I need to get some cleaners for me cube soon. Can you help?

NanoCube-boy

NanoCube-boy

New member
I have a 12 gallon nanocubes, for those you remember; your awesome. Anyways I need to stock my reef with some cleaners for tank that can handle a lot of algae such as hairy, bubble, and other detritus on the sand bed. I have about 2inch thick of sand so it's easy for critters to hide. The aglae covers rocks, windows, back of the tank, sand, and even on the pump.

So far I jotted these type of cleaners since I know they are well compatible, but to make sure, I suggestions as well.

These what I want...
4 Emerald,
3 electric hermits,
3 scarlete hermits,
3 blue legs,
8 astreas
1 skunk cleaner shrimp,
1 Peppermint shrimp,

If you have suggestion about making a cleaner crew, such as the ones I made? please suggest. Help me draft the best cleaner crew for my tank.
 
Do you want any fish?
Your list for a 12 gallon isnt good.
No emeralds.
1 shrimp max and i would wait awile.

Your 2 inch SB in the very minimum.
Start with 2 or 3 hermits and 2 nass snails. then wait and add a coral or fish then wait .decide your stock by your problems if any.Algea get a few algea eaters.Waste then get a few nass ot hermits.
Its a 12 so CUC only add to load and you dont need so many. Have fun with coral but learn how to frag and trim them back.
 
Did you cycle the tank in the dark? I ask because it seems like you stated you have a bloom, which can be curtailed by RO/DI water, no light and boosting Elements( CA, Alk, Mag) to NSW conditions. Also a good variety of snails would be better than the hermits. Turbo, astrea, nassarius, cerith. Just go slow. If I were to add some hermits maybe some scarlet or blue leg.

Oh and a 2" SSB is fine, whats minimun about it? Thats what I have for over three years and no problems. Do you actually speak from exp. or just what you read and hear.

I'm sure as more people chime in you will get a better range of what would be acceptable for your tank size. Also post in the Nano Forum, you may get better answers to your question.

The thing about the internet is you always get info from people that has to be taken with a grain of salt and researched. Sometimes its wrong, based on armchair hobbyists views that have not been tested, practiced of experienced first hand. Good Luck.
 
My tank been up for years, I used to have a clown, some hermits, and snail. I'm not really good with hermits and snail though, they just dissapear slowly, I do not know why. I used to have two emerals that survive more than a year and they did great until i start back to school then the tank was neglected. Now, I only have corals left. Most of the members up here know my tank.

I give you a link here of my tank. It's neen up since 2003.
 
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Well, I just pick up four Scarlet Crabs today and hope these guys would get to work as soon as possible. HAHA I tried taking pictures earlier, but my camera batteries died. I'll take them soon when I have a chance so you guys can see them.
 
Nano, the mystery of your disappearing snails and crabs.

Nano, the mystery of your disappearing snails and crabs.

The larger hermits have a hobby...it's called killing and eating smaller or competing crabs for their shells. And of course the snails as well.

To avoid this. Put more snails than hermits. Get the smallest hermits you can find. Have lots of spare shells around. And watch the hermits...when they get big. Shell openings larger than 1 by 1 CM then you sell or give them away to someone with a refugium that does not care how big they get.
 
CleveYank, Does the scarlete grow into larger shell? I have extra large shell from my dead astrea. They are about one inch large.

Shekki,

Yea, I heard Turbo are great for aglae, but I'm afraid the the crabs will harass them. I use to have Astrea and they get pick on by crabs. Sometime them are stupid as well. They fell on there shell and die. Like a turtle I guess. haha

Are the turbo snail dumb as them? How many would you recommend me buying? how many should I add at a time, or all at once?
 
Re: Nano, the mystery of your disappearing snails and crabs.

Re: Nano, the mystery of your disappearing snails and crabs.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12132406#post12132406 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by CleveYank
The larger hermits have a hobby...it's called killing and eating smaller or competing crabs for their shells.
Click to expand...
:lol:
 
Well, I got those hermit crabs for more than a week and they bare move and mole my lawn. HAHA They are a little few cem away from the spot where I first place them in the tank. I don't get it... They don't move at all. WHY?
 
Well they have move the last few days now, but they don't really eat much. they just chill and hang out. HAHA I thing of getting snails, but I'm afraid the crabs will attack them like my last set of astrea long time ago.

BTW my tank parameter is-
Nitrate-0.20 last tested 3/31
amonia-0.25 lasted tested 3/26
Calcium-470 lasted 3/21
alkalinity-16.8 last test 3/28
ph--8.0 last tested 3/26

The alkalinity is high, but I stop supplementing both additives for now until my next schedule test and see.
 
I bought 6 Blue Leg Hermit crabs and they are awesome because the moment I let them loose after acclimation, they start stir my sand, and clean my algae. I have some picture soon, I been busy. Sorry...

What do you think?
 
Well your hermits probably don't need to move, it sounds like they have enough food right where they're at.

I wouldn't worry too much about the scarlets, I found scarlets tend to be a lot more peaceful than other varieties such as the blue legged hermits (my blue legged hermits will change shells daily whereas my scarlets are still in the same shells I bought them in).
 
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