Feed the cleaning crew?

[stricknine]

I recently added a cleaning crew to my new 24G tank. 20lbs of live rock (cycled), all ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, and ph tests ok. I added 1xarrow crab, 1xemerald crab, 9xhermits, 4xnassius snails, and 4xastra snails. The previously filthy tank is now clean as a whistle and all diatoms, alge, and hair alge is now gone. They used to look like starving savages and now just sit around, do I need to feed them, and if so how much of what? Please and thank you from a total rookie. (scared to feed because I heard online the biggest rookie mistake is overfeeding causing ammonia bursts!)

 

[kau_cinta_ku]

i would get some algae waffers or maybe a little nori, but not to much. maybe 1 waffer or nori about the size of a quarter.

 

[rf]

I supplement with a sheet of Nori. Turbo Snails love it and my hermits enjoy as well. Especially good when there is not a lot of algae in the tank.

 

[ScottL4619]

Ideally, they should eat the leftovers from fish feedings and any other "waste" they find sitting around. This way, overfeeding is balanced out. If you do not have any fish in your tank for a while, you can always throw a pinch of flake food in the tank every once in a while and that should give them something to eat for now.

+1 on the Nori, although my tangs eat most of it, pieces still float around the tank as it's ripped, so I'm sure all kinds of creatures get a piece.

 

[stricknine]

Thanks guys, picked up some nori at the LFS, they confirmed your replys.

 

[kevin2000]

When does a CUC stop becoming a CUC .. when the aquarist put food into the tank specifically for the CUC ... bad idea.

 

[stricknine]

Again, thanks all for the replys. Just put in the nori and the tank is alive again. Also pretty cool to watch the arrow snatch the tiny bits floating around woth the claws and feed!

Also Kevin, not having fish and coinciding scrap from overfeeding, wouldnt the nori bits simulate overfeeding? opinion is appriciated as I definately do not want the clean up crew to stop cleaning!

 

[stanlalee]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13001809#post13001809 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kevin2000
When does a CUC stop becoming a CUC .. when the aquarist put food into the tank specifically for the CUC ... bad idea.

exactly. defeats their whole purpose. You should start out with a small cleaning crew and bring it up as the need arises as the tank becomes more established.

 

[saltee dood]

Re: Feed the cleaning crew?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12996703#post12996703 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stricknine
. (scared to feed because I heard online the biggest rookie mistake is overfeeding causing ammonia bursts!)

Im gonna disagree about that being the *biggest* mistake a rookie can make.

IMO, the biggest mistake is listening to the LFS without checking their answers here.

I find it very rare to find people in the LFS that actually know what they are talking about. Their job is to sell you things, and unfortunately that rarely involves actual knowledge about this hobby.

 

[ScottL4619]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13001809#post13001809 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kevin2000
When does a CUC stop becoming a CUC .. when the aquarist put food into the tank specifically for the CUC ... bad idea.

While I agree with this statement, he already added his CUC and there are no fish or algae in the tank. Without anything, they will certainly die. Yes, they should clean up...but if there is nothing to clean up, you want to at least put a little something in there once a week or so.