Cleaner crews

[Strack]

Hey guys. Give me some advice here please. My tank is starting to get a lot of hair algae and brown algae that I have to clean off every two to three days. Now it is starting to grow on the bed and the rocks. What are good choices and how many?

 

[chad508]

just get a bunch of the snails when we go saturday. the best thing is to have a good variety of cleaners. get three are four kinds of snail and some red leg crabs and you should be okay

 

[OracleOCA]

chad508:

I love your African Grey, very beautiful!

 

[chad508]

thank you

 

[dvmsn]

I like blue legs and astreas. I would go with 50-75 astreas and 25-35 blue legs for your tank. I also have these small snails that eat only algea and breed like crazy in my tank. I would be happy to give a couple hundred to get you started.

 

[Strack]

You know me... I will take anything!

 

[dvmsn]

LMK when you can come get them a day in advance. They come out at night.

 

[Strack]

Cool man. Thanks!!

 

[phishguy05]

HEY DAVE ARENT THOSE CERITH SNAILS THAT YOU HAVE CAUSE I THINK I HAVE A BUNCH THAT HAVE BREAD IN MY TANK AND I SEE THEM ONLY AT NIGHT ALSO

 

[dvmsn]

Yes, I think that is what they are called.

 

[chad508]

dave if you don't mind i would like some of those snails also when you get a chance

 

[BubbaPhish]

Guys if they are cerith snails jump on Dave's offer, I just dumped 4 dozen in my new tank and they are excellent cleaners. And they are most active at night when the lights are out.

I also added 100 astrea's, and some nerite 's as well. Almost all of the nasties from curing my rock are gone in a week since I added them.
The cerith snails have a long black pointed conical shell adults, are around an inch or so long.

Kevin

 

[dvmsn]

These are it. http://www.reefs.org/hhfaq/pages/picture_pages/faq_tinyturbo.html Not a cerith, but helpful. 1/8 inch at max.

 

[chad508]

dave i thought those were sundial snails

 

[dvmsn]

I don't know what a sundial snail is.

 

[Snprhed]

Maybe you ought to look into where your phosphates are coming from.

Cory

 

[dvmsn]

If you pull all of the herbivores of a pristine reef in the wild, it will develop an algae problem.

 

[chad508]

now that i look at the snails a little closer they may not be the same

http://www.reefs.org/hhfaq/pages/picture_pages/faq_heliacus.html

 

[dvmsn]

You mean the zoa eating snails?

 

[chad508]

yes