Keeping the tank clean?

[brad s1]

I added a few large hermits and a few large snails, they're immediately attacked as expected... He spent 2 days bashing one of the hermits and it finally broke in half...

He just runs around the tank terrorizing anything with a shell, even the ones that can withstand the bashing can't even do their job since they're constantly being knocked around the tank...

So without a cleaning crew how are you guys keeping your tanks presentable?

 

[Giga]

Interesting....maybee you just got a crazy mantis,or he not fed enough becuase my mantis only attacks what she eats. I buy like 6-8 hermits at a time and she won't attack them unless I forget to feed her. Just put alot of snail hermits in there. I'm not sure

 

[abrahamcho]

keep really big ones. like the mexican snails. what size is your mantis? Mine is 6" and it didnt attack my snail. the snail was about ...1.5-2 inches in diameter. If you get brown stuff use phosban. it is about 20-40 dollars depending where you go.

 

[justinl]

what kind of mantis is it? if its a peacock or chiragra then you're probably SOL, but if it's a smaller species you can just get larger snails like turbos. I would discourage getting large hermits or crabs since those claws can do some damage... no hermits unless they're food imo.

also what volume is the tank? more volume = less build up of... well crap. and how old is the tank? you'll always get a whack load of algae and diatoms from new tanks.

other than that, the best CUC is you. keep up the weekly 20% water changes. i like to leave a mag float in my tank so whenever im around i just give the glass a quick scrub down... it reallys helps because it saves me from doing an intensive scraping "whenever i get around to it."

 

[Pea-brain]

People also report pretty good sucess with serpent stars and urchins. Just stay away from green brittle stars.....

Dan

 

[brad s1]

really good info guys... I'm going to def increase feeding and look into pulling a serpent out of my reef just for the hell of it

 

[ck1]

good suggestion- I hadn't even considered a serpent star.

I love watching the ones in my main reef come out at feeding time.

 

[DanInSD]

My serpent star doesn't do squat for cleanup. Fun to see scurrying around, but that's about it. I have a tuxedo urchin that seems to do more. I'd go that route if algae is a concern.

Dan

 

[Pea-brain]

Serpents should help with uneaten foods you can't get to. And they're cool to watch regardless, but they won't help much with algae. Urchins are the algae master by all accounts but are clumsy and will eat coraline.

Dan

 

[Gangsta Nemo]

You should try diff. types of macroalgaes with your mantis. I find it very effective with exporting nutrients that problematic algaes would use. Many times macro's will grow faster than other algaes and in a sense out compete. You will never get rid of problem algaes but you can slow them down. Just my thought. There are many diff. cleanup crews only a few that can take the heat of a mantis tank. Urchins like the Diadema are very effective they love Bryopsis. Also I haven't had a mantis kill a serpent star yet. Though the odds could shift ,I agree with Peabrain that serpents are very effective with left over foods and detri. Large snails are good but if it is a smaller tank they could die to lack of food. Tuxedo urchins are great algae eaters but I have yet to try one in a mantis tank.