What could have wiped out my clean up crew?

[sogdog]

I have a 236g mixed reef, peaceful. I put a standard cuc of hermits and snails from reefcleaners. These guys were there for well over a year. Over time I built up algae with no idea how it was happening. No changes to feeding or what I dose (minor amounts of ab+ and reef plus trace). When the algae started I stopped dosing, but I noticed the entire cuc had been wiped out. I put in two emerald crabs and they are fine. The only thing I have seen messing with the inverts was the engineer goby. Could he have literally killed them all? I’m guessing by stressing them out when he moved them? I’m struggling to understand why they died, but my cleaner and peppermint shrimp are fine, and as far as I can tell the inverts that stick to the rocks or glass are all alive.

 

[Sharkbait19]

What’s the full tank stocking?
Have you heard any clicking sounds?

 

[sogdog]

Blue tang, yellow tang, sailfin tang, two blue mandarin gobies, 2 engineer gobies, 2 purple firefish, one firefish, one six line wrasse, one flame angel, one coral beauty, two clowns, four reef chromies, two cleaner shrimp, unknown up to 6 peppermint shrimp (I rarely see them), two emerald crabs (added after cuc was wiped out).

 

[radfly]

Over the last two months, did you dose chemiclean vibrant or or any similar product?

 

[sogdog]

Over the last two months, did you dose chemiclean vibrant or or any similar product?

I’m not even sure what that is so I doubt it. What I used to (stopped until algae goes away) dose was ab+ and seachem reef plus.

for algae control I have been using prime, pristine, and no3 po4

 

[Cell]

I don't believe having to restock CUC yearly is entirely abnormal.

 

[JTP424]

Has your salinity been fairly constant? Also, what's your phosphate normally sit at?
Also agree on either adding to or restocking CUC every so often just due to normal die-off etc.

 

[sogdog]

Salinity hangs out at 33ppt (Red Sea coral pro salt). Monitored by apex, minor fluctuations all within .2 of that.

I do plan to add more, that’s not the issue, I just want to figure out why they all died first so I’m not just killing them.

 

[JTP424]

Salinity hangs out at 33ppt (Red Sea coral pro salt). Monitored by apex, minor fluctuations all within .2 of that.

I do plan to add more, that’s not the issue, I just want to figure out why they all died first so I’m not just killing them.

Completely understand wanting to figure out why.
What size CUC? Based on Reefcleaners, tank that large would need HUNDREDS of little dudes.
Do you know if they died basically overnight-ish?
Could be just hermits murdering each other. I had an issue with one super violent hermit that completely decimated all my inverts, he went to a farm up north.
This is really interesting, I'm curious as to what happened!

 

[sogdog]

Completely understand wanting to figure out why.
What size CUC? Based on Reefcleaners, tank that large would need HUNDREDS of little dudes.
Do you know if they died basically overnight-ish?
Could be just hermits murdering each other. I had an issue with one super violent hermit that completely decimated all my inverts, he went to a farm up north.
This is really interesting, I'm curious as to what happened!

Phosphates are slightly elevated. I do have chaeto on the way to help with that, but the occasional testing (like once every 3-4 weeks) I do of phosphate with a salifert kit makes me think they started dying off then phosphate rose. But I can’t say that with any certainty. In any case, the phosphate angle is being dealt with. I suppose once that’s normal I’ll get a cuc again and see what happens. Every parameter is good, I’ve reduced feeding to match the reef without the cuc so algae is also being reduced.

 

[sfin52]

What coral do you have? Do you see a pile of shells in an area? You didn't mention if you have hermits

 

[sogdog]

What coral do you have? Do you see a pile of shells in an area? You didn't mention if you have hermits

I had hermits, I only see about 3 left. Corals are all mixed and aggressive types, however they are all frags and housed away from everything but snails.

Honestly the more I think about this, the more I think I just waited too long to replace them. I remember noticing a small amount dying off at what I would guess is a normal rate, and at one point because I didn’t change the feeding schedule to compensate for less cuc I probably spiked the phosphate and killed what’s left. Once I drop phosphate I’ll get another crew from reef cleaners and do a much better job keeping an eye on it. I admit I slacked on monitoring the cuc at all, I only ever really noticed the fish and corals.

 

[Andreas' Reef]

What’s the full tank stocking?
Have you heard any clicking sounds?

Those clicking sounds are in my nightmares. It's always my pistol shrimp and goby beating the crap out of a poor hermit crab. The crabs always end up living though.

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

I suggest just going with the snails, but astreas will have to be flipped over everyday. Hermits will eat them. Trochus snails are better, but very pricey, especially for a large tank.

 

[Andreas' Reef]

I suggest just going with the snails, but astreas will have to be flipped over everyday. Hermits will eat them. Trochus snails are better, but very pricey, especially for a large tank.

Astreas are good algae eaters but they are at such a biological disadvantage since they cant right themselves

 

[sogdog]

I suggest just going with the snails, but astreas will have to be flipped over everyday. Hermits will eat them. Trochus snails are better, but very pricey, especially for a large tank.

Reef cleaners specifically mentioned Mexican turbo snails, as there’s a small bit of cyano.

 

[JTP424]

Recommend a Pitho crab or two. I had an algae outbreak I could NOT get rid off. Adjusted nutrients and feeding, lighting adjustments. I tried every standard CUC recommendation. Ended up throwing in a Pitho crab, all the algae was eaten in like two days.

 

[Mortgaged Reefs]

Completely understand wanting to figure out why.
What size CUC? Based on Reefcleaners, tank that large would need HUNDREDS of little dudes.
Do you know if they died basically overnight-ish?
Could be just hermits murdering each other. I had an issue with one super violent hermit that completely decimated all my inverts, he went to a farm up north.
This is really interesting, I'm curious as to what

I have a 236g mixed reef, peaceful. I put a standard cuc of hermits and snails from reefcleaners. These guys were there for well over a year. Over time I built up algae with no idea how it was happening. No changes to feeding or what I dose (minor amounts of ab+ and reef plus trace). When the algae started I stopped dosing, but I noticed the entire cuc had been wiped out. I put in two emerald crabs and they are fine. The only thing I have seen messing with the inverts was the engineer goby. Could he have literally killed them all? I’m guessing by stressing them out when he moved them? I’m struggling to understand why they died, but my cleaner and peppermint shrimp are fine, and as far as I can tell the inverts that stick to the rocks or glass are all alive.

Someone is taking them to the train station!

 

[SlugSnorter]

I have a 236g mixed reef, peaceful. I put a standard cuc of hermits and snails from reefcleaners. These guys were there for well over a year. Over time I built up algae with no idea how it was happening. No changes to feeding or what I dose (minor amounts of ab+ and reef plus trace). When the algae started I stopped dosing, but I noticed the entire cuc had been wiped out. I put in two emerald crabs and they are fine. The only thing I have seen messing with the inverts was the engineer goby. Could he have literally killed them all? I’m guessing by stressing them out when he moved them? I’m struggling to understand why they died, but my cleaner and peppermint shrimp are fine, and as far as I can tell the inverts that stick to the rocks or glass are all alive.

Theres also the chance it was some kind of poisonous algae that killed whatever tried to eat it. any pics of the algae?

 

[blaxsun]

I've found CUC is something you have to regularly replace and augment.

@JTP424 - "farm up north", that cracked me up this morning...