CUC - Add All at Once or Spread Out? Also Questions About CUC Plan

[UnshackledAI]

I'll be adding CUC to my tank soon and wanted to know at what pace I should do it. I was planning on adding a few snails/crabs at a time, and this is corroborated by a lot of the sources I've read. However, I've had a couple people tell me it would be alright if I added them all at once.

Also looking for feedback on my CUC, my tank is a 20G:


5 red legged hermit crabs

2 cerith snails

3 nassarius snails

2 trochus snails

1 emerald crab

1 Pistol Shrimp?

 

[Lab_Adam]

I think it would be just fine to add them all at once.

 

[big deddy]

If your tank is cycled, then you can add your cuc all at once.

 

[big deddy]

One thing to remember, with a new tank a large cuc won't have much to eat on

 

[Justiful]

I have a 46 gallon tank. I am using 6 margarita snails and 5 bumblebee snails 1 nassarius snail. The Margarita snails I definitely the huge cleaners, they probably consume 4x as much as others. Both good though cause others are smaller and get different places. I also use 1 emerald crab and he eats macro algae and random stuff. I may get 2-3 hermits after I increase fishload. Right now tank is pretty balanced, just enough algae to feed what I currently have.

 

[Chris Aldrich]

As @big deddy mentioned, they may not have much to chow down on depending on the type of rock you've started with. In general I think many folks tend to over do it when it comes to CUCs but it looks like you have a reasonable lineup planned.

Also, since you're currently planning for your purchase, here are 6 things to consider before buying that I think you'll find helpful: http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/consider-6-points-before-buying-marine-aquarium-cleanup-crew-2-2224/

Good luck. Proper livestock selection is a challenging, but incredibly fun, part of the hobby.

 

[UnshackledAI]

As @big deddy mentioned, they may not have much to chow down on depending on the type of rock you've started with. In general I think many folks tend to over do it when it comes to CUCs but it looks like you have a reasonable lineup planned.

Also, since you're currently planning for your purchase, here are 6 things to consider before buying that I think you'll find helpful: http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/consider-6-points-before-buying-marine-aquarium-cleanup-crew-2-2224/

Good luck. Proper livestock selection is a challenging, but incredibly fun, part of the hobby.

Thanks, I had found this before, and it made me question my choice on the emerald crab. I may end up cutting him out, I love my clownies too much for them to get pinched lol.

 

[fishroomlady]

I've not had an emerald crab be aggressive toward fish

 

[UnshackledAI]

I've not had an emerald crab be aggressive toward fish

I hadn't heard of it (I've been doing some research), the only thing that made me bat an eye was the article mentioned it. Looking it up now it looks like a few people have had crabs kill their fish or take chunks out of them. If it grows as big as it says on LA it'll also be the biggest thing in my nano tank, so I may be a bit paranoid, but I think I'll probably skip it.

 

[Chris Aldrich]

Like most crabs, emeralds are opportunistic feeders - they'll graze algae, scavenge uneaten food or dead animals, and even actively hunt tankmates. Now many folks have no problems at all, but I've read numerous reports from folks regarding rogue emeralds. I've never personally had any issues with them in my aquariums (aside from aggressively waving claws at tankmates passing by), but @Jeff Kurtz wrote an article about them and detailed what happened in one of his previous tanks. You can read that here: http://www.saltwatersmarts.com/emer...ef-safe-reputation-mithraculus-sculptus-3388/