CUC

KaitCorals · Jan 10, 2022

Cheers Guys!

Does everyone have hard and fast rules for when and how often they add CUC? Reefcleaners or LFS?

- Love Kait

X-37B · Jan 10, 2022

I go by 1 snail per 2g's of system water for astrea and trochus combined.
If you have sand I go 1 per 5 gal of system water for nassarius.
This works well for all my current systems at algae control and keeping the sandbed moving.

davidcalgary29 · Jan 10, 2022

I'm here to protest this urchin-free zone!

Seriously, there should be an entirely separate section for urchins.

X-37B · Jan 10, 2022

davidcalgary29 said:
I'm here to protest this urchin-free zone!

Seriously, there should be an entirely separate section for urchins.

I have an urchin in my 120.
Mine mostly eats corraline.
Also make sure everything is secure or things will go for a ride.

ewoolpert · Jan 10, 2022

Conch for sand bed #1 plus fun to watch

James G · Jan 10, 2022

I only get my CUC from John @reefcleaners, but instead of using his formula of say a 60 gallon crew, I buy a 30 gallon crew then 6 months later another 30 Gallon Crew, then a refresher crew based on what the tank looks like every year, have done this for years, and 4 different tanks with great success!

ihavecrabs · Jan 10, 2022

davidcalgary29 said:
I'm here to protest this urchin-free zone!

Seriously, there should be an entirely separate section for urchins.

Agreed, I have ~10 urchins between my display and frag propagation tank. Great addition to a CUC as long as you are prepared for what is in store (frag movement and coralline algae decimation). Luckily my coralline spreads and grows fast enough that I can tell where my urchins have been in the last ~week and it regrows quickly to not make the rock work look new. Plus coral coverage helps that too..

davidcalgary29 · Jan 10, 2022

ihavecrabs said:
Agreed, I have ~10 urchins between my display and frag propagation tank. Great addition to a CUC as long as you are prepared for what is in store (frag movement and coralline algae decimation). Luckily my coralline spreads and grows fast enough that I can tell where my urchins have been in the last ~week and it regrows quickly to not make the rock work look new. Plus coral coverage helps that too..

But that's only true of urchins with covering responses. The venomous varieties take a different approach to self-defence -- and eat some meaty detritus, too. My fire urchin shakes and shivers with excitement whenever it snags some mysis, which is a reaction that's both cool to watch and at least somewhat disturbing at the same time.

dedragon · Jan 10, 2022

urchins are pretty great as long as you glue frags down well. Trochus, margarita, turbos, and if you can find tropical astreas (slightly different shape and have pink streaks on bottom), small hermits are great too like scarlet and dwarf blue/zebras just get em small.

CanuckReefer · Jan 10, 2022

From my tank

Tiger Tail Sea Cucumber gets the Gold Medal
Strawberry Conch takes the Silver
And my Pincushion and Rock Boring Urchins take the Bronze ( which will upset @davidcalgary29

, who was rooting for Gold).
Participation ribbons go to my Brittle Star, Sand Sifting Star, and all the valuable snails and hermits!

As for acquiring my CUC, I go with LFS, and replace the snails, hermits when I notice visually the numbers have dwindled a bit. Probably every year or so.

LeftyReefer · Jan 10, 2022

no poll love for urchins and conchs?!?

Azedenkae · Jan 10, 2022

I don't have a particular favourite cuc. I always buy a large variety, like literally one of each type of cuc I see for sale on a website, to get a wide range of feeding behaviors. Seem to work well, so yeah I just kinda like having a bunch.

MaxTremors · Jan 10, 2022

I recommend 0.5 to 1 snails per gallon (depending on the amount of rockwork and bioload), I always recommend a variety of 4-5 different species (astrea, trochus, turbo, nerite, cerith). And then 0.25-0.5 hermits per gallon (blue leg, scarlet, Mexican red leg). If you have sand and your tank is at least 30g, fighting conchs are great (one per 30g). I wouldn’t add your entire CuC all at once, I would add them in 3-4 batches. It’s also important to add a few extras every six months to a year as you will lose a few over time.