And the winning member of your CUC is...

[JoJosReef]

Who's the prized member of your CUC, if you could only pick one per tank?

For me, it's this guy in my IM Nuvo Office 10g. Assume it is a limpet, but it came in as a hitchhiker on the rocks, super tiny--originally was a "What is THAT!?", and has grown over 9 months to this size. I believe this guy has almost single-handedly taken care of my ulva problem. I've watched it slowly go over ulva and leave a lawn mower trail behind it. Do wild CUC usually clean with more fervor than tank grown CUC? I wonder... Next post winner from my home EVO 13.5g.

 

[Jared Bryant]

Me none of the other workers can even hold a candle lol.

 

[Oregon Grown Reef]

I love Mexican Turbo snails. Not sure if they're the best at eating algae or not as I also have trochus (which I believe to be the best), but how do you not love a giant snail in the tank?

 

[Slocke]

I love Mexican Turbo snails. Not sure if they're the best at eating algae or not as I also have trochus (which I believe to be the best), but how do you not love a giant snail in the tank?

I feel like turbos are more effective. At least my turbos move around a lot more than my trochus.
For me its either Mexican turbo or conch as they vacuum up my sand very effectively.

 

[JoJosReef]

Here's the winner in my home EVO 13.5g. Small Assorted Conch, aka "Bear" conch, from ReefCleaners. It is a relatively recent acquisition, but went straight at the GHA and hasn't stopped. To add to its value, the other small "fighting" conch that's been in my tank for 10+ months and stayed invisible beneath the sand 95% of the time has suddenly become very active and is out every evening also trying to mow down GHA. I have two loose plugs with zoas on them that have never been happier, because they simply couldn't shake the GHA that was always growing over and between them, despite my manual removal with tweezers. This conch has single-handedly cleaned up those zoas, no GHA between them or on their plug. If only it could go higher on the rocks...

I was so pleased with it, I cut a small piece of nori and held it in front of it with tongs till it reached out with its trunk and snacked away.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Who's the prized member of your CUC, if you could only pick one per tank?

For me, it's this guy in my IM Nuvo Office 10g. Assume it is a limpet, but it came in as a hitchhiker on the rocks, super tiny--originally was a "What is THAT!?", and has grown over 9 months to this size. I believe this guy has almost single-handedly taken care of my ulva problem. I've watched it slowly go over ulva and leave a lawn mower trail behind it. Do wild CUC usually clean with more fervor than tank grown CUC? I wonder... Next post winner from my home EVO 13.5g.

NICE!!

 

[StewL6]

My two strawberry conch for keeping my sand bed extremely clean (and white) in my 110.

 

[hart24601]

Tux urchins. The main cleaners of every system I have had now for years. Lots of people don’t realize in the ocean urchins clear huge swaths of algae while snails and crabs more just graze but not eliminate it. Of course in our tanks they are more effective but urchins can’t be beat!

 

[JoJosReef]

Tux urchins. The main cleaners of every system I have had now for years. Lots of people don’t realize in the ocean urchins clear huge swaths of algae while snails and crabs more just graze but not eliminate it. Of course in our tanks they are more effective but urchins can’t be beat!

I got a pencil urchin and so far it hasn't touched the GHA. Just seems to be chewing off the coraline paint from the Caribsea LifeRocks! I put it in top of the GHA yesterday and it actually rolled itself off the rock.

Thinking of trying a tux or a chiton next. My smooth turbos died, although I don't know how effective they were...

 

[hart24601]

I got a pencil urchin and so far it hasn't touched the GHA. Just seems to be chewing off the coraline paint from the Caribsea LifeRocks! I put it in top of the GHA yesterday and it actually rolled itself off the rock.

Thinking of trying a tux or a chiton next. My smooth turbos died, although I don't know how effective they were...

not all species of urchins will devour the same types of algae with gusto, you may also need to knock it down a bit although urchins don’t normally have that issue but my experience is mostly with tux and pincushions

 

[Jesterrace]

Tux urchins. The main cleaners of every system I have had now for years. Lots of people don’t realize in the ocean urchins clear huge swaths of algae while snails and crabs more just graze but not eliminate it. Of course in our tanks they are more effective but urchins can’t be beat!

Completely agree. My 2 Tuxedos do the work of 50 snails.

 

[CRath]

Gonna have to be the Stomatella snails. They are flat which means no knocked over corals and they actively breed in my tank post water changes. The nice cloud of gametes also makes the corals go bananas. on top of that they come in many different colors making my favorite individuals easy to pick out among my rockwork.

 

[Rmckoy]

My two strawberry conch for keeping my sand bed extremely clean (and white) in my 110.

Only 2 conches keep the same clean and white ?

I might consider getting a few …

 

[Rmckoy]

Only 2 conches keep the same clean and white ?

I might consider getting a few …

Sand …

 

[jcdeng]

Urchins. Before those I accepted the fact that GHA is part of keeping a reef tank, and none of the snails worked. 3 urchins later no more algae, and I am beginning to worry that they might starve. Now I have to increase the frequency I feed nori so they can get some too before my tangs and ff finish it off.

 

[kevgib67]

+1 on tuxedo urchin, mine takes algae down to white clean rock. I aways know where it’s been. I do wish it would take it a little easier on my coralline though but it is worth the payoff. Second runner up is my tiger conch, looks like an alien! Keeps the sand So white.

 

[JoJosReef]

+1 on tuxedo urchin, mine takes algae down to white clean rock. I aways know where it’s been. I do wish it would take it a little easier on my coralline though but it is worth the payoff. Second runner up is my tiger conch, looks like an alien! Keeps the sand So white.

Looks great! Does your tux have a pink hue to it, or is that the lighting/canera effect?

I had a tough debate between a tux and a sea hare and went with the latter. It's been in for 2 days, so we'll see if it really takes out the GHA. Thinking of swapping it out for a tux ince GHA is under control.

 

[JoJosReef]

Gonna have to be the Stomatella snails. They are flat which means no knocked over corals and they actively breed in my tank post water changes. The nice cloud of gametes also makes the corals go bananas. on top of that they come in many different colors making my favorite individuals easy to pick out among my rockwork.

Do you get them from a vendor, or are they solely hitchhikers?

 

[kevgib67]

Looks great! Does your tux have a pink hue to it, or is that the lighting/canera effect?

I had a tough debate between a tux and a sea hare and went with the latter. It's been in for 2 days, so we'll see if it really takes out the GHA. Thinking of swapping it out for a tux ince GHA is under control.

Taken with my phone, I didn’t have filters then. The spines are a red/maroon. That was when I first got it, the decorate themselves with all sorts of things, shells, rock rubble, algae etc.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Who's the prized member of your CUC, if you could only pick one per tank?

For me, it's this guy in my IM Nuvo Office 10g. Assume it is a limpet, but it came in as a hitchhiker on the rocks, super tiny--originally was a "What is THAT!?", and has grown over 9 months to this size. I believe this guy has almost single-handedly taken care of my ulva problem. I've watched it slowly go over ulva and leave a lawn mower trail behind it. Do wild CUC usually clean with more fervor than tank grown CUC? I wonder... Next post winner from my home EVO 13.5g.

FL cerith