More CuC?

[clancaster23]

Was wondering if I should have more cuc inverts in my tank. 75 gallon, so far I have about 40 pounds of live rock. The sand, on one side it's pretty white, on the other, there's a lot of brown in it. I have a blenny, foxface and yellow eye tang for the fish, a frogspawn and three different zoas. My cuc right now consists of two emerald crabs, seven hermits and three bigger snails. I don't want to get more and they end up starving themselves out but again I want to keep the tank as self maintained as possible. I do still get some algae on the glass and what inverts I have in there now appear to move around and eat non-stop. I was looking towards some shrimp. What kind would be best? How about a star fish or urchin, both of which I'd like to have in the tank?

 

[Waddi]

Well this is a CuC package for a 75 gallon. There is a big difference in the amounts bud:
60 - Blue Legged Hermits
10 - Red Scarlet Hermit
20 - Astrea Snails
20 - Margarita Snails
20 - Cerith Snails

 

[clancaster23]

I have seen those numbers but I thought that the amount of live rock also factored into those numbers. Like I said, I have about 40 pounds in there so far so I figured those numbers may be a little high for me at the moment though I may be wrong.

 

[BL1]

No matter how much of a CUC you have in your tank you'll always get algae growth on your glass and your sand will never be as white as it was when your tank was first started. With that said, I'd add 10-15 nassarius snails, 10 cerith snails, and 10 astrea snails. You can add shrimp but, they won't help with algae, they're scavengers. DO NOT ADD Margarita Snails to your tank, they a temperate water species and will slowly boil to death in your tank.

 

[clancaster23]

I'll take those numbers into consideration. I was just thinking of shrimp for a little variety in the tank. I like a little bit of everything.

 

[AmberSunrise]

I know they "recommend" that huge number of CUC but I only have 2 hermits and 4 snails in my 27g and its plenty in my opinion. In a new tank I would worry about them having enough to eat.

The best glass snail is the mexican turbo they do a great job but like BL said you will get a weekly amount of gunk on the glass you just have to wipe it off the snails eat through it but they never get it all.

The cerith snails are good too for stirring up the sand.

I say make sure you have good water flow all around and some type of sand sifter I LOVE my diamond goby he does a great job! I never have anything sitting on my sand ever.

 

[ErinCahir]

I highly recommend a skunk cleaner shrimp. Mine is always front and center. He also jumps on and cleans me every time I stick my arm in the tank.

 

[Dana42078]

I have nowhere near the CuC i should have, but my tank stays clean =)

This is a guess but i think i have about 8 mexi turbos, 1 baseball size zebra snail thats about 8 yrs old, about 15 hermits, i have a few other random snails i cant remember their names but i only have a few of eeach so say 6 more snails thats it...i been depleteing my hermits and i guess am going to join the snail team. with about 6 hermits. So in the long run ill prolly have about 20 snails and 5 hermits in my 46g mixed reef. not sayin that will work for u but u will know when u have to much of a clean up crew when they envade your corals space. Should be hungry but not greedy IMO. Oh i also have a bad emerald crab. Hes nawtee but hasnt caused to much of a ruckus. Something i think every reefer expierments with what works for them. Just try to find a happy medium IMO..........lastly IN MY EXPIERANCE if u plan on keeping corals u need to spot feed id stay away from pep shrimp....thats MY OPINION>....just saying.

 

[AmberSunrise]

I highly recommend a skunk cleaner shrimp. Mine is always front and center. He also jumps on and cleans me every time I stick my arm in the tank.

So does mine! I love him he is so cute he has already molted t times since I got him

 

[Beastlyness 22]

No matter how much of a CUC you have in your tank you'll always get algae growth on your glass and your sand will never be as white as it was when your tank was first started. With that said, I'd add 10-15 nassarius snails, 10 cerith snails, and 10 astrea snails. You can add shrimp but, they won't help with algae, they're scavengers. DO NOT ADD Margarita Snails to your tank, they a temperate water species and will slowly boil to death in your tank.

I have 5 margaritas in 78 degree water in a 10 gallon tank. Only one has died over a 1-2 month spand. They are extreamly slow though.

 

[BL1]

First and foremost, it is not a good idea to add this species to a typical reef system with a water temperature of 80° F / 27 °C or so, because the Margarita snail lives deep down in the ocean where the temperature is much lower. Unfortunately, you can still see this species being marketed as “the perfect clean-up snail for reef tanks”. It is true that they are great at cleaning up – they are veracious [COLOR=black ! important][FONT=inherit ! important][COLOR=black ! important][FONT=inherit ! important]algae[/FONT][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR] eaters – but being kept in tropical heat shortens their lives significantly.

Though they are excellent algae eaters, the Margarita Snail lives a short life in most reef aquaria. Margarita snails are intertidal snails that live in the cooler waters of the Pacific coast (off Mexico and California). They will live for 6 months on average in warmer reefs.

Here are some quotes taken from the care guidelines for them