Putting together good clean up crew

[gemini9]

I got sent out a request to reefcleaners.org to put me together a clean up crew for a new 30 gallon setup but all they really recommended was a bunch of snails. I'd also like some crabs and some plant life to help further clean my water. going to the LFS to get a few more crabs, but I may order my snails and plants from reefcleaners. I have 2 crabs now that have survived a week, and I also have a turbo snail. I have a young 30 gallon tank with not no HA yet. Diatoms have pretty much died off and I am starting to see some faint greenish coloring on a couple pieces of LR, but only in one or two spots.

Nitrates are usually around 80ppm so I need something hardy for now until I can get them down dosing. I have circulation, HOB skimmer, standard flourescent light and HOB filter. with 29lbs rock and crushed coral substrate.

That said, what would you recommend?

Crabs: Scarlet or blue leg?
How many?
Can I get an emerald? They are so cool looking

Plants: I was looking at
Macro Plants, Some Sea Lettuce, chaeto and ferns. Whatever removes nitrates and provides food.

The snails and plants I will get from reefcleaners since I don't need overnight shipping on them.

I had a mention of this once before in a thread but I can't find it lol

Thanks all. You're the best!

 

[Tank.Bro]

I
love
this!!!!!! helping on here
Is fun!

Defenetly get scarlets they are more dosile and clean better. My blue legs eat polpys so I threw them in the trash HAHA! but yo could get 2 emerldsfor the nuisance algae bloom u will get in two months. I love shaversbrush macroalgea and chato is good. if u can get red grape algae that's even better. Hope u enjoy reefing and buy some damsel fish to cycle ur system faster (=

 

[Tank.Bro]

I
love
this!!!!!! helping on here
Is fun!

Defenetly get scarlets they are more dosile and clean better. My blue legs eat polpys so I threw them in the trash HAHA! but yo could get 2 emerldsfor the nuisance algae bloom u will get in two months. I love shaversbrush macroalgea and chato is good. if u can get red grape algae that's even better. Hope u enjoy reefing and buy some damsel fish to cycle ur system faster (=

also check out reefs to ga macroagea tey hve every type and most remove nitrates. I think they are selling buy on get one on the shaversbrushes!

 

[gemini9]

Thanks bro! If reefs2go are having a sale I'll go check it out here in a a few minutes. The emerald crabs, will they survive without the algae yet? I'd probably have to feed them something wouldn't i? I know the other crabs are scavengers... but what about the emerald? Pretty hardy with nitrates?

 

[Tank.Bro]

Thanks bro! If reefs2go are having a sale I'll go check it out here in a a few minutes. The emerald crabs, will they survive without the algae yet? I'd probably have to feed them something wouldn't i? I know the other crabs are scavengers... but what about the emerald? Pretty hardy with nitrates?

Ya buy alge tablets they look like the wafers u ge at like communion or somthin they are green ish brown.... Andreefs togo always has a sale I <3 them!!!!! they have a buy one ge one emerald crabs sale I think too....

 

[Tank.Bro]

Ya the emerald are very sensitive to salin. though nitrates aren't a problem...

 

[gemini9]

My salinity is usually 1.023 or 24

 

[Tank.Bro]

My salinity is usually 1.023 or 24

ur fine mine got to 1.030 once and mine died I was also a newbie then...

 

[kschweer]

Please don't buy damsels to cycle your tank. 1) no need to subject a fish to undue stress and 2) you'll regret it later as they become very nasty fish. How long has your tank been set up? I would suggest waiting to add anything until your tank is fully cycled and your nitrates are much lower. A few good water changes should help.

 

[gemini9]

Tank is about 3 months old. Not buying any damsels... lol I don't like them. I just recovered from my diatom bloom. The nitrates are a different story. I've got a whole other thread on my nitrate problem. A few good water changes didn't/won't help. A 50% water change brought me down to 40ppm. 2 days later I'm back up to 80. But that's in a different thread. I'm putting together a small clean up crew to prepare me for my oncoming hair algae bloom or cynano bloom which I know is just around the corner, having seen my diatoms come and go.

I'm not getting any fish yet but I do want a small clean up crew to get me started. I'm sure I'm about due for some algae in this tank.

 

[gemini9]

Hmm. Hey can I put plants in a crushed coral set up?

 

[Tank.Bro]

Hmm. Hey can I put plants in a crushed coral set up?

Ya totally.. And when I said buy damsels I didn't mean instantly... And honestly I have a 29 gallon reef aquarium and they are fine not territorial. The dominoes are the only bad ones. Anyway ya ull be fine just get ready for awful algae growth...

 

[gemini9]

No algae .... yet. lol But when it comes, what do I do about it? Just let it be? Like the diatoms? I've added 5 crabs and 1 turbo snail so far. Ordering some more snails and plants off of reefcleaners.net, too. Hopefully will help get rid of the algae when it comes.

 

[Pete polyp]

You will want to be careful about putting macroalgae in your display. They can turn sexual and cover all the rocks quickly. Your tank is not large enough to hose anything that will effectively eat it. Shaving brushes and mangroves would be the better choice. All crabs are opportunist and can sometimes take a meal out of a coral. Some are more likely than others. Blue leg, mexican red leg and scarlet hermits are some of the most reef safe.where crabs are concerned. I haven't had the best luck with scarlets for some reason, ever. But I will always have a couple in my tank. I just go to a lfs and buy them when my supply gets low. As far as snails I like a good mix. I have recently tried out trochus snails and they're quite the pigs.

 

[gemini9]

No plants eh? Ill look up the brushes and mangroves. It will be awhe before i get corals. Fowlr for now. Until i get more experience

 

[Pete polyp]

Well, the thing about adding macroalgae and plants to remove nitrate is that it takes a bunch. Adding them to your display will have very little impact. I'm sure there would be some impact, and some benefits from them. But as it would take over your entire tank it wouldn't be worth it. The source of your nitrates is different than what most causes are. Its going to take a little time to get it settled, but with the methods that have been recommended to you it will be taken care of.

 

[gemini9]

You know I think ive made my home in these forums. Ha. I havent seen many who post as much as I do. Course, most of my threads are newb questions

 

[gemini9]

You and dalmatia seem highly active as well as reefingmadness

 

[Pete polyp]

I have been pretty active on here lately....

 

[VicD81]

Macros are overrated. As Pete said it takes a TON of algae to effectively remove nutrients. Now if you want it to house pods that's a diff story.

You deff need to add some Nassarius snails to your CUC. They are awesome to watch rise out of the sand like zombies when food is introduced.
Be careful with Emerald crabs. They say reef safe but some are not! I had one go rouge and I watched it drag my freshly acclimated feather duster down between the rocks. My wife was mortified. After that it acquired a taste for corals and came back and ate my Zoas and Zenias. Didn't notice till the next morning after everything was decimated.