Hello all. I have a question about my cleaner crew.
I have a Biocube 29. About 25 lbs or so live rock, about a 1.5 inch live sand bed. Been operational for a little over 10 weeks now. Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 0, Phosphates hard to tell with my test kit, but 0 - .25. I have 2 Clownfish, a neon blue Goby, and a Purple Firefish. No corals yet.
My filtration is a Protien Skimmer, a media basket with filter floss, Purigen, and Chemipure Elite. I have a small bag of Matrix media and a small ball of Chaeto Algea in my back chamber.
I had the usual diatom bloom and then an explosion of hair algae. I started to gradually add my cleaner crew over the past few weeks. As it stands I have 12 Astrea snails, 6 blue leg hermits, 1 small Emerald Crab, and a Brittle Star (a hitchhiker on the ball of Chaeto from my LFS)
These guys have been going at it and a little under half of my hair algae is gone. I am worried I may have overstocked my crew and was wondering your guys' thoughts. I'm sure I can return some livestock to my LFS. Not worried about store credit, just don't want to see my boys die. These creatures are beautiful in their own way and I want them to be happy and healthy in my tank.
I'm done with fish and want to start adding coral once the majority of the hair algae is gone.
So I'm just looking for opinions on my current CUC stock and also what some of you have done to get a balanced crew in your tanks. This is my first go at saltwater. I've only had 1 death and that was a Nassarius snail I added way too early. I'd like to keep that count where it is and I appreciate any advice you all have. Thanks!
I have a Biocube 29. About 25 lbs or so live rock, about a 1.5 inch live sand bed. Been operational for a little over 10 weeks now. Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 0, Phosphates hard to tell with my test kit, but 0 - .25. I have 2 Clownfish, a neon blue Goby, and a Purple Firefish. No corals yet.
My filtration is a Protien Skimmer, a media basket with filter floss, Purigen, and Chemipure Elite. I have a small bag of Matrix media and a small ball of Chaeto Algea in my back chamber.
I had the usual diatom bloom and then an explosion of hair algae. I started to gradually add my cleaner crew over the past few weeks. As it stands I have 12 Astrea snails, 6 blue leg hermits, 1 small Emerald Crab, and a Brittle Star (a hitchhiker on the ball of Chaeto from my LFS)
These guys have been going at it and a little under half of my hair algae is gone. I am worried I may have overstocked my crew and was wondering your guys' thoughts. I'm sure I can return some livestock to my LFS. Not worried about store credit, just don't want to see my boys die. These creatures are beautiful in their own way and I want them to be happy and healthy in my tank.
I'm done with fish and want to start adding coral once the majority of the hair algae is gone.
So I'm just looking for opinions on my current CUC stock and also what some of you have done to get a balanced crew in your tanks. This is my first go at saltwater. I've only had 1 death and that was a Nassarius snail I added way too early. I'd like to keep that count where it is and I appreciate any advice you all have. Thanks!
