CUC recommendation - Reefcleaners

[CJ Monty]

I was going to beef up my CUC. For general maintenance and hopefully help with GHA. I have heard some pretty good things about reefcleaners. I currently have
20 Turbos plus some babies. 2 Shrimp, 2 Urchins and a few asterias in my 70 gallon (3'x2'x2'). I contacted them and they recommended.

70 Dwarf Ceriths
21 Nassarius vibex
26 Florida Ceriths

Thoughts? I was thinking about halfing each of those numbers? Any other CUC members you recommend. No hermits please ;-). I am on the no hermit side of that debate.

 

[jrill]

Can't give advice on numbers but I can recommend reefcleaners. Got an order last week and was very satisfied.

 

[Retro Reefer]

Starting with half their recommendation is a good place to begin and increase if needed.. you are doing yourself a disservice by excluding hermits, they are a vital part of your CUC especially if your fighting hair algae.

 

[CJ Monty]

Starting with half their recommendation is a good place to begin and increase if needed.. you are doing yourself a disservice by excluding hermits, they are a vital part of your CUC especially if your fighting hair algae.

@Retro Reefer , dont they tend to eat all your snails? I am curious on your opinion. What type of snails do you recommend and how many?

 

[CJ Monty]

Can't give advice on numbers but I can recommend reefcleaners. Got an order last week and was very satisfied.

What did you end up getting from them. How big is your tank? Did you have any CUC before purchasing?

 

[jrill]

What did you end up getting from them. How big is your tank? Did you have any CUC before purchasing?

I bought the 15 gallon snail set. It comes with Trochus, big and small Cerith and nassarius. Can't remember the numbers of each.
15 gallon tank.
I did have a few red leg hermits already.

 

[Retro Reefer]

@Retro Reefer , dont they tend to eat all your snails? I am curious on your opinion. What type of snails do you recommend and how many?

Not saying they won’t occasionally eat a snail but in many decades of reefing I have never personally witnessed a hermit attacking and killing a snail, they are opportunist and will eat dead/sick snails which I believe is what most people observe and just assume hermits are killing their snails.. If there is plenty for them to eat and extra shells for them as they grow they shouldn’t be a problem, Reef cleaners will send extra shells if you ask them.. I like to add as many different snails as possible they each have their own benefits as to grazing habits and type of algae they will eat, Reef cleaners snail packages are good and I would also add some turbo’s and Margaritas to the mix.. for a 70 with algae issues maybe start with 40-50 mixed snails and 10-20 hermits

 

[icejam]

@Retro Reefer , dont they tend to eat all your snails? I am curious on your opinion. What type of snails do you recommend and how many?

I have a 30G tank with 5 hermits and a dozen or so snails. Only one trochus snail ever got eaten by a crab which is wearing its shell.
Either the snail was already half dead or in the wrong place at the wrong time as I run out of spare shells.
I even see my crabs and nassa snails eating the same piece of shrimp regularly without issues.

 

[CJ Monty]

I have a 30G tank with 5 hermits and a dozen or so snails. Only one trochus snail ever got eaten by a crab which is wearing its shell.
Either the snail was already half dead or in the wrong place at the wrong time as I run out of spare shells.
I even see my crabs and nassa snails eating the same piece of shrimp regularly without issues.

What type of hermits? I heard scarlet are the safest.

 

[icejam]

I have no idea what type it is. It was the only type they had at LFS when I was buying them.

 

[408Dartfish]

I think 1/2 those numbers be a good start. I like the blue leg hermits for the GHA. I like having conchs part of my CUC but I also run a 3”+ sandbed. Dustin.

 

[CJ Monty]

I think 1/2 those numbers be a good start. I like the blue leg hermits for the GHA. I like having conchs part of my CUC but I also run a 3”+ sandbed. Dustin.

Do you like blues over scarlets? Are blues really aggressive? I run about 1.5-2 inch. I was thinking of geting one of his couches. Would you recommend?

https://www.reefcleaners.org/aquarium-store/assorted-smaller-conchs

 

[408Dartfish]

I like the blues better cause they’re usually really small and get into small crevices. I like most hermits just on the minimal number side. Those conches look good I have the fighting conch it gets alittle bigger.

 

[redpine42]

I have a lot less snails than you list. They cleaned up the 140 gallon tank with the help of some crabs. I've now got most of them cleaning the sump. Once they clean everything, what do they eat. Those numbers will probably result in a good die off. I have about 40 snails in my tank right now, the 30 or so crabs are fighting a lot since all the algae hair is gone that everything is clean.

 

[CJ Monty]

I like the blues better cause they’re usually really small and get into small crevices. I like most hermits just on the minimal number side. Those conches look good I have the fighting conch it gets alittle bigger.

How many blues would you recommend?

 

[CJ Monty]

I have a lot less snails than you list. They cleaned up the 140 gallon tank with the help of some crabs. I've now got most of them cleaning the sump. Once they clean everything, what do they eat. Those numbers will probably result in a good die off. I have about 40 snails in my tank right now, the 30 or so crabs are fighting a lot since all the algae hair is gone that everything is clean.

I was thinking about half that number. Still too many?

 

[reacclimating 2 the hobby]

I bought the 40g breeder CUC from them. Put half in DT and half in sump.

 

[408Dartfish]

How many blues would you recommend?

In my 60g I put 10 blues. Dustin

 

[redpine42]

I was thinking about half that number. Still too many?

This is what I used to pick my crew. I think I got to many still.

http://www.melevsreef.com/articles/get-a-clean-up-crew-cuc-for-your-reef

 

[furyofthegnomes]

That seems like an awful lot, especially with twenty turbos in there already. I would do less than half. I had five turbos, ten nassarius, and ten trochus in my 120 for a long time with no problems. I should specify that the turbos we're large turbos. Remember, if they starve and die you will really foul up your tank. I'm of the mindset of adding them a little at a time. As for hermits, I always read that the Scarlet's are the safest so I did end up adding five of them. At times I've added different snails in the mix too like cerinths and ninja stars too but never as many as you're thinking of adding. I also have a conch and a tiger tail cucumber, the coolest thing I had was a hairy chiton though. Think large armored slug. It lived a little over a year for me.