Clean up crew suggestions

[themartins]

Do you have clean up crew suggestions or information for us? Either what we should purchase or what we should or avoid and why? We have 2 tanks cycling; a ten gal. and a 30 gal. Also, since it's new and cycling, we'll wait until the cycle is finished; but should we wait longer, like until we have more algae growing or can you feed algae wafers or algae sheets on a veggie clip?

Also, suggestions or information of plants/macro algae would be helpful as we'll probably purchase at the same time as our clean up crew. Lighting will be 4 bulbs (2 10,000K/2 actinic) 39 watts each.

 

[carey]

Depending on the crew you acquire you can feed just flake food to them. I have nassarius snails, they do not eat algae but burrow and sift the sand instead eating leftover food and other stuff in the tank. Hermits I can take or leave, I will probably not add anymore to most of my tanks as they like to kill each other for their shells, even if you provide extra empty ones. Just tired of seeing dead hermits I guess.

But if you enjoy hermits then they are a great idea, they are very cool other than the shell stealing thing. Another thing that you might want to add would be emerald crabs, maybe 2 of them and some shrimp. I've stayed away mostly from turbo snails because they have a tendency to knock things over in the tank but they have BIG algae appetites.

What kind of fish and/or corals are you thinking about?

Oh and also forgot, I have chaeto and caulpera macro in my sump and it seems to be helping a great deal with my nitrates.

 

[joy13]

The Banded Trochus Snail is the snail i prefer to get the little bits of algae and nassarius snails for the left over food.

I try to stay away from hermits they seem to kill the snails I have the hardest time getting for their new shells. If you get an emerald crab make sure it is small my big ones seem to like to move small rocks around.

Macro algae if you do use it in your display tank you might reconsider because it can take over. In the display I have fern caulpera I haven't had it go asexual as the grape caulpera does in my tanks.

I like formula two for my herbivores http://www.amazon.com/Ocean-Nutrition-Formula-Two-Flake/dp/B00026Z4HQ

This site is excellent for ordering cuc ReefCleaners.org | Clean Up Crews and Macro Algae - Plants/Macroalgae if you decide to go with them and say i need a 10 and a 30 gallon crew you will receive way way to many. Don't order more than the 10 gallon for both of your tanks. Carey can tell you also they can't count very well.

 

[Gboy66]

Do they have like 5 gallon cuc's? And turbo snails are the best for algea?

 

[Wy Renegade]

Just some long term thoughts on this one; if you choose to have a small soft polyp coral of any type (i.e. zoas, palys, clove polyps, etc.) avoid the emeralds - as a small crab they are herbacious and will help with algae, sometimes even bubble algaes. However, as adults they begin feeding on coral polyps. In regards to the caulerpa (or almost any macroalgae for that matter), regardless of type, it will eventually go sexual if exposed to a day/night light cycle, hence macro algaes should generally be avoided in the DT. The feather or "fern" types are a bit more stable, but they still go through the normal sexual cycle. Your tank will eventually go from looking like this;

To this;

Chaeto is a far better choice IMO, but should remain in your fuge/sump and if possible be on a 24 hour light cycle.

 

[themartins]

Great information! Thank you! I guess we'll stay clear of the macro algaes and hermits. It sounds like snails are the better choice for eating any algae and leftover foods.

We haven't fully decided on fish yet, except for a mated pair of ocellaris clowns. Do you have other suggestions? We like active fish, but wouldn't mind maybe one nocturnal as well.

Haven't decide on corals yet either. Do you have any suggestions that would be good to start with? For lighting we're going with a t5 fixture - something that has 4 bulbs (2 10,000K and 2 actinic) and LED moonlights.

Also, we'd like maybe some shrimp. What would you suggest?

It's really great hearing information and opinions of others. It's all greatly appreciated.

 

[Gboy66]

Great information! Thank you! I guess we'll stay clear of the macro algaes and hermits. It sounds like snails are the better choice for eating any algae and leftover foods.

We haven't fully decided on fish yet, except for a mated pair of ocellaris clowns. Do you have other suggestions? We like active fish, but wouldn't mind maybe one nocturnal as well.

Haven't decide on corals yet either. Do you have any suggestions that would be good to start with? For lighting we're going with a t5 fixture - something that has 4 bulbs (2 10,000K and 2 actinic) and LED moonlights.

Also, we'd like maybe some shrimp. What would you suggest?

It's really great hearing information and opinions of others. It's all greatly appreciated.

Id do a pistol shrimp/ goby combo, and maybe some cleaners, although im not sure if cleaners would be killed