Ideal time to add cuc?

[Trooper182]

I added my first 3 fish to my 75gal tank last Saturday and they are doing great. I have a clown, coral beauty and strawberry. My tank has live sand and dry coral. As there's no growth yet when would be the ideal time to start adding a cuc and what and how many should I be looking to add?

 

[kingoftheHiLLpeople]

I would add detritivores first. Perhaps this weekend? And go slow and steady as the tank matures and you add more fish. Dont want to have to supplement you cuc.

 

[Dan_P]

I added my first 3 fish to my 75gal tank last Saturday and they are doing great. I have a clown, coral beauty and strawberry. My tank has live sand and dry coral. As there's no growth yet when would be the ideal time to start adding a cuc and what and how many should I be looking to add?

As long as you feed the clean up grew, I am pretty sure they can go in now. Lasse wrote an article about setting up an aquarium. Check out his opinion on the subject

 

[kingoftheHiLLpeople]

As long as you feed the clean up grew, I am pretty sure they can go in now. Lasse wrote an article about setting up an aquarium. Check out his opinion on the subject

Isnt having to feed your cuc going against the purpose of having a cuc? Especially in a new tank?

 

[shakacuz]

Isnt having to feed your cuc going against the purpose of having a cuc? Especially in a new tank?

yes but it’s better to have them in before, than after. it’s easy to drop an algae wafer every two or so days to feed them than wait until you start to see GHA or other forms of algae. and since the tank is new, the OP will inevitably encounter the “uglies”

 

[kingoftheHiLLpeople]

yes but it’s better to have them in before, than after. it’s easy to drop an algae wafer every two or so days to feed them than wait until you start to see GHA or other forms of algae. and since the tank is new, the OP will inevitably encounter the “uglies”

I would say not for a minute in this case - just added fish lol. Agree to disagree

 

[Cali Reef Life]

You can add a small CUC to start and add the rest later. I would recommend getting a couple snails and hermits. Pods are also great to start early in a tank,

 

[kingoftheHiLLpeople]

yes but it’s better to have them in before, than after. it’s easy to drop an algae wafer every two or so days to feed them than wait until you start to see GHA or other forms of algae. and since the tank is new, the OP will inevitably encounter the “uglies”

And actually i think for the most part i agree lol. I just said id get detritivores first - saturday cuz op said they got fish sat. (Must visit lfs on sat?). Then add to cuc slow.

 

[MarsReefer]

I started with pods and that is working really well for me. I let the algae build up a little since then and now have a bunch of snails and hermits in QT (about 40 for my 130 gallon). My plan is to slowly add them until I see the algae balance out.

 

[Topekoms]

Once i start seeing any green i add a CUC. I just resetup my tank about a month ago after moving to florida i already have CUC in there.

 

[kevgib67]

I love your rockscape. You’ll need to do a build thread, I’ll be following. You have received great advice already. I just added when I felt there was enough to meet there nutritional needs. Of course as the bioload increased over time so did the cuc.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

I'd prob give it a cpl months until I added a decent size actual cuc. U can add some brittle stars. Sea serpents. Emerald crabs. Not a lot of snails or hermits yet. As they will want to eat off ur rock.
D

 

[Dan_P]

Isnt having to feed your cuc going against the purpose of having a cuc? Especially in a new tank?

Definitely not!

Any creature you care for should not have its nutritional needs left to chance. Starved organisms become diseased and live short miserable lives. A starved clean up crew does not do a better job then a well fed one. Well fed animals are strong, mobile, always on the lookout for food and live out their normal life span. If we fed our pet cats and dogs like we do the members of our clean up crew, they would be bags of bones on four legs. Feed everything in your system.

Save the Snails

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

My dog would also be dragging his tongue around on the floor all day long too but I don't see that happening.
D

 

[kingoftheHiLLpeople]

Definitely not!

Any creature you care for should not have its nutritional needs left to chance. Starved organisms become diseased and live short miserable lives. A starved clean up crew does not do a better job then a well fed one. Well fed animals are strong, mobile, always on the lookout for food and live out their normal life span. If we fed our pet cats and dogs like we do the members of our clean up crew, they would be bags of bones on four legs. Feed everything in your system.

Save the Snails

Ok lil overboard but i see your point lol. Thats why i said TO WAIT and ADD SLOWLY! So OP wouldnt have to feed cuc. Crazy to me you would feed a cuc but you do you lol. Btw - never supplemented my cuc and still have all of them - most of them.