How do u know if a CuC is too big or small?

[hammcd]

How can you tell if your cleanup crew is too big or too small? Everywhere on the web that sells crews for certain size tanks seem to go way overboard...they will have like 50 snails for a 30gallon tank...if there a way youre suppose to be able to tell if your cleanup crew is the correct size?

 

[thanh386]

Are u talking about actual size or we talking numbers? Cause if it numbers, I can never have too much. If u talking about size... Than it's too big when it bulldoze over everything

 

[crewdawg1981]

Eh... Start off smaller and add if you need. Not sure what size tank you have though? In my 55 I tried to keep it where I had ~20 snails, 20 bluelegs, 5 scarlets and a emerald or two. That seemed to do the trick for me, but you'll find that many suggest one snail per gallon, etc. Heck, my 90 had one turbo, no other snails and about 30 hermits and did fine.

 

[hammcd]

i just finished cycling a Biocube 29 and was going to pick out a CuC today...these r the numbers that liveaquaria provides for their pacific and carribean CuCs respectively...not sure why there needs to be so many more with the carribean ...pacific numbers seem to be what id expect but the other seems like youd be able to see nothing but snails lol
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=420+2732+486&pcatid=486" alt="" />

[IMG]http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=420+2791+1766&pcatid=1766" alt="" />

 

[rbredding]

there's no such thing as too big... (within reason, of course)..

I'd use the online quantity of each type (snail/shrimp/crab/brittlestar) as a good rule of thumb though..

 

[hammcd]

hmm wish u could edit..lets try this:

<span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">Package Contents</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">Quantity of species per
aquarium size (gallons)</span></span> <span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">30</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">55</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">75</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">100</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">125</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">Cerith Snails</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">10</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">18</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">25</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">30</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">40</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">Super Tongan
Nassarius Snails</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">6</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">12</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">15</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">20</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">25</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">Fighting Conches</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">1</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">2</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">3</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">4</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">5</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">Peppermint Shrimp</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">3</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">5</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">7</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">10</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">12</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">Serpent Sea Stars,
Fancy Tiger Striped</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">1</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">1</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">2</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">2</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">3</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">Serpent Sea Star,
Fancy Red</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">1</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">1</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">1</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">1</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">1</span></span>

<span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">Quantity of species per aquarium size (gallons)</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">Package Contents</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">30</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">55</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">75-90</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">125+</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">30 Dlx</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">55 Dlx</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">75/90 Dlx</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">125+ Dlx</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">Scarlet Reef Hermits</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">20</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">30</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">45</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">60</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">20</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">30</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">45</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">60</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">Dwarf Blue Leg Hermits</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">20</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">30</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">45</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">60</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">20</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">30</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">45</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">60</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">Astraea Turbo Snails</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">20</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">30</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">45</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">60</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">20</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">30</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">45</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">60</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">Nassarius Snails</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">10</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">20</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">30</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">40</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">10</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">20</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">30</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">40</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">Cerith Snails</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">N/A</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">N/A</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">N/A</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">N/A</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">10</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">15</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">20</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">30</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">Peppermint Shrimp</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">N/A</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">N/A</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">N/A</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">N/A</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">3</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">4</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">5</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">6</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">Emerald Crab</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">N/A</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">N/A</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">N/A</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">N/A</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">2</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">3</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">4</span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-family: Arial">5</span></span>

Edit: ack that didnt work either...but ok thanks for the info...ill start off small and work my way up

 

[rskillz]

Too big -- they start to die from lack of food (provided you dont overfeed)
Too small -- tank stays a bit dirty

Works for me at least...

 

[darcurr]

Rskillz;632101 wrote: Too big -- they start to die from lack of food (provided you dont overfeed)
Too small -- tank stays a bit dirty

Works for me at least...

+1

I always go a little over what I think I need and see what happens.

 

[hhughes]

Wow. Sounds like I need to up my crew then; I've only got 5 nassarius, 5 bluelegs, and 7 mexican turbos. (I don't have any algae... but my sand does get a bit rusty from time to time)

 

[thanh386]

I hate turbo's!!!! They get huge and start to knock over everything.

 

[hhughes]

But man o man do they NOM some algae. I give them a free pass on knocking over the occasional coral, and they keep my glass clean.