What's your Reef Clean Up Crew Look Like?

[ReefPops]

I was just curious what people use for CUC in their reefs (as in a per gallon situation)? I was just checking out a few websites with the packaged CUCs and was shocked. I have always kept a much smaller CUC in all my tanks. Is more better? Can you have too many? I feel like I should order a bunch today, but it seems like the amount of snails and hermits recommended would dominate the tank. Let's hear it

 

[-Logzor]

All that you really need are Banded Trochus Snails. They are the best snails you can buy and they won't cause problems in your reef. They will live a long time and possible breed in your aquarium. The majority of CUC's sold either contain pests, clutter your aquarium, or die because they are not meant to survive in our high-temperature reefs.

 

[ReefPops]

I've always liked the trochus too. How many do you keep? If I follow one sites guidelines I would have over 70 snails (various) in my 39 gallon. Seems like overkill, maybe I'm wrong, but in all my years I've never had that many.

 

[turbo21]

Imo i dont think you really need a cleanup crew if you have proper flow and filtration. For my cleanup crew i have 2 little hermits in my 220. nothing else added but the stomatellas, and mini brittles that hitchhiked on the rocks. I have kept my tanks this way for over 10 years and have not noticed a difference by not having them. If you are planning on adding them to give more diversity of life to your reef then go for it, but i have saved all my cuc money for more coral :bigsmile:

does anybody else not use a cuc? or am i as odd as everyone tells me hehe

bob

 

[Zack]

I feel like I have a lot in my tank now and I only have 4 crabs in my 30gal.

Sent from my VS950 4G using Forum Runner

 

[Kano]

Imo i dont think you really need a cleanup crew if you have proper flow and filtration. For my cleanup crew i have 2 little hermits in my 220. nothing else added but the stomatellas, and mini brittles that hitchhiked on the rocks. I have kept my tanks this way for over 10 years and have not noticed a difference by not having them. If you are planning on adding them to give more diversity of life to your reef then go for it, but i have saved all my cuc money for more coral :bigsmile:

does anybody else not use a cuc? or am i as odd as everyone tells me hehe

bob

+1 except for the 10 years. I think I'm on about 3 years. Stomatellas are amazing (and free hitchhikers). I think Turbo and I are definitely the minority for the CUC. I have tangs and wrasses in both my tanks but when I started using RO water and mixed salt basically all of my algae/cyano issues went away. *knock on wood*

 

[turbo21]

i have a 12"vlamingi tang, 6"desjardini tang, 5" hippo tang, 5" powder blue tang. they take care of the algae. i run gfo and use rodi but have a small patch cyano on the sand that i just leave alone

bob

 

[Stray32]

I thought stomatella were considered pests?

 

[turbo21]

I thought stomatella were considered pests?

not that i have heard of. i have hundreds of them, they breed like crazy in my tank and at night they keep the front glass pretty clean

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/general-invert-forum/54151-good-bad-snail.html

 

[Stray32]

Well give me some then...

And I was thinking of vermitid snails. Shows you how long I have been out of this hobby haha.

 

[turbo21]

i will try aand pick some out for ya

 

[sleeri]

Imo i dont think you really need a cleanup crew if you have proper flow and filtration. For my cleanup crew i have 2 little hermits in my 220. nothing else added but the stomatellas, and mini brittles that hitchhiked on the rocks. I have kept my tanks this way for over 10 years and have not noticed a difference by not having them. If you are planning on adding them to give more diversity of life to your reef then go for it, but i have saved all my cuc money for more coral :bigsmile:

does anybody else not use a cuc? or am i as odd as everyone tells me hehe

bob

+2. Haven't had a big CUC since I started my reef 10 years ago. Doesn't really seem to matter for my tank. I've got a couple shrimp and a brittle star in my 75 that take care of food that falls the bottom and maybe 2-3 snails.

 

[ReefPops]

Love hearing what other people are doing. I tend to have a heavier cleanup crew when I have algae, but seem to be low like everyone else. I kind of seem to put critters in when I feel like it, but see them as being very disposable. Good to hear that a small crew works, especially in the longer established tanks.

 

[bkhunt]

I have exiled all my hermits and snails to my sump. I got tired of them moving/knocking over all my corals/frags. I got pretty good water flow through out my 90g. I have no alage growing on my rock and get minimal on my glass that the magfloat takes care of.