A few invert questions

[Swimzebras]

I have a 45 gallon tank with a cleaner shrimp, a peppermint shrimp, around 8 hermits, and maybe 20 snails. I was wondering what else I need for a CUC? I have a big cyano problem that I'm working on also
What do you think of:
Nerite snails
Lettuce nudibranch
Yellow sea cucumber
Another cleaner shrimp
Emerald crab or two
These are just some ideas, please feel free to express your opinion on any or all of them, and throw in some suggestions of your own!
P.S. I want to have the option of corals, and I have live rock and live sand minus the helpful creatures on the live sand....
Thanks!

 

[David S]

whats your parameters of your water,feeding schedule?how much,waterflow?powerheads,lighting schedule,how often and how much PWC do you do.

 

[Swimzebras]

Moderate water flow, mod-high lighting 11 hrs. A day, daily feedings, weekly 10% PWC, nitrite ammonia zero, nitrate around 5 ppm, phosphorus low, setting up ro unit to fix phosphorus problem.

 

[David S]

Cut the feeding to every 2 days,cut the lighting down as you dont have corals you could turn them off totally to reduce the cyano,if your getting an ro/di unit that will also help with the phosphates,do you have any powerheads if so direct them towards where the problem is ,other than that just vacuum as much out as poss before the weekly water change.

 

[Swimzebras]

Ok sounds good! How bout my cleanup crew ideas in general now?

 

[mr_X]

none of those things you are considering are going to help you with nutrient export, and nothing eats cyanobacteria. stay away from the cucumbers and nudibranchs...they are not for new tanks (or old tanks for that matter).
water changes with good source water is your best defense, while vacuuming out the cyano.

 

[Swimzebras]

Ok, but how about untwisted to the cyano

 

[David S]

Ok, but how about untwisted to the cyano

??

 

[Swimzebras]

Sorry, wierdo auto correct, I meant to say unrelated to the cyano

 

[David S]

cuc seems ok but like Doug has said not the cucumber and nudibranch

 

[Chisel]

cuc seems ok but like Doug has said not the cucumber and nudibranch

HAHAHA...look up "cuc-nuke"

 

[Swimzebras]

Where?

 

[Chisel]

Google. You are basically going to find out that cuke's may help as part of your clean up crew but when injured or die, they release a toxin that can (possibly) kill everything in your tank. Some have luck with them though but why risk?

 

[Swimzebras]

And what's wrong with lettuce nudibranchs? Not to be annoying or anything.

 

[Chisel]

They are said to eat hair algae. Once your ha is gone, they normally need to be passed on to a fellow reefer or they starve to death.

 

[Swimzebras]

What if I give it nori

 

[Chisel]

From what I read and hear....nope.

 

[Swimzebras]

Darn! They look so cool.....any cool easy motile inverts?

 

[austinsdad]

As mentioned, just focus on the cyano source.

 

[Swimzebras]

Ok....I suppose your right, thanks