10 gal Picasso clownfish reef, need CUC advice asap!

[trevorspencer94]

Hi all, I have a standard 10 gal aquarium that is bare bottom with live rock and a single female premium Picasso clownfish. Her past mate decided to go carpet surfing from a different tank, so she was moved to this nano with a lid. The water volume of this aquarium is actually about 7-8 gallons because of the rock. I need to know what clean up crew I would need to add to this tank to keep up with it as the clown. I am going to be adding basic coral frags soon such as mushrooms, zoas, gsp, xenias, and leather coral, probably 1-2 of each.

Should I get a shrimp like a crimson skunk cleaner shrimp? Or banded coral? Snails? What kind? Crabs? What kind?

In a couple months this will all be moved to a 26g bowfront, but I want to get started to adding it in with the clown beforehand.

 

[thebluecatapilla]

I would go with maybe some snails, shrimp if you like, and maybe some brittle stars. Those are really helpful in cleaning up with relatively little bio-load (I believe)

 

[trevorspencer94]

Oh I totally spaced on starfish! I would love one actually, what's the difference in behavior in typical starfish like a chocolate chip vs a brittle star? What kind of snail do you recommend? I assume hair algae will pop up at some point

 

[trevorspencer94]

From my research on snails it appears cerith snails are great all around crew members, but my concern is having them in a bare bottom tank since they like to bury in the sand?

 

[powers2001]

Check this out:

 

[kimba]

Chocolate chip starts are not reef safe, so if your doing coral, I would pass on the chocolate chip. I like cleaner shrimps, they are fun and playful.

 

[marissas47]

I have a fire shrimp in my 20 gal which I like, although he doesn't do a whole lot for cuc..nerites are my favorite snails, and I went with a blue tuxedo urchin to clean up hair algae in my tank (I don't have corals though, only anemones)