Lame CUC: what to add?

[HoCkEyGmC]

ok so i think i have a tiny cuc and i could be lowering nitrates if i had a bigger one because all of the food scraps that are left behind from feeding the fish, this is what i have as of rite now...
1 mexican turbo snail
3 tiger stripe turbo snails
1 margarita snail
1 turban snail
1 bumble bee snail
3 peppermint shrimp
1fighting conch
1 scarlet cleaner shrimp
8 dwarf blue leg hermits
1 halloween hermit
1 pincussion urchin
1 emerald crab
this may be ok but im unsure if it is as i never really learned about CUC's.
Thanks!

 

[cmor1701d]

You might want to add some nassarius snails to that cuc, but then again they would probablu just end up a snacks for the hermits. I would add about 10 nassarius, and 10 cerith snails. The most important thing would most likely be to feed LESS -- less often and less each time.

 

[fijiwigi]

That seems like a decent clean-up crew to me for a 28gallon,. Just nassarius would be a good addition I added like 12 a while back I think I have like over 40 now. They pop up everywhere.

 

[austinsdad]

Nassarius snails can usually protect them selves IME. They move kinda fast and can dive into the sand. Also, they're never above the sand that long to get attacked. It's just that I've never seen a hermit with a nassarius snail shell.

 

[austinsdad]

BTW, how much and how often are you feeding?

 

[HoCkEyGmC]

daily, usually just some flakes sometimes mysis but they seem to be less interested in the mysis lately. sometimes they get a preadetor mix cube. just mentioned the food thing earlier cuz im still saving my brain coral and im starting to spot feed it and it can be messy.
Thanks, and ill try to pick up some of those snails whenever i go to the store next.

 

[HoCkEyGmC]

oh yeah and i 4got to mention, i think im going to be taking my tiger striped turbos back and exchange them for mexican turbos. the tiger stripes just never seem to be cleaning and always just staying in the same spot until i bother them with the mag and then they move and go back to being lazy. the mexican turbos are always cleaning when the tiger stripes arent. seems like a waste of a bio load if they arent even doin their job.

 

[austinsdad]

Try not to lean on the flake food as much. And with those frozen shrimp, rinse the cube w/fresh water since I understand that frozen water they're in is loaded with phosphates. I rinse mine, then soak it it Garlic Guard and Zoe. Your fish will re-discover their feeding enthusiasm again. Try frozen vegatable matter to mix with the shrimp. No need to rinse the veggies, just mysis, brine, etc.

 

[HoCkEyGmC]

im going to start making my own food as soon as i run out of my supply of what i have now.