CUC for a 24g NC

[Laz A]

I dont know which kind and how many of each snail I should have... I also dont know what the diff between blue and red hermits is or how many I should have for about 30ish lbs of rock.
I would also really like a serpent or brittle star if the 20 lbs of sand in my 24g is sufficient for its food source.
Since I am just cycling the tank now (on day 2) I also dont know when I should introduce them to the tank, Id like atleast snails and crabs soon to battle the diatoms and algae when it comes around, not sure how delicate the stars are when it comes to dealing with cycling parameter issues.

Hows:
8 margarita snails or cernith (dunno which)
8 blue and 8 red hermits (dont know the diff but figured diversity is good)
4 nassarius
1 sand sifting star

I just threw something out there... dunno if this is too much/ too little, a bad mix, or ok

*confused*
Laz

 

[gasman059]

Asterea, Trochus, Cerith, and Nerite snails.
turbos are big and tend to knock things over.

Rule of thumb-one Nerite snail for every gallon of water.

blue legged hermits are good 2.
HTH

 

[Laz A]

how many of the other snails though? I have absolutely no idea how many of each snail/ crab and how soon to introduce.

 

[gasman059]

as long as your params are good after cycle- u are going to need a cleanup crew.
24 gallon- 6 cerith-6 snails-6 blue legged.

 

[Laz A]

Id like a variety of crabs... hows your suggestion plus 1 conch, 1 sally, 1 decorator crab? Or would that be too much CUC for my amount of algae production?

 

[ReefWreak]

no sally or decorator crabs. MAYBE add some bluelegs, but make sure they're the "reef-safe" ones.

I hate crabs, and NEVER recommend anyone to EVER add any to their tanks, as most of them have been found to eat protein (read: CORALS) once they're past adolescence.

They're busybodies, and are fun to watch, but I've never had anything but bad luck with them. maybe it's because I've never bought one of those "1000 snails, 1000 hermits, etc, etc,etc" packages where they're so populous that you never have to bother pay attention to any of them. I had one hermit in my 120 before, and I would watch him attack astrea snails all the time (and I only have about 16 in there), and would find him with new astrea snail shells and I would have less astrea snails all the time, even though I provided him with TONS of extra empty shells all around the place. I'm just glad he never bothered my conch, who has now grown to about 1/4LB and is about 4-5" or so.

 

[Laz A]

I wanted a conch too just cause its different from your avg cleaner and I hear they're great sifters... Which kinda conch do you recommend for my cube? And should I still add nassarius snails or can one conch take care of the whole bed?

 

[Laz A]

bump...

 

[ReefWreak]

I've seen both the tongan fighting conch (they don't really fight I've been told) and the queen conch (what I've got in my 120 that is about... 5" long now). They're both fine. My friend just put a tongan in his 10g tank, and it scoots along the sand all day picking off the rocks. Just make sure you've got a relatively large sandbed.

 

[Laz A]

Ok so I know I need plenty of nerite (overall good cleaner), and some nassarius (for my sand). I wanted a conch too and a few emerald crabs.
I think Ill go with:
10 nerite
6 nassarius
1 conch (which is small enough to be satisfied with my 20lb sand bed?)
2 emerald crabs
6 hermits

Ill adjust as needed I guess.
thanks

 

[ReefWreak]

Unless you've got a good reason for emeralds, I would definitely shy away from them. I've watched them pick at and eat my corals, especially soft corals.

 

[Laz A]

good to know... what kinda conch do you recommend for my 20 lb sand bed?

 

[ReefWreak]

It's more about the surface area than it is about the volume of sand you put in it. I know I didn't have much of a sandbed when I had my 24 cube, but I had a small tongan in there, and he was fine, and lived until I got rid of the cube. Whatever you get, realize that A. It'll get bigger... MUCH bigger if it lives long enough; and B. you should start with the smallest conch you can find (1-2") so you've got lots of longevity out of it.

Again, tongan in my 24 and in my friend's 10, and I have a Queen in my 120 that started small but is now almost 5". They both grow as far as I know though, I've just had my queen for the longest time (coming up on 3 years).

 

[illal]

im totally against any and every crab for the reasons already stated plus the fact they have no respect for my corals... if theyr not stomping through my zoo's ther hangin off a monti cap, munchin on my gsp, killing my snails and the list goes on.... all snail CUC for me!

 

[Laz A]

good to hear... im starting to like crabs less and less now lol.
Still want a conch tho!

 

[ReefWreak]

lol now you're hearing more about crabs... see.... I'm not crazy..... i'm not crazy....!