Adding more cuc

[Ocean’s Piece]

So I need to add more cuc to my 32 gallon Biocube. I have 5 trochus snails (although there’s only one that’s mature and 4 are almost penny size) and 8 astrea snails. I have cyano and detritus building up on the sandbed and a little bit of film algae on some of my rocks (cyano and detritus are my main concerns though). I plan to get a fighting conch (or some kind of conch), nassarius snails, and a few more trochus snails. Also…. an urchin? Should I? How many of each would you recommend?

 

[dvgyfresh]

Only 5 snails currently ? Any hermit crabs?

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

Only 5 snails currently ? Any hermit crabs?

13. 5 trochus and 8 astrea. No hermits but I’m not going to add them because of predation

 

[dvgyfresh]

13. 5 trochus and 8 astrea. No hermits but I’m not going to add them because of predation

I don’t usually see my snails on the sand bed besides the nassarius but they don’t eat algae too often, I would recommend a conch for the sandbed. I kno you said you don’t like hermits but they are unmatched at eating algae off the rocks / sand while snails clean the glass. My hermits haven’t killed any snails and are unbothered they do steal shells from each other tho

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

I don’t usually see my snails on the sand bed besides the nassarius but they don’t eat algae too often, I would recommend a conch for the sandbed. I kno you said you don’t like hermits but they are unmatched at eating algae off the rocks / sand while snails clean the glass. My hermits haven’t killed any snails and are unbothered they do steal shells from each other tho

I guess I’ll have to reconsider hermits. What about an urchin. You have any experience with those?

 

[dvgyfresh]

I guess I’ll have to reconsider hermits. What about an urchin. You have any experience with those?

Yes I also have two urchins lol , they are algae eating machines. I think tuxedo is the most reef safe of all but all urchins can eat soft coral from time to time , they usually prefer coraline algae to eat. I have a pencil urchin that I willl be getting rid of - it likes to eat my feather dusters tubes/ GSP but you can tell where it has gone because the rocks will have white lines

 

[Clo]

I decided not to get an urchin after reading around because they apparently eat coralline algae and LOVE to move frags around.

I do have a conch (Michael), and we get along great. They're so ugly they're cute. Mine always makes laps around the tank keeping himself busy eating.

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

I decided not to get an urchin after reading around because they apparently eat coralline algae and LOVE to move frags around.

I do have a conch (Michael), and we get along great. They're so ugly they're cute. Mine always makes laps around the tank keeping himself busy eating.

I’ll probably not get an urchin then.

Does anyone know how many nassarius snails and trochus snails I should get along with 1 conch

 

[dvgyfresh]

I decided not to get an urchin after reading around because they apparently eat coralline algae and LOVE to move frags around.

I do have a conch (Michael), and we get along great. They're so ugly they're cute. Mine always makes laps around the tank keeping himself busy eating.

It’s kinda cool seeing yr urchin carrying GSP tho ! Only tuxedo urchins like to wear stuff haha

 

[Ghost25]

I guess I’ll have to reconsider hermits. What about an urchin. You have any experience with those?

My experience had been hermits kill snails as you said before. I like urchins. I've had diadema urchins and tuxedos. Both are safe but the tuxedo picks up anything not glued down.

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

My experience had been hermits kill snails as you said before. I like urchins. I've had diadema urchins and tuxedos. Both are safe but the tuxedo picks up anything not glued down.

Only thing not glued down is livestock

 

[Clo]

But conch

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

But conch

Is he a tiger conch?
I’m unsure what conch to get….fighting, tiger, strawberry, etc

 

[Clo]

Is he a tiger conch?
I’m unsure what conch to get….fighting, tiger, strawberry, etc

I /think/ he's a tiger conch. And I say think because I ordered him from reefcleaners as an assorted juvie. But when I looked up the assortments they pull from, tiger conch fit his appearance best.

I think it depends on what you can find in your area!

 

[davidcalgary29]

Add a tuxedo urchin. They're the hardiest of all the aquarium urchins (not to mention the easiest to handle). One widely-published study indicates that urchins cannot be part of the chain of transmission for ich and can be placed in your tank after being given a rinse of clean saltwater.

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

So does this sound like a good addition to my 5 trochus and 8 astrea snails in my biocube 32:
3 Nassarius
1 conch (of some sort)
3 more large trochus

 

[dvgyfresh]

So does this sound like a good addition to my 5 trochus and 8 astrea snails in my biocube 32:
3 Nassarius
1 conch (of some sort)
3 more large trochus

Pic of tank with algae? Sounds like a good lineup Justin note that nassarius are carnivore and don’t really eat algae- well I gues omnivore lol but mostly like left overs

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

Pic of tank with algae? Sounds like a good lineup Justin note that nassarius are carnivore and don’t really eat algae- well I gues omnivore lol but mostly like left overs

I have enough detritus in my sandbed I believe. Not like nothings there. Here’s pic of tank

It’s very hard to tell from this photo but the white rocks I added in recently are a little more green now, the cyano on the sandbed is light in the front where there’s more flow and stringy in the back where the low flow is.

 

[Ocean’s Piece]

Cyano in back

 

[dvgyfresh]

I have enough detritus in my sandbed I believe. Not like nothings there. Here’s pic of tank

It’s very hard to tell from this photo but the white rocks I added in recently are a little more green now, the cyano on the sandbed is light in the front where there’s more flow and stringy in the back where the low flow is.

Oh that looks pretty clean! I think what you suggested is good for now , an urchin would clean that back glass for ya