Wanting to add to cuc: suggestions

JOKER · Aug 16, 2014

I am thinking of adding a few to cuc. 90 gallon standard, have plenty crabs and snails. Thinking of adding a brittle or serpant star, also thinking of linkia star. wanting little more for cleaning sand. Have heard conch do good job of this, I have a yellow watchman now but he is small and doesn't really clean a lot. Any suggestions or thoughts will be appreciated. Tank is pretty heavy stocked but I am running a very large skimmer nitrates around 10, phosphate at .03, alk 9, calcium 450, am running gfo at this time due to feeding heavy for the anthias trio. My goal is to lessen or even remove the gfo if possible and be natural and simple. Just getting the display fuge started with macro at this time so im sure this will help as well once it is growing out well. Will post pics when get time. This is a mixed reef with 40 gallon display fuge and 30 gallon sump, I am having a little gha.

Bluelobstor · Aug 17, 2014

Linkia's have a reputation for being difficult to keep alive and wouldn't help much for the sand bed. For cleaning the sand bed checkout the sand sifting starfish. The macro will help tremendously just make sure to prune regularly. Brittle stars are great at eating leftover food just stay away from the green ones as they have been known to consume unwary fish. Also do you have any shrimp? All the shrimp I have owned love to eat. Hth

saltyfish · Aug 17, 2014

Brittle stars and serpent stars are great for cleaning up leftover food and detritus. There is a serpent star that I've had for over three years. Although not necessarily considered part of a CUC, diamond gobies are by far the best cleaners of sand. Conch will help too. Linking are nice to look at but don't do much for cleanup.

JOKER · Aug 17, 2014

I have 2 fire shrimp that are doing well and see them all the time. I had 2 peppermint also but don't see them much lately come to think of it. I wonder if they are still there. Also have some sexy shrimp in the display and 3 in the fuge. What other shrimp could I add? I would like to find more of the micro brittle stars but never see them for sale I think they are hitch hikers. HAd one in the sump but think it got into the return pump.

JOKER · Aug 17, 2014

Heres a few pics

JOKER · Aug 17, 2014

The display the display fuge and my problem spot of algae plus the sexy shrimp in the display fuge had to throw that in there .lol. They are so sexy

Bluelobstor · Aug 17, 2014

Good looking tank and fuge. I would put more macros in the fuge but that's just me. You could try a sea hare but once the algae is gone you may have to trade in. I have heard of people acclimating black mollies to sw for the purpose of removing hair algae

JOKER · Aug 17, 2014

Thanks, I am planning to add more. I had some more but it didn't make it. For some reason I cant grow chaeto it just falls apart on me. Growing the red gracilaria and fern calupera also growing mangroves. The refugium is just starting maybe a month old. I have cut the tank lighting back to only blues and started trying to scrape the algae off the rocks. I think once I get the algae down in tank and keep my phosphate down below .03 I should be good to go. Right at the 1 year mark I get this algae problem too. Almost made the year mark without issues

fishroomlady · Aug 17, 2014

love the sexy shrimp! I was just looking at some today at the LFS wishing I could keep them......I'm afraid a couple of my fish may make a meal of them

I had never thought about putting them in the fuge - interesting thought

I love fighting conch as a member of the CUC....they do a great job in mowing through the sand bed.

JOKER · Aug 17, 2014

I
love them too. I actually have some In the display also, the live in one of my monti caps and few more are somewhere.. They are so cool to watch. I am definitely going to get some conch also thinking of a sand sifting star or a diamond goby. Going to add a brittle or serpent also.

Bluelobstor · Aug 17, 2014

What part of the tank has the ywg called its home. Could make adding the diamond difficult

lfrazier · Aug 17, 2014

The best thing that I have done for my sand bed was buying a sea cucumber. Some say they kill beneficial bacteria. In my experience he has done great

choff · Aug 17, 2014

I love my conchs. I have 3 in my 150. That and a lot of nassarius snails. I may try a tiger tail when my bed matures a bit more. I've read sand sifters eat everything, good and bad. Personally, I'm staying away.

JOKER · Aug 18, 2014

The ywg stays mainly under the rock just off center on the right. Also have a pair of mask goby that live in the back left of tank. I also have read that about sand sifters so im kinda on the fence there. Maybe I will just add some conch and brittle and see how it goes. Plan to get 2 brittle and maybe 2 conch may look into a sea cucumber also.

Bluelobstor · Aug 18, 2014

I use to have some engineer gobies that left everything alone and nobody messed with them. They are great at moving sand around and have amazing personalities. They also do well in groups. They might go with the ywg.

Bluelobstor · Aug 18, 2014

I would still stay away from the green brittles others brittles should be ok. Heard of too many storys of them eating fish esp. Fish that sit more than swim

JOKER · Aug 18, 2014

Ok I will look into the engineer and the looking I have done I like the red brittle. Wonder if they will eat fish also. May go with one brittle and one serpent some conch and p[ossibly the engineer. Now if I can just get some more macro. What are some good macro for the fuge? The algae in tank is looking better since cut lighting down and siphoned some out the other day.

Bluelobstor · Aug 18, 2014

Red should be fine its just the greens u should watch out for. Caulerpa Are great at nutrient export but you run the risk of them going sexual. Check out live-plants.com for a big selection of macros. They also say how well the different macros grow and how well they export nutrients.

JOKER · Aug 18, 2014

Thanks, I will be placing an order with them tomorrow hopefully. Now that it is established I should be able to put several more types of algae in. I* am sure the pods, snails and shrimp will be happy. Have Kenya tree in and frag rack now think I will add some mushrooms and lo light coral to liven it up a bit.