CUC favorites

[lmm1967]

Now that our 60 gallon cube is up and running - with a very light clean up crew.

Wondering what people prefer for a CUC & why.

Tank is 60 cube, about 2" sand bed, live rock, 1 firefish, 1 small clown, medium size serpent star, 5 nerite snails, 2" cucumber (forgot the species - not a tiget tail) & a single emerald crab.

Wanting to build up the CUC and struggling a little with the best choice and number of critters.

FTS below for reference

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[jbdreefs]

A shrimp of some sort would be on my list of additions.

 

[crew]

either some sort of sandsifting goby or nassarius snails to keep the sand fresh.

I also like ceriths and astrea snails. Very low maintenance and I dont have to rescue them when they fall over.

Mexican Turbos are the absolute best algae destroyers, but they need to be checked on fairly often to make sure they haven't fallen over.

 

[russ-iv]

+1 on astra snails....

i hate the turd pellets turbos produce.

 

[shrimpy brains]

I like a variety of snails as each clean something different.

Cerith and nassarious for the sand bed
astreas, turbos, nerites for glass and rocks
I would do 5 of each and add as needed.

Also, peppermint shrimp, for pest anemones
and cleaner shrimp in case of parasites, plus they are cool

Also, I like blue leg dwarf hermits they are great little cleaners and don't get big enough to knock stuff over, plus I find them less inclined to eat your snails.

 

[lmm1967]

Thanks everyone - exactly the kind of feedback I'm looking for

 

[elithelion]

+1 on cerith. You can get ceriths off eBay for a really good price. They don't have to be submerged to survive so shipping is no problem.

 

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

If your in the area of the Atlanta Aquarium (RIT's place); RIT gives great advice on CUCs. Just tell RIT was type of setup you have; 1 inch sandbed, bare bottom, etc. and the size of your tank. RIT has never let me down on his selection of CUC for my tanks. I've been to RIT's on several occasions for CUCs; traveling 90+ miles one way and I can honestly state that when I need my next CUC, I'm gonna back to RIT's Atlanta Aquarium.

Wannabee

 

[mcphock]

The only snails I employ are red banded trochus snails. Seem to be long lived (I've 8 that are at least 3 years old) and can right themselves if they fall over.

 

[outdrsyguy1]

trochus are pricy but they are the bomb. they even breed in your tanks. I've seen mine spawn and found babies growing in my sump and in my refugium.

 

[atlfishes]

outdrsyguy1;1068736 wrote: trochus are pricy but they are the bomb. they even breed in your tanks. I've seen mine spawn and found babies growing in my sump and in my refugium.

+1


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[lmm1967]

Thanks everyone. Picked up 5 hermits, 2 turbos, 5 margarita snails & 3 cerith snails.
Need to decide on shrimp. Have peppermints in our bio cube so will probably go with cleaner shrimp when I convince myself it's OK to spend more money for a single shrimp in the tank than 2 pounds of peel n eat and beer.


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[bulkrate]

Banded trochus, pacific nerites (awesome shell patterns), cerith as far as snails go.

Red-stripe & polkadotted dwarf hermits (Phimochirus holthuisi & operculatus respecively) & scarlets are way better grazers than the easier to find blue leg/red leg hermits and far less likely to go after snails.

Pity that most of what I have above is hard to replace... only see those first two hermits mixed in with shipments of scarlets one in a blue moon.

 

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

BulkRate;1069352 wrote: Banded trochus, pacific nerites (awesome shell patterns), cerith as far as snails go.

Red-stripe & polkadotted dwarf hermits (Phimochirus holthuisi & operculatus respecively) & scarlets are way better grazers than the easier to find blue leg/red leg hermits and far less likely to go after snails.

Pity that most of what I have above is hard to replace... only see those first two hermits mixed in with shipments of scarlets one in a blue moon.

Where are these specialty livestock available? Where do you purchase them?

Wannabee

 

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

McPhock;1068729 wrote: The only snails I employ are red banded trochus snails. Seem to be long lived (I've 8 that are at least 3 years old) and can right themselves if they fall over.

Do you know what the scientific name is for the "red banded trouchus" snails? Where do you get your "red banded trouchus snails from?"

Wannabee

 

[camellia]

I've got a mix of crabs, snails and love me many shrimps.

I resently got 6 HUGE nassarius and they are amazing! These guys are over an inch, stay in the sand unless it's feeding time. When they smell food they will all pop up from the sand and start skimming the sand bed.
They are the greatest addition I've ever had for CUC.

 

[bulkrate]

WannabeeaReefKeeper;1069373 wrote: Where are these specialty livestock available? Where do you purchase them?

Wannabee

Mainly by sheer dumb luck at local sponsors.

About a year ago Premier Aquatics had polkadotted hermits come in mixed into an order of scarlets. Several others have had banded trochus from time to time, most charging reasonable prices for 'em ($1-3 instead of $10). Red-stripe are often mixed in with large blue & red leg hermits caught in southern Florida/Keys... just look for the red eyes and peppermint-like banding on the legs, but same-if-not-smaller size.

But then again, I like browsing & finding unusual clean-up crew. If you want certainty, look at someplace like

 

[lmm1967]

Apparently Margarita snails are tasty - the starfish has consumed 2 of them so far.

Guess I know what our first sump inhabitant will be.

 

[bulkrate]

I think that most margarita snails you see locally aren't tropical species, per se. I've never had any live more than a month or two in my reef.

I do have 2 year old ceriths and banded trochus that are still trucking, though.

 

[lmm1967]

perhaps my starfish prefers cooked snails and that's why he's sticking with those for the time being