Time For Clean Up Crew?

[johnnyjtaylor]

On returning from work yesterday I discovered brown stuff on coral sand! Would this be diatoms???

The tank has had fully cured live rock in for a week.I've been testing the tank water and haven't found anything nasty in it since Tuesday. I've also been tying a frozen prawn to a bit of LR rubble of an evening to watch what comes out to eat it!! A large amount of bristle worms descend and polish it off in about 3/4 of an hour (guess this is the source of the nitrate)

stats :
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrates 10~20ppm
ph 8.2
kh 120ppm
sg 1.024~1.025
Tank 125l
LR 20kg

I have a bucket of ro/salt mixture heated and circulated overnight to deal with the nitrate(20% water change) which I'm about to do.

Is it time to add a cleanup crew?

I would like hermits,turbo snails and shrimps but dont know what else or more importantly how many?

The LR already came with loads of brittle stars,bristle worms,at least 4 scutus snails(sheild limpets),little white starfish,lots of various tubeworm thingys, different little snails and a tiny limpet or two!!

Thanks Johnny

 

[enjoiskater158]

yep go ahead and add your clean up crew after you do that water change. Also you might have phosphates in your tank that could be causing you algae problem. Try adding some type of Phosphate remover, i found that RowaPhos works the best

 

[tmreynolds]

Yep, thats diatoms.

I agree, get some rowaphos in there. This will help with the diatoms, but more importantly stop problem algae before it starts.

I've found hermits and turbo snails best at controlling diatoms.

 

[johnnyjtaylor]

Thanks for replies. I've just got some rowaphos today and also 3 red legged hermits and two turbosnails
Just don't really know how many CUC things to get altogether, suggestions welcome.

thanks Johnny

 

[bobf]

Thanks for replies. I've just got some rowaphos today and also 3 red legged hermits and two turbosnails
Just don't really know how many CUC things to get altogether, suggestions welcome.

thanks Johnny

I'm sure I read somewhere 1 per gallon is a good ratio?

 

[leecara]

I'm sure I read somewhere 1 per gallon is a good ratio?

na probaly not that bcuz i am starting a marine ive been preparing for months and ive never came across that bcuz that means i gotta get 90 cuc for my 90 gal
it depeneds on what ur getting bcuz some cuc work some areas some work other areas so obvioulsy it is betta to get more but u dont have 2 go to crazy

i think anyway

some 1 will probaly put us right anyway

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah, the general rule of thumb is 1/gallon, but thing like turbo snails, and shrimp, and other larger invert members can/do count for more than just 1 cleaner . Its all really system-dependent thoug.

 

[johnnyjtaylor]

Yeah, the general rule of thumb is 1/gallon, but thing like turbo snails, and shrimp, and other larger invert members can/do count for more than just 1 cleaner . Its all really system-dependent thoug.

Ok thanks, so if I were to go for 6 red legged hermits, 3 turbo snails, 2 cleaner shrimp and a few smaller snails 10 or so , then would I be somewhere about right with room for one or two more if needed?? (tanks 125l ,27.5 gallons UK or 33 gallons US)

Johnny

 

[SkiFletch]

Sounds great to start. For smaller snails, look at a mixture of Cerith and Nassarius

 

[johnnyjtaylor]

Sounds great to start. For smaller snails, look at a mixture of Cerith and Nassarius

Ok thanks ski

 

[leecara]

yeh it looks good

also agree with ski


have u cosidered a sand sifting star