Clean up crew

[valley]

Hello, I have a Fluval Evo 13.5 that has been set up since early October of last year. It has had a big algae problem since the beginning and I’ve had different inverts during this time. Currently, I have a tuxedo urchin and three electric blue hermit crabs. The urchin is pretty small but there is still some hair algae that isn’t being eaten. What other inverts could I add? Maybe an emerald crab or a turbo snail? I’ve had bad experiences with snails but I’ll be getting a big nassarius snail once I put fish in the tank.

 

[Matt Bravo]

Depending on the algae some inverts do better then others,
-if you have diatoms on rocks, then trochus snails will clean that up in no time (almost pyramid like shells)

-If you have a messy sand bed, conches will love you for adding them into your tank

-if you have GHA (actual strands of it) then you should definitely pick up an emerald crab (beware once they get a taste for coral it’s not likely they lose it)

 

[Jekyl]

Good advice above. Also want to add that nothing really eats the long stuff. Best to use a tooth brush on the end of your siphon during water changes.

 

[valley]

-If you have a messy sand bed, conches will love you for adding them into your tank

-if you have GHA (actual strands of it) then you should definitely pick up an emerald crab (beware once they get a taste for coral it’s not likely they lose it)

Yea I think I’ll add the emerald crab for the algae. Thanks for the help! Could I fit a conch in this tank though? I would prefer the conch over a nassarius snail and I won’t add it until I my tank is stocked with fish to produce waste. I’ll be having a pair of clowns and a yellow wrasse. Would this be enough waste for the conch to live off or would I need to feed it at some point?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

A pair of clowns would be great and will fully stock that tank. A yellow wrasse needs much larger than 13 gallons, and adding to your tank will risk aggression or disease.

Conches eat algae. Nassarius snails eat uneaten foods missed by the fish.

 

[betareef]

Could I fit a conch in this tank though?

There are small conch species. They call this a vanilla conch.

 

[Matt Bravo]

Yea I think I’ll add the emerald crab for the algae. Thanks for the help! Could I fit a conch in this tank though? I would prefer the conch over a nassarius snail and I won’t add it until I my tank is stocked with fish to produce waste. I’ll be having a pair of clowns and a yellow wrasse. Would this be enough waste for the conch to live off or would I need to feed it at some point?

Definitely, my conches are very productive and nassarius don’t do much tbh. Conches go off algae so if you a worried there’s not enough you can drop some wafers in for them too

 

[valley]

Alright I’ll be getting a smaller conch and the emerald crab! Thanks everyone for the help! This does seem a lot for my Fluval evo since I’ll be having a tuxedo urchin, emerald crab, small conch, and 3 electric blue hermit crabs. Considering this, I’ll be getting nori sheets to feed them when I notice my tank is getting too clean. I can’t find those vanilla conch’s online though; any other smaller conchs I could get?

 

[betareef]

Maybe hard outside Australia, sorry. May be a similar conch from your own country though.

Vanilla Strombus Snail

Minimum x3 for online purchases Great snail to add to your clean up crew

thecoralshop.com.au

Vanilla Strombus Snail

Buy Vanilla Strombus Snail at Nicks Aquarium Oceanarium Terrarium. Nicks is your one-stop-shop for Aquarium, Oceanarium, Terrarium livestock and supplies. Competitive prices & expert advice available.

www.nicksaquariumoceanariumterrarium.com.au