Clean up crew questions

Noobtosalty · 07/18/2012, 07:42 PM

I have diatom bloom in my tank. My question is what is the best cleaners for this issue all my parameters( that i can check and have checked) seem to be darn near perfect.
The nearest store is over a hour away and i would rather just order them online because i haven't found a good store i trust quite yet in my area
so whats the best crew for the best price online?
thanks for the help
Other than the lovely diatoms my tank is looking and doing great i have 1 blue legged hermit and 2 Cerith Snail one Caribbean and one Mexican
Thanks in advanced

rjcranor · 07/18/2012, 09:17 PM

You can get a fighting conch, and nassarius snails, a diamond goby! Not sure where is best on line, I buy at lfs.

divewsharks · 07/18/2012, 10:50 PM

nassarius snails are a good part of a cleanup crew but not necessarily for algae.
I would add a bunch more cerith snails, and a few trochus snails. You could also add a small turbo snail -- I'm not a fan of them because the get BIG and can bulldoze things (corals) in their path; but they are great algae eaters.

Noobtosalty · 07/19/2012, 04:54 AM

I have a 29 gallon. How many of each.should I get ?

rogermccray · 07/19/2012, 04:58 AM

What is your bioload? I would start kind of small and then add more as you add fish. Check reefcleaners.org. I would recommend an 8 gallon quick crew or something with similar numbers.

Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk 2

Noobtosalty · 07/19/2012, 05:26 AM

right now i have 1 chromi and 2 clowns and 2 snails and 1 blue legged crab

rogermccray · 07/19/2012, 05:50 AM

How about a quick crew for a 5.5 gallon from reef cleaners.org:

5 Dwarf Ceriths - small cleaners that get to the nooks and crannies. Feed on diatoms, cyano, algal detritus, and film algae. Nocturnal cleaners that leave the sandbed at night to search for food.

2 Nassarius - scavengers that will eat leftover food and some fish waste. They will stir sand, but can also be kept in bare bottom tanks.

4 Florida Ceriths - small cleaners that get to the nooks and crannies. Feed on fine hair algae, diatoms, cyano, algal detritus, and film algae. Nocturnal cleaners that leave the sandbed at night to search for food.

3 Small Nerites - We are currently offering the longer lived and quite hardy Antillean Nerite. (Nerita fulgurans). It grows to a nice size,and consumes a good deal of diatoms, cyano, algal detritus, and film algae. It will also consume some fine hair algae. A nocturnal herbivore that will feed more often at night, they tend to need some time to adjust to the limitations of the aquarium during their first week.

That is a straight quote from this page.
http://www.reefcleaners.org/index.ph...mart&Itemid=34

MrG · 07/19/2012, 06:33 AM

I am a big fan of trochus snails for algae clean up. In my experience, they seem to be active day and night versus the turbos and cerith snails I've had that seem to come out only at night. Also, I might be lucky, but I've never had a trochus get stuck upside down which is something I would encounter at least once a month or more with the astreas and turbos I've had in the past.

Started with two in my 28gal tank, then when I moved to my 93gal late last year I added two more. Now I have four full grown trochus (1 inch or more diameter) and a whole lot (guessing 20-40) of baby trochus, the biggest of which are approaching half inch diameter.

divewsharks · 07/19/2012, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogermccray

How about a quick crew for a 5.5 gallon from reef cleaners.org:

5 Dwarf Ceriths - small cleaners that get to the nooks and crannies. Feed on diatoms, cyano, algal detritus, and film algae. Nocturnal cleaners that leave the sandbed at night to search for food.

2 Nassarius - scavengers that will eat leftover food and some fish waste. They will stir sand, but can also be kept in bare bottom tanks.

4 Florida Ceriths - small cleaners that get to the nooks and crannies. Feed on fine hair algae, diatoms, cyano, algal detritus, and film algae. Nocturnal cleaners that leave the sandbed at night to search for food.

3 Small Nerites - We are currently offering the longer lived and quite hardy Antillean Nerite. (Nerita fulgurans). It grows to a nice size,and consumes a good deal of diatoms, cyano, algal detritus, and film algae. It will also consume some fine hair algae. A nocturnal herbivore that will feed more often at night, they tend to need some time to adjust to the limitations of the aquarium during their first week.

That is a straight quote from this page.
http://www.reefcleaners.org/index.ph...mart&Itemid=34

the problem with nerites is that they tend to be tidal, meaning spending part of their day above the water line doing nothing (waiting for tide to come back in...).
i've not ordered from reefcleaners before, i would just make sure the ceriths are not too small. one place i ordered from, they were tiny. without being in massive numbers would make no dent against the algae.

rogermccray · 07/19/2012, 10:24 AM

The ceriths are tiny but every time I have ordered ceriths from that site i have gotten at least 50....

Yeah i never see my nerites, I did find one in my stand once as he climbed down the electrical cord of the powerhead....

Noobtosalty · 07/19/2012, 11:02 AM

thanks for all the input guys!!!!!

07/18/2012, 07:42 PM	#1
Noobtosalty Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Vermont Posts: 410	Clean up crew questions I have diatom bloom in my tank. My question is what is the best cleaners for this issue all my parameters( that i can check and have checked) seem to be darn near perfect. The nearest store is over a hour away and i would rather just order them online because i haven't found a good store i trust quite yet in my area so whats the best crew for the best price online? thanks for the help Other than the lovely diatoms my tank is looking and doing great i have 1 blue legged hermit and 2 Cerith Snail one Caribbean and one Mexican Thanks in advanced __________________ 29 gallon reef tank started 6/23/2012 20 gallon refugium 55 pounds of crystal reef sand 35 pounds of live rock

07/19/2012, 04:54 AM	#4
Noobtosalty Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Vermont Posts: 410	I have a 29 gallon. How many of each.should I get ? __________________ 29 gallon reef tank started 6/23/2012 20 gallon refugium 55 pounds of crystal reef sand 35 pounds of live rock

07/19/2012, 05:26 AM	#6
Noobtosalty Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Vermont Posts: 410	right now i have 1 chromi and 2 clowns and 2 snails and 1 blue legged crab __________________ 29 gallon reef tank started 6/23/2012 20 gallon refugium 55 pounds of crystal reef sand 35 pounds of live rock

07/19/2012, 11:02 AM	#11
Noobtosalty Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Vermont Posts: 410	thanks for all the input guys!!!!! __________________ 29 gallon reef tank started 6/23/2012 20 gallon refugium 55 pounds of crystal reef sand 35 pounds of live rock

07/18/2012, 09:17 PM	#2
rjcranor Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Fort Gratiot Mi. Posts: 341	You can get a fighting conch, and nassarius snails, a diamond goby! Not sure where is best on line, I buy at lfs.

07/18/2012, 10:50 PM	#3
divewsharks Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 1,905	nassarius snails are a good part of a cleanup crew but not necessarily for algae. I would add a bunch more cerith snails, and a few trochus snails. You could also add a small turbo snail -- I'm not a fan of them because the get BIG and can bulldoze things (corals) in their path; but they are great algae eaters.

07/19/2012, 04:58 AM	#5
rogermccray Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 1,050	What is your bioload? I would start kind of small and then add more as you add fish. Check reefcleaners.org. I would recommend an 8 gallon quick crew or something with similar numbers. Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk 2

07/19/2012, 05:50 AM	#7
rogermccray Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 1,050	How about a quick crew for a 5.5 gallon from reef cleaners.org: 5 Dwarf Ceriths - small cleaners that get to the nooks and crannies. Feed on diatoms, cyano, algal detritus, and film algae. Nocturnal cleaners that leave the sandbed at night to search for food. 2 Nassarius - scavengers that will eat leftover food and some fish waste. They will stir sand, but can also be kept in bare bottom tanks. 4 Florida Ceriths - small cleaners that get to the nooks and crannies. Feed on fine hair algae, diatoms, cyano, algal detritus, and film algae. Nocturnal cleaners that leave the sandbed at night to search for food. 3 Small Nerites - We are currently offering the longer lived and quite hardy Antillean Nerite. (Nerita fulgurans). It grows to a nice size,and consumes a good deal of diatoms, cyano, algal detritus, and film algae. It will also consume some fine hair algae. A nocturnal herbivore that will feed more often at night, they tend to need some time to adjust to the limitations of the aquarium during their first week. That is a straight quote from this page. http://www.reefcleaners.org/index.ph...mart&Itemid=34

07/19/2012, 06:33 AM	#8
MrG Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 153	I am a big fan of trochus snails for algae clean up. In my experience, they seem to be active day and night versus the turbos and cerith snails I've had that seem to come out only at night. Also, I might be lucky, but I've never had a trochus get stuck upside down which is something I would encounter at least once a month or more with the astreas and turbos I've had in the past. Started with two in my 28gal tank, then when I moved to my 93gal late last year I added two more. Now I have four full grown trochus (1 inch or more diameter) and a whole lot (guessing 20-40) of baby trochus, the biggest of which are approaching half inch diameter.

07/19/2012, 10:24 AM	#10
rogermccray Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 1,050	The ceriths are tiny but every time I have ordered ceriths from that site i have gotten at least 50.... Yeah i never see my nerites, I did find one in my stand once as he climbed down the electrical cord of the powerhead....