How much cuc?

[Tate]

Should I get my cuc right away after cycling or is it okay to wait? I was going to get chocolate chip star and cleaner shrimp. Would this be enough for my cuc or should I get some more hermits or something.

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[Dav3]

CUC is not necessary. Also don't get a chocolate starfish if you want corals. They are not reef safe.

 

[Tate]

Oops sorry its a fish only tank

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[Tate]

What is so beneficial to having a cuc besides eating uneaten food which the star and shrimp can do

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[BigRedsReefs10]

Algae control and uneaten food removal or if you like the look of hermits and snails and such

 

[huma-huma]

+1 on algae control. if you ahvent, check out www.reefcleaners.org
its actually pretty amazing at how theres several variations of each invert that will eat different types of algae.
also i think that it adds a whole extra level of depth to a tank. seeing a "reef" tank and seeing a reef tank full of inverts is a world of difference IMO

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

+1 on reefcleaners. John is awesome, but he has a counting problem ( usually sends about double what you order) so keep that in mind!!! FWIW I only get cuc's from reefcleaners

 

[Tate]

Reefcleaners is an amazing website!! Going to get assortment of different things

 

[huma-huma]

don't be afraid to actually email or call them either. ive heard they are great at putting together custom packages depending on your specific desires.

 

[Dav3]

Again, not necessary. No need to spend money if you don't have algae that needs maintaining. Keep excess nutrient levels in check and there won't be an algae issue. CUC just recycles those nutrients. They eat and poop. Poop becomes food for algae.

 

[Tate]

So I should wait and see if down the road i get algae I should get a cuc

 

[Dav3]

Yes. Even then you don't need a large CUC. CUC is just a clean up for aesthetics reasons. You still need to remove the underlying issue causing the algae to grow.

 

[Tate]

I was going to just pick out what I wanted and I did I don't want a heavy bunch

 

[mr_X]

If your tank looks like it does in your avatar, you don't have food for crabs and snails. They will die of starvation. Dav3 is correct. you can have a beautiful salt water tank without a single snail or crab.

 

[Tate]

Oh perfect then!

 

[lstimpy]

+1 on the tank being clean, mines been going for five weeks. I have ten red leg hermits and ten trochus snails. The hermits get a few sinking pellets now and then because I don't overfeed, but the snails look pretty hungry. They seem to get enough from the LR, but there's no algae for them yet.