CUC for 40g reef, opinions & suggestions?

[Reef_at_Sea]

Hello,

My 2nd tank is almost ready for a CUC, i'm making a small list of what i want & i came up with this:

4x bumblebee snail (Engina mendicaria)
2x turbo's
2x trochu's
4x nassarius
1x Sand shifting sea star (archaster Typicus)

I will add a cleaner shrimp, extra nassarius & a conch from my previous tank aswell.
Wanna start off slow, don't want any starvation.

Any additions or suggestions?

 

[Jekyl]

Package from reefcleaners.org is always my go to.

 

[Reef_at_Sea]

Package from reefcleaners.org is always my go to.

Sadly i'm EU based, cleaners are also way more expensive here if i look at that website.

 

[Reef_at_Sea]

Up, anyone?

 

[JoJosReef]

New tank? Dry rock or live rock start? 60/40 like you did with your waterbox? Note that turbos are voracious eaters, so if you don't have algae already growing they will need supplemental feeding with Nori. They also bulldoze and knock over coral frags, if you haven't heard already.

 

[Solo McReefer]

They also bulldoze and knock over coral frags, if you haven't heard already.

Mine are going to become garden snails soon

 

[Reef_at_Sea]

New tank? Dry rock or live rock start? 60/40 like you did with your waterbox? Note that turbos are voracious eaters, so if you don't have algae already growing they will need supplemental feeding with Nori. They also bulldoze and knock over coral frags, if you haven't heard already.

It's actually my waterbox that's almost ready, didn't know that about turbos... might need an alternative then.

 

[EricR]

Hello,

My 2nd tank is almost ready for a CUC, i'm making a small list of what i want & i came up with this:

4x bumblebee snail (Engina mendicaria)
2x turbo's
2x trochu's
4x nassarius
1x Sand shifting sea star (archaster Typicus)

I will add a cleaner shrimp, extra nassarius & a conch from my previous tank aswell.
Wanna start off slow, don't want any starvation.

Any additions or suggestions?

I have a 2.5+ year old 40 gallon tank and your list looks pretty close to what I have.
I prefer to not go overboard so consider my CUC to be much lighter than many use,,, which is good since you said newish tank.

Personally, I've always been afraid of bumblebee snails potentially going predatory (but no experience there, just some light reading). If you don't have vermetid snails you're trying to control, I'd opt to double your trochus count instead, but that's just me.

 

[Solo McReefer]

It's actually my waterbox that's almost ready, didn't know that about turbos... might need an alternative then.

Astrea snails

 

[Gumbies R Us]

New tank? Dry rock or live rock start? 60/40 like you did with your waterbox? Note that turbos are voracious eaters, so if you don't have algae already growing they will need supplemental feeding with Nori. They also bulldoze and knock over coral frags, if you haven't heard already.

My trochus snail bulldozes through the tank all of the time.

 

[kevgib67]

My bumblebee snails have been in my tank for 2 years, no problems and no vermatid snails. My tuxedo urchin is my best cuc when you have enough algae to support one. Don’t forget our tiny cuc, pods and phyto to feed them.

 

[GARRIGA]

I believe every tank can benefit from Astraea, nassarius and hermits. I'm next considering a sea hare if GHA runs out of control again. Can donate it back where it came or other reefer once it's done eating although perhaps Nori keeps it going until the next batch pops up again.

 

[Reef_at_Sea]

My bumblebee snails have been in my tank for 2 years, no problems and no vermatid snails. My tuxedo urchin is my best cuc when you have enough algae to support one. Don’t forget our tiny cuc, pods and phyto to feed them.

I’m gonna start with this small group of cleaners whenever i see that the algea isn’t being controlled i will get an urchin maybe, don’t wanna risk starvation.

 

[Reef_at_Sea]

I believe every tank can benefit from Astraea, nassarius and hermits. I'm next considering a sea hare if GHA runs out of control again. Can donate it back where it came or other reefer once it's done eating although perhaps Nori keeps it going until the next batch pops up again.

I don’t like hermits at all, little jerks

 

[GARRIGA]

I don’t like hermits at all, little jerks

Had a red scarlet in the 90s. Didn't bother anyone. Had blue legged couple of years ago. Busy bodies that also didn't bother any until food ran out then started killing my snails or might have been I didn't have enough extra shells and that's on me.