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Ordering more CUC, can one go overboard


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M going to place an order with bulk reef for more clean up crew, I have 4 turbos, 2 cerith snails, about 20 small hermits, 2 large hermits. If I order 100 small hermits and like 25 ceriths is that too much? I'm sick of the sand bed looking dirty in a few areas where they don't spend much time.

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IME if you have too many herbivores they will die off. I would get ten turbos and always end up with three and no algae, I would get more and always have the "balance" restored. With hermits it all depends on how much you feed; personally I hate having hermits crawling all over my coral so I always go with as few as possible to still get the job done. Just my opinion :)

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IME if you have too many herbivores they will die off. I would get ten turbos and always end up with three and no algae' date=' I would get more and always have the "balance" restored. With hermits it all depends on how much you feed; personally I hate having hermits crawling all over my coral so I always go with as few as possible to still get the job done. Just my opinion :)[/quote']

 

Yea hermits are not my fav by any means either lol, always knocking stuff over and crawling everywhere. Maybe go with more of the ceriths and half the hermits? My tank is pretty algae free, just my sand bed drives me nuts

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I don't have one but i have been considering a Tiger cucumber for my sand bed. I had a diamond goby in the past and he was amazing!!!! The sand was always white but then he jumped. :( The sand dwelling snails are ok but they come out at night and always knock stuff on my sand bed around.

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I don't have one but i have been considering a Tiger cucumber for my sand bed. I had a diamond goby in the past and he was amazing!!!! The sand was always white but then he jumped. :( The sand dwelling snails are ok but they come out at night and always knock stuff on my sand bed around.

 

I bought one total waste it just sits under a rock most of the time lol.

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Do some reading most snails have different feeding habits, omnivores, detrivores, herbivores and carnivores. Ive found and like to get bigger critters, stars, conch, cowries, shrimp, i feel they do much more work one of them compared to 20ish snails or whatever

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I've had terrible luck with clawed critters eating my coral. Cleaner shrimp have poked at my clam mantles, picked at my pink bird nest and eaten eagle eyes. Scarlet hermits have eaten GSP and blue hornets. Red tip hermits have eaten xenia and trumpet coral.

 

So IME I would not buy the "100 small hermits" and go only with snails.

 

If the sand bed is your problem look into Nassarius snails, they are carnivorous, but live in the sand bed.

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I've had terrible luck with clawed critters eating my coral. Cleaner shrimp have poked at my clam mantles, picked at my pink bird nest and eaten eagle eyes. Scarlet hermits have eaten GSP and blue hornets. Red tip hermits have eaten xenia and trumpet coral.

 

So IME I would not buy the "100 small hermits" and go only with snails.

 

If the sand bed is your problem look into Nassarius snails, they are carnivorous, but live in the sand bed.

 

Thanks Mitchell I'll def add some of the nassarius snails and more small hermits

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I'd agree and say no hermits. I hate spending the time to wait for corals to open up after the lights go out, feed ones like brains or plates, then come look after 20 minutes to find hermits digging the food out of their mouths! After I watched this happen a few times I decided to go only snails. Some people on here seem to like fuzzy chiltons (if thats how you spell it). I have tiny ones that are all over but never bought a big one, heard they really go to town too.

 

And don't get a cowrie if you have clams smaller than 2", had one eat one of them (flame)

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I'd agree and say no hermits. I hate spending the time to wait for corals to open up after the lights go out, feed ones like brains or plates, then come look after 20 minutes to find hermits digging the food out of their mouths! After I watched this happen a few times I decided to go only snails. Some people on here seem to like fuzzy chiltons (if thats how you spell it). I have tiny ones that are all over but never bought a big one, heard they really go to town too.

 

And don't get a cowrie if you have clams smaller than 2", had one eat one of them (flame)

 

So if i go no hermits, in a 40 breeder, fed once every other day, what would you go with. 50 more nass snails, a sand star, and..?? More, less?

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Where are you ordering from? I tried ordering florida ceriths and none showed up alive...not sure why, maybe avoid those if you were considering.

 

Personally, I don't like putting TONS of CUC like some people do. You only have a 40 gallon...don't go overboard because if you have some mass die off your ammonia levels will likely spike. I'd try a smaller crew to start with, like 10-20 snails and some other misc stars and such.

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Where are you ordering from? I tried ordering florida ceriths and none showed up alive...not sure why, maybe avoid those if you were considering.

 

Personally, I don't like putting TONS of CUC like some people do. You only have a 40 gallon...don't go overboard because if you have some mass die off your ammonia levels will likely spike. I'd try a smaller crew to start with, like 10-20 snails and some other misc stars and such.

 

Reefs2go.com

I'm going to start with 25 nass snails, and a sand star, in addition to what I have already. Also going to get 1000 pods and some macro. I'll let you know if they show up alive.

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I bought pods from reefs2go and was satisfied' date=' i'm sure your stuff will be fine. I think the issue I had was species specific as most other snails survived the journey (but was from a different seller).[/quote']

 

Nice! That's good to hear, was kind of nervous it was from them haha

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If you add to much CUC there is not enough for them to eat, and they will all starve and die. Not good.

 

If the sand bed is your problem look into Nassarius snails, they are carnivorous, but live in the sand bed.

 

This is what I was going to recommend. For a 40g I might get 4 to start.

 

You could also look at a Queen Conch, very cool, but large snail. It might actually be to big for your tank. 1 Queen conch and 5 nassarius snails take care of my 120g just fine. It really doesn't take much of a CUC to get the job done if it is the right critters IMO.

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