Freenow54
Valuable Member
Ok I am very Leary about adding anything new to my tank. I have a 90 in the ugly stage. Was suggested to add snails. crabs, and shrimp. However have a $350 dollar tang I don't want harmed. Do any of these carry disease?
Clean Up Crew
- Thread starter Freenow54
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Tankkeepers
Valuable Member
The water they are in can so either get a quarantine tank or risk it but you gave to have a cuc otherwise your tank will not do well and most likely fail
adittam
Valuable Member
Get your cleanup crew from a place that houses them in a completely different water system than their fish with no cross contamination and you’ll be fine. Reefcleaners.org is a decent online option that does this.
EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
I agree with the first part of this advice but have personally had horrible experiences with reefcleaners, so would not recommend them.
adittam
Valuable Member
I’ve had very mixed experiences with them. They offer free priority mail shipping until you tell them you have any losses and would like a refund for those losses, then you might not be allowed to order using the free shipping anymore. This was my experience on my second order from them, at least. John gave me a refund for my losses, but told me I wouldn’t be allowed to order with free shipping anymore as a result. My first order didn’t have those problems. Aggravating, to say the least.
That said, the OP might not have a local option for buying CUC that they know hasn’t been in the same water as fish potentially carrying parasites.
EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal
Just another girl who likes fish
John sent me mud whelks twice (ordered nassarius vibex) and was extremely rude when I tried to inform him (wasn't even asking for a refund), and the macro I ordered was loaded with parasites. If that's the OP's only option, I'd advise buying elsewhere and quarantining if necessary
damsels are not mean
Valuable Member
Put anything with a shell (snails, hermits, possibly even crabs and shrimp) in a separate tank and feed them for 6 weeks at a temp of 80F. That is a fallow period that will ensure your tang is safe from ich, velvet, and brook. You can get them from reefcleaners which has them in fishless tanks but there is technically still a risk of transmitting disease from them because they were collected wild a week or 2 before shipping to you.
IMO the only way to go if you want to have 100% ich/velvet free CUC without quarantine is to go captive bred on the snails and skip hermits entirely. I believe ORA and biota sell trochus and cerith snails. Urchins are safe though.
IMO the only way to go if you want to have 100% ich/velvet free CUC without quarantine is to go captive bred on the snails and skip hermits entirely. I believe ORA and biota sell trochus and cerith snails. Urchins are safe though.
Morpheosz
Active Member
CUC = clean up crew acronym
