clean up crew

wah-zoh · 01/17/2010, 04:43 PM

i just got my 125 gal cycled what is the best way // order to build a clean up crew. i know blue leg hermits and turbo snails are hard workers, but i see alot of people posting about conches, and shrimp. i already got a sally light foot, brittle star, and 10 hermits from a friend.

reefer321 · 01/17/2010, 04:53 PM

From what I have been told and read you might want to wait on the shrimp another month or so for the tank to stabilize some more as they are a little more finicky about the water parameters.. I added some in my 75 after 2 months and they are doing great! I am waiting another couple of weeks on my 95 to add them.. If you have a sand bed the Nassarius snails are good for keeping the sand moved around a little as well as the star you got already..

Mopar Reefer · 01/17/2010, 06:17 PM

Cerith and nassarius are key members to a good CUC. Agree with the abover poster on the shrimp, they are real sensitive to changes in water quality and shoudl be put in after a few months of stablization.

terri_ann · 01/17/2010, 06:18 PM

Being your tank has just cycled, you shouldn't need to have to hurry in getting a CUC. What is it that you want your crew to do? Clean the sand, rocks, walls, eat detritus, left over food, stir the sand...? Depending on what you want/need, then we can suggest:-) Pre-built CUC are not necessary but some people do purchase them.

wah-zoh · 01/17/2010, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by terri_ann

Being your tank has just cycled, you shouldn't need to have to hurry in getting a CUC. What is it that you want your crew to do? Clean the sand, rocks, walls, eat detritus, left over food, stir the sand...? Depending on what you want/need, then we can suggest:-) Pre-built CUC are not necessary but some people do purchase them.

i have a sugar sized sand in the tank so i would want something to keep sand clean. i will have 100 lbs of live rock that will need to be cleaned, but i am also trying to stock fish that will help cleaning that up. i had bad hair algea in my 55, i never want to see that stuff again so something to clean algea would be nice. and i also do majority of water changes in my sump so something to eat left overs as well. i didnt have good clean crew in my 55 and the tank suffered because of it so i am going to make sure this tank is set up better.

bertoni · 01/17/2010, 06:55 PM

Some snails will be happy to clean the sand, depending on what's growing. A few cerith snails might do the job. A few Trochus or Stomatella might help with the rock and the glass.

01/17/2010, 04:43 PM	#1
wah-zoh Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: NC and NY Posts: 339	clean up crew i just got my 125 gal cycled what is the best way // order to build a clean up crew. i know blue leg hermits and turbo snails are hard workers, but i see alot of people posting about conches, and shrimp. i already got a sally light foot, brittle star, and 10 hermits from a friend.

01/17/2010, 04:53 PM	#2
reefer321 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 94	From what I have been told and read you might want to wait on the shrimp another month or so for the tank to stabilize some more as they are a little more finicky about the water parameters.. I added some in my 75 after 2 months and they are doing great! I am waiting another couple of weeks on my 95 to add them.. If you have a sand bed the Nassarius snails are good for keeping the sand moved around a little as well as the star you got already.. __________________ 95g Wave Tank with 29g Sump 2 250 MH 4 36w Actinic Mixed Reef / 75g with 20g long Sump FOWLR / 40g breader Mixed Reef with pc lights Current Tank Info: 95g Wave with a 29g Sump, 75 g with a 20 g sump

01/17/2010, 06:18 PM	#4
terri_ann Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Marshalltown, IA Posts: 841	Being your tank has just cycled, you shouldn't need to have to hurry in getting a CUC. What is it that you want your crew to do? Clean the sand, rocks, walls, eat detritus, left over food, stir the sand...? Depending on what you want/need, then we can suggest:-) Pre-built CUC are not necessary but some people do purchase them. __________________ Happy Reefing!! :) Current Tank Info: 180g mixed 40B Anemone 5' raceway frag tank

01/17/2010, 06:55 PM	#6
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Some snails will be happy to clean the sand, depending on what's growing. A few cerith snails might do the job. A few Trochus or Stomatella might help with the rock and the glass. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

01/17/2010, 06:17 PM	#3
Mopar Reefer Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Fort Walton Beach Posts: 465	Cerith and nassarius are key members to a good CUC. Agree with the abover poster on the shrimp, they are real sensitive to changes in water quality and shoudl be put in after a few months of stablization.