CUC numbers

[gnashty]

I know there are many charts out there that show for the size tank you have the amount of CUC you should have. does anyone follow this?

I have a relatively small CUC in my 210 -about 15 hermits, 1 emerald, 3 Mexican Turbo snails, and about 30 or so mixed snails - mostly astrea. They are all over the tank and I pick out empty shells daily (<u>had</u> a naughty wrasse). Im just not sure how one could have hundreds of snails without it looking like a total snail farm!

My tank is really dirty, algae on the glass daily - I know I have bigger issues here with high phosphates (.75 ) as a result of overfeeding and underskimming along with a pair of clowns that tear up my sand bed daily, which I am addressing shortly with a bigger skimmer and a GFO reactor, fuge etc....

Any ideas on how to reduce my phosphates really quickly until i get my skimmer and gfo set up? other than the obvious WC?

 

[hn1]

Seachem Phosguard or like product.

 

[gnashty]

HN1;515997 wrote: Seachem Phosguard or like product.

I tried one of those - each bag only covers 30g so I would need 8. I really need to find some GFO locally - havent seen it at my local LFS, not the stuff I need anyway. I only need about a cup to start with

 

[texhorns98]

I would get another 100 snails, at least. Mix it up with mostly astreas. I hate spending money on them, but it's worth it in the end. Check out Keen Reef's CUC packages.

 

[gnashty]

texhorns98;516013 wrote: I would get another 100 snails, at least. Mix it up with mostly astreas. I hate spending money on them, but it's worth it in the end. Check out Keen Reef's CUC packages.

another 100 would be kind of an eyesore IMO - i guess it beats algae on the glass

 

[texhorns98]

Mine look cool once they get coraline growing on them. Nassarius disappear and you can find some really cool turbos sometimes. And yes, it beats algae on the glass, amongst other things. Keep the tank health in mind!

 

[gnashty]

texhorns98;516019 wrote: <u>Keep the tank health in mind</u>!

Of course, water quality and tank health are always on my mind - thats why I just spent $1,000 on my skimmer/sump/reactor/plumbing upgrades - I am just about 2 weeks away from install. all the nassarius i had are gone and some hermit wars left me depleted there too. alot of my astreas have some cool coraline on them and i do like that but they are just always falling over and into the rockwork and eventually dying because they cant right themselves - i am sure that cant help my phosphates..

 

[texhorns98]

Didn't mean to insinuate you didn't care, sorry if it came across that way. I'm a big fan of loading up on snails, but I don't have many hermits and NO emeralds to speak of. I like emerald crabs, but they were always tearing up stuff. I've seen some REALLY cool snails lately though. Some are as pretty as corals. I forget the name of them...

Mexican ceriths and caribbean nerites are also pretty cool buggers...

 

[gnashty]

texhorns98;516042 wrote: Didn't mean to insinuate you didn't care, sorry if it came across that way.

its all good - i didnt take it that way!!