Clean up crew

[reefrookie379]

good morning. I have had 2 clowns in my tank for a week now. Did my first water change on Sunday morning. Skimmer is pulling some dirty water and my rocks just starting today to show a bright green algae on them. Time to add clean up crew ?

 

[Sharkbait19]

Sounds like a good time to me.
Hermits, emerald crab, nassarius snails, and trochus snails all make a good early cuc.

 

[bstodds15]

How many gallons is the tank?

 

[stovenut]

Take your time adding CUC. Your tank needs to go through the ugly stage. A few snails and hermits are fine to add. But they won't fix the ugly stage when the rock turns green, then brown, then grows green hair algae. Just be patient and let the tank do its thing.

 

[reefrookie379]

How many gallons is the tank?

WaterBox 110.4 with 80 gallons of water

Take your time adding CUC. Your tank needs to go through the ugly stage. A few snails and hermits are fine to add. But they won't fix the ugly stage when the rock turns green, then brown, then grows green hair algae. Just be patient and let the tank do its thing.

so to start I have carted 7 hermits. One emerald. 2 bumble bees. 5 dwarf trochus. 5 ceriths. 5 nassarius. A bunch of dwarf ceriths. How does that sound to start ?

 

[blaxsun]

WaterBox 110.4 with 80 gallons of water

so to start I have carted 7 hermits. One emerald. 2 bumble bees. 5 dwarf trochus. 5 ceriths. 5 nassarius. A bunch of dwarf ceriths. How does that sound to start ?

Sounds good. Spiny astreas and ring cowries will be good with rocks.

 

[stovenut]

The nassarius aren't necessary yet. I would recommend you wait 6 months to a 1 year on those as they also benefit by stirring the sand bed.

I would start with 20 hermits, 5 trochus and 10 astrea/turbo snails. Emerald crab is ok but will have more to eat in a couple more months.

Your list is also fine, if those are your preference. I have seen ceriths and nassarius struggle in new tanks to find food.

 

[Sharkbait19]

I’ve found bb snails to be pretty useless. The main function they have is eating vermetids and they aren’t even that good at it.

 

[SlugSnorter]

I’ve found bb snails to be pretty useless. The main function they have is eating vermetids and they aren’t even that good at it.

bumble bees will also eat any flipped over or vulnerable snails.

 

[blaxsun]

bumble bees will also eat any flipped over or vulnerable snails.

Apparently they also like the occasional zoa.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Apparently they also like the occasional zoa.

I think they're hybrids of hermits and snails. They eat snails, mess with corals, and don't really stir the sand. Kinda like how scientists made those killer bees through breeding a few types of bees.

 

[reefrookie379]

All helpful information but I don’t think having 2 bumble snails that reach 1/2 inch in size are going to be detrimental to my system. I like the coloration of them and appreciate their unique eating habits if necessary. Thanks everyone.

 

[SlugSnorter]

All helpful information but I don’t think having 2 bumble snails that reach 1/2 inch in size are going to be detrimental to my system. I like the coloration of them and appreciate their unique eating habits if necessary. Thanks everyone.

make sure to very quickly flip snails. otherwise they will be eaten.

 

[reefrookie379]

make sure to very quickly flip snails. otherwise they will be eaten.

To my understanding all my snails so far right themselves .. trochus, ceriths, and Nassarius at the moment. I am planning on keeping a Melanarus Wrasse also so I am trying to be mindful of snails that can right themselves.

 

[SlugSnorter]

To my understanding all my snails so far right themselves .. trochus, ceriths, and Nassarius at the moment. I am planning on keeping a Melanarus Wrasse also so I am trying to be mindful of snails that can right themselves.

trochus can semi reliably right themselves, sometimes they cannot.

The hermits and some Trochus may get picked off by the wrasse either way.