watch.

As to how effective they are..meh.

RioReefr · 03/08/2018, 05:24 PM

I struggled with hair algae, even though my nutrients were in-check.

I got some 200-microns filter socks (changed every 3 days), 10 turbo snails and some NoPox (very small dose). My problem was gone in 1-week !

I had hermit crabs and a yellow tang. The tang would just peck at the algae but not really eat it. The hermit crabs seemed to just come out at night and scavenge for food on the sandbed. They seemed to like the leftover fish food much more than algae.

The turbo snails seem to love the algae, but now I have little white specks (I assume it is their eggs) all over the back-wall. In any case, no more algae issues so I can live in with the white dots.

HBtank · 03/08/2018, 06:19 PM

Snails rock. <3 snails. Love Hermits. My hermits love snails too!

My favorites right now are my turbos who decided that be damned they are gonna just go ahead and cruise around on sand.

As for snails that need flipping, plenty of species that don't and can flip themselves; just get cerith and trochus snails and that's not even a concern.

Tidepool snails (nerites, astrea, and others etc..) are the problem, can't flip, and some just crawl right out of the tank! Others like my turbos are just big and stupid (and act accordingly), but I still like em

HBtank · 03/08/2018, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skimjim

snails will only clean glass.

wrong

jgal912 · 03/08/2018, 06:43 PM

i prefer snails with mininal crabs...and smaller crabs only

Subsea · 03/08/2018, 09:36 PM

I like escargot with garlick butter and Blue Point Crabs boiled in Zatarain’s.

03/05/2018, 08:08 AM	#1
reefgeezer Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Wichita KS Posts: 2,621	Clean-uo Crew Question I've let the nutrients rise in my reef tank. Unfortunately that has caused the growth of a little bit of brownish green algae. It's not a lot but it's building up on the rocks. I have a Cole Tang & Yellow Tang that pick at it, but they aren't doing the job. I also have a dozen or so Red Legged hermits. What snails, urchins, crabs , or etc. might be valuable additions where control of this algae are concerned? Thanks. __________________ John, Current Tank Info: In-process, 90 Gallon SPS Reef

03/06/2018, 03:10 AM	#5
ramseynb Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: New Braunfels, TX Posts: 630	Mexican turbo snails would get my vote depending on the size of your tank. If it’s a really small tank, you might buy a couple then donate them once they’ve gotten rid of your algae. If you have a medium-large tank, they’ll likely be fine. __________________ How do you make an octopus laugh? Ten tickles!

03/06/2018, 08:32 AM	#6
reefgeezer Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Wichita KS Posts: 2,621	Thanks everyone. The algae is due to purposely allowing nutrients to rise above 0 in an effort to get better growth and/or color from my SPS corals. I'm not looking for algae remedies, I want to add some additional algae eating critters to help control the little bit of red-brown turf algae that is popping up on some of the rocks. Has anyone had any problem with Tuxedo or Long/Short Spine Urchins knocking over stuff? I tried a Pencil Urchin. He proved to be a bulldozer. __________________ John, Current Tank Info: In-process, 90 Gallon SPS Reef

03/06/2018, 03:51 PM	#7
Crooked Reef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 1,765	I have a purple pincushion urchin and never have had any issues. He doesn’t even move the frags on the sand. From what I was told the tuxedos pick up more. They will eat all of your coraline algae though. __________________ “In wine there is wisdom; in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.” - Benjamin Franklin Current Tank Info: 90 gallon reef. Biocube 29 lionfish tank. Mantis tank.

03/07/2018, 03:13 PM	#12
Bent I got nothin' Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: The anals Posts: 6,420	I’d love to have another sea hare. If I can find an easy to grow macro algae that they will eat I will gladly get another. __________________ Quitters never lose. [QUOTE=CStrickland]Who gets mad at a starfish?[/QUOTE] Current Tank Info: 75g DT, 30G refugium, 10g chaeto tank, 50g stock tank basement sump

03/05/2018, 10:31 AM	#2
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	Personally, I don't use urchins or crabs of any type in my DT. Urchins are good cleaners but knock over stuff all the time. Crabs are next to useless in cleaning as they tend to grab the snails, in addition to anything else that's slow or non moving. My clean up crew is snails, great water with no phosphates, 8 hour photoperiod, with just the intensity to grow my corals.....and my hands....I can pull out 100 times more algae than the crabs...

03/05/2018, 05:55 PM	#3
earwicker7 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Posts: 150	My LFS "rents" sea hares. They will decimate hair algae, but once it is gone, they will starve, so they allow you to return it for store credit. You obviously won't get full value back, but it's a good deal if you can find a place that does that. Or you could pass it on to another reefer when you are finished with it.

03/05/2018, 08:02 PM	#4
skimjim Registered Member. Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 513	Snails will only clean glass. Crabs and shrimp may eat 10% of algae if youre lucky. All inverts will die within 12mos. Best way to rid akgae is to: 3-4 day blackout followed immediately by 25% water change Reduce duration of lighting cycle to 6hrs Reduce what youre feeding by HALF Het back on a 10% water change every 2 weeks

03/06/2018, 08:00 PM	#9
Donut528 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2017 Posts: 10	Ah honestly instead of buying a clean up crew at all, I dose about 2ml of vodka a day (45 gallons) and then scrub the rocks off every month or so. If I get a cyano bloom in my water column from too much carbon in the water, then I view that as my cue to start doing my monthly water changes. I literally don’t have any algae, I only occasionally get cyano from too much light/carbon. Clean up crews are kind of over rated for the amount you pay, but that’s just my experience.

03/07/2018, 10:37 AM	#10
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	Donut528, You are absolutely right! Bravo!

03/07/2018, 04:17 PM	#13
Joe0813 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Boston strong Posts: 2,766	ive wasted so much money on a clean up crew..... and they always end up dying within a year. then you get the snails that cant flip themselves over and always have to help. but sometimes you cant get them and they just die that way __________________ Joe and Jenny Current Tank Info: 180 reef

03/08/2018, 01:01 PM	#14
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	I agree Joe0813, waste of money. I thought these things would keep the tank clean.....NOT.... I think the crabs said forget the algae....I see escargot! I have found that creating an environment which algae does not like much (low nutrients, balanced photoperiod) and me, pulling by hand was better, cheaper and faster than any crew I ever had. The added bonus is I had 31 snails 17 months ago and today....still 31.....

03/08/2018, 01:33 PM	#15
Bent I got nothin' Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: The anals Posts: 6,420	I think the little things are the most interesting to watch. As to how effective they are..meh. __________________ Quitters never lose. [QUOTE=CStrickland]Who gets mad at a starfish?[/QUOTE] Current Tank Info: 75g DT, 30G refugium, 10g chaeto tank, 50g stock tank basement sump

03/08/2018, 05:24 PM	#16
RioReefr Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Rio de Janeiro Posts: 394	I struggled with hair algae, even though my nutrients were in-check. I got some 200-microns filter socks (changed every 3 days), 10 turbo snails and some NoPox (very small dose). My problem was gone in 1-week ! I had hermit crabs and a yellow tang. The tang would just peck at the algae but not really eat it. The hermit crabs seemed to just come out at night and scavenge for food on the sandbed. They seemed to like the leftover fish food much more than algae. The turbo snails seem to love the algae, but now I have little white specks (I assume it is their eggs) all over the back-wall. In any case, no more algae issues so I can live in with the white dots.

03/08/2018, 06:19 PM	#17
HBtank Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 2,957	Snails rock. <3 snails. Love Hermits. My hermits love snails too! My favorites right now are my turbos who decided that be damned they are gonna just go ahead and cruise around on sand. As for snails that need flipping, plenty of species that don't and can flip themselves; just get cerith and trochus snails and that's not even a concern. Tidepool snails (nerites, astrea, and others etc..) are the problem, can't flip, and some just crawl right out of the tank! Others like my turbos are just big and stupid (and act accordingly), but I still like em __________________ 80g Aiptasia dominated reef tank.. with fish and now a bunch of berghia! Current Tank Info: 80g tank, re-starting a reef after a zoanthid nudibranch plauge, followed by months of steady and unstoppable STN/RTN, crashed; stayed FOWLR for a couple years, currently an aiptasia dominated reef tank with fishies and BERGHIA

03/08/2018, 06:43 PM	#19
jgal912 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 23	i prefer snails with mininal crabs...and smaller crabs only

03/08/2018, 09:36 PM	#20
Subsea Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Austin, Tx Posts: 1,882	I like escargot with garlick butter and Blue Point Crabs boiled in Zatarain’s. __________________ Laissez les bons temps rouler, Patrick Castille Current Tank Info: 10,000G. Greenhouse Macro Growout