CUC in a Predator Tank

[Hugh Mann]

I'm looking for advice on what, of any sort of clean up crew critters I can have in a tank full of predators that I won't have to constantly replenish. I have had 5 hermit crabs in the tank for a couple days that so far haven't been eaten. I was recommended Nassarius Snails, but I don't know how well they would burrow through crushed Coral.

For reference I currently have a Golden Dwarf moray, fuzzy dwarf lionfish, and a Marine Betta. In the future I will be getting a Coral beauty, flame hawkfish and a undulate trigger, among other less predatory fish. I have a 55 gallon tank with live rock, and crushed Coral substrate.

 

[Peach02]

Most cuc will be killed that can't tip themselves over
So your best bets are nassaarius snails, sand sifting stars (hiding) and hermits but there is no garentee they wouldn’t be picked off

 

[windemerejack]

I agree with above, nothing is safe in a predator tank, you give up the option of cuc when you choose to have a predatory tank.

 

[Hugh Mann]

Most cuc will be killed that can't tip themselves over
So your best bets are nassaarius snails, sand sifting stars (hiding) and hermits but there is no garentee they wouldn’t be picked off

That's what I thought, but never hurts to ask. The snails and stars can burrow through crushed Coral?

 

[lrp693]

Depends really on the size of the coral bits. I have small to medium coarseness crushed coral and my nassarius snails do just fine and are able to burrow easily. I rarely see them during the day, usually only when the lights are off or when feeding. It’s kind of neat to see their reaction to food by emerging from the sand bed during feeding time. Also I’m sure they would be able to find some good hiding spots in your rock work if you have some. Not sure how well they will fare against the predators though.

 

[Peach02]

That's what I thought, but never hurts to ask. The snails and stars can burrow through crushed Coral?

Depends on the thickness

 

[Hermie]

I agree with above, nothing is safe in a predator tank, you give up the option of cuc when you choose to have a predatory tank.

well depends on the predator and it's still an option, just have to be prepared for losses

 

[windemerejack]

well depends on the predator and it's still an option, just have to be prepared for losses

I am presuming that the op doesn't want to continually spend and replace cuc, if he does then of course its an option. Everything in life is an option except death.

 

[Hugh Mann]

Depends really on the size of the coral bits. I have small to medium coarseness crushed coral and my nassarius snails do just fine and are able to burrow easily. I rarely see them during the day, usually only when the lights are off or when feeding. It’s kind of neat to see their reaction to food by emerging from the sand bed during feeding time. Also I’m sure they would be able to find some good hiding spots in your rock work if you have some. Not sure how well they will fare against the predators though.

I'm not sure what the coarseness of mine is, but the largest pieces are no more than 1cm, and almost all of it is much smaller than that. I feel like if they spend most of the time under the substrate, they should be safe. Not many bottom feeders on my stock list, and feeding time the preds probably won't concern themselves with canned food so to speak.

 

[Hugh Mann]

Yo

I am presuming that the op doesn't want to continually spend and replace cuc, if he does then of course its an option. Everything in life is an option except death.

You'd be right on that one. At my lfs, the cheapest option are Nassarius Snails, at $3.99 each, and my "lfs" is a six hour round trip and $50 in gas. Might not be so bad if they last a month, as that's about how often I go there. But if their life is measured in days, there's no point, might as well invest in quality filter systems.

 

[Hugh Mann]

Depends on the thickness

It varies, but average depth is 2 inches.

 

[windemerejack]

Yo


You'd be right on that one. At my lfs, the cheapest option are Nassarius Snails, at $3.99 each, and my "lfs" is a six hour round trip and $50 in gas. Might not be so bad if they last a month, as that's about how often I go there. But if their life is measured in days, there's no point, might as well invest in quality filter systems.

It might be minutes, hours, days, weeks, who knows, but one thing for certain is they will get eaten at some point, even burrowing snails, at feeding time they all rise like zombies out of a grave, ripe for picking off, the only thing certain to survive is something that spends its whole life in the substrate, never to leave it.

 

[Peach02]

It varies, but average depth is 2 inches.

Sorry I meant the size of each grain

 

[mattzang]

an undulate trigger in a 55 is probably going to take out all of the fish along with the CUC..

 

[JimG1966]

Once you add the rest that seems like alot of fish in a 55. We have 2 snowflakes in a 125 with hermits, emerald's , turbo snails.. cant remember the cone shaped snails names but they do not bother any of them, doubt the lionfish would either but some of those your talking about i doubt you will be able to keep a good cuc unless you really make sure everyone is feed good.

 

[Hugh Mann]

Sorry I meant the size of each grain

Size of the media. Figure if they can burrow through it I might as well give it a shot and see how it goes.

 

[Hugh Mann]

Once you add the rest that seems like alot of fish in a 55. We have 2 snowflakes in a 125 with hermits, emerald's , turbo snails.. cant remember the cone shaped snails names but they do not bother any of them, doubt the lionfish would either but some of those your talking about i doubt you will be able to keep a good cuc unless you really make sure everyone is feed good.

I do plan on eventually upgrading to a larger tank, but the basic idea would be the same. I'll have to try a few different cuc species I suppose. Worst case is I have some live food to entice new arrivals into eating.

 

[Peach02]

Size of the media. Figure if they can burrow through it I might as well give it a shot and see how it goes.

They should all be able to borrow through that

 

[JimG1966]

I do plan on eventually upgrading to a larger tank, but the basic idea would be the same. I'll have to try a few different cuc species I suppose. Worst case is I have some live food to entice new arrivals into eating.

Its all a game of chance, I have figured this out..lol. Just about everything in the ocean or a fishtank is food for something. I have had things happen that just should not have happened, Lionfish killed a stingray, Animonia killed a lionfish.. I try not to add things i know will eat my cuc but I know its always a game of chance. We have around $200 wrapped up in some pretty cool crabs in the 125 and the future daughter in law saw a wrasse she wanted the other day... I am lucky enough i pretty much deal with 1 guy at our lfs and he told me i didnt want that fish in my tank with my crabs... dropped a 99 cent hermit in the tank and showed me why... good luck on your cuc... knowing its all a game of chance keeps me from getting stressed over it all.

 

[Reefs and Geeks]

I have a picaso trigger and porcupine puffer in my reef tank. Only CUC I've had long term are a pair of urchins. Neither of my predators even look at the urchins, but as soon as a snail hits the water my trigger is on them.