CUC (how to decide amount)

[Palimow]

I just got a 100g corner tank given to me with everything needed to start a display and was wondering how many snails, crabs, stars (?) and such I need. I don't like the idea of showing up at a store and asking them because of their obvious bias (sell stuff). Is there a guideline to follow like a 1 invert per gallon type of thing?

 

[little_fish]

Not really because every tank will have its own unique needs. What I suggest you do is check out Reef Cleaners| Clean up Crews and Macroalgae and look at the different types of animals in their CUCs. Then go out and buy a few of each type of animal. As your tank matures you can add more depending on what you need.

But right off the bat i would start with at least 20 nass snails, they are invaluable in keeping your sand bed healthy

 

[Palimow]

ok that's what I needed to know. Thanks for the direction!

 

[little_fish]

Sure thing!

 

[Bifferwine]

In addition to the nassarius snails, I would get a dozen astraea snails. The nassarius snails are good for your sandbed, the astraea snails are good for your glass.

If you buy too many cleaners in the beginning, they will starve to death and die. A better approach is to gradually add them over time, as you need them, to ensure your tank can feed them.

Other good snails are nerite, trochus and Mexican turbos, but I wouldn't get more than two Mexican turbos for your tank, as they get really large and eat a lot.

I personally do not like hermit crabs because they kill snails, so you constantly have to be replacing snails. If you want a handful of hermit crabs, you can get a dozen or so of those guys to start too.

After the initial batch of snails are added, you may find you need to add more. Eventually, I'd get two serpent or brittle stars for a 100 gallon tank, as well as three or four emerald crabs. Later on down the road is when you'd want to add shrimp, such as cleaner shrimp or peppermint shrimp.

 

[reefnoob]

I don't mean to jack this thread or anything, but what kind of sand can nassarius snails burrow in? I think my sand is play sand.

 

[Bifferwine]

They will be able to burrow in play sand, but they usually don't do well in crushed coral.

That said, most play sand is silica-based, which is not recommended for aquariums. Reason being, diatoms (the dusty, rusty algae that covers your rocks and sand) build their shells out of silica, and giving them play sand gives them basically an unlimited fuel source. It is very hard to beat diatoms (impossible?) if you start your tank with silica-based sand.

The sand that should be used in saltwater aquariums is aragonite sand (not silica).

 

[Palimow]

j/k. the more information the better. I've learned a lot by thinking of questions I thought of while reading other peoples questions :Cheers:

 

[d2mini]

John at Reef Cleaners| Clean up Crews and Macroalgae can send you a custom quote for your tank.
Just go to the website.
Great prices too.

 

[Palimow]

Oh nice! Thank you!

 

[appleton]

congrats on your 100gal.you will love it when its all up and running.go slow though,you can spend a lot of money real fast on a tank that size.

 

[Palimow]

TY! I'm excited! I was forutnate enough to be in the right place at the right time to get this. It came with everything needed to start and run a tank (sump, skimmer, pumps, RO system, etc). I just need to replace the sand, which was crushed coral, and get some rock. It also needs a heavy cleaning but I'm enjoying the process! I know even that can add up quickly but I'm in no hurry. :)

 

[Bifferwine]

You have a good plan -- do things slowly and gradually over time. If equipment needs to be replaced, it's better to save up over time and get good stuff than rushing out and buying something crappy because it's all that you can afford right now. You will just end up spending more down the road when you have to inevitably replace it. :)

There's no need to rush in this hobby, and setting up a big tank does get expensive fast (I found that out when I had my 240).