Do I Have A Sufficient Clean Up Crew?

[C_Reefer]

Hello R2R!

To preface, I have an Aquatop 24 Gallon AIO Cube, and still have issues with green hair algae (I used to have bubble and red pom pom algae, but both types have died out over time). I recently had a bit of a snail die off event, losing 9 Astrea snails over the span of a few weeks. I was just wondering if this crew is efficient enough to do the job or if I should get some snails at the LFS. Water parameters are all good, I think the snails died of old age since I had several for over a year.

My current clean up crew lineup is as follows:
(1x) Tailspot Blenny- new addition to the tank since my lawnmower blenny passed
(1x) Fighting Conch- the conch is well over a year old, I don't know if that means it is approaching old age or not
(3x) Banded Trochus Snails- pretty new additions as well with 2 small and one large individual
(2x) Tuxedo Urchins
(3x) Nassarius Snails
(1x) Blue Legged Hermit Crab- I used to have more, but when I saw them killing some snails I gave them away, I kept the one because now there are plenty of shells for it
(1x) Randall's Pistol Shrimp- I never really see this guy but I hear him and see how he moves around the sand bed at night

Other Livestock:
(1x) Ocellaris Clownfish- might get a male to pair with her, though I'm iffy as she bullied the last one to death
(1x) Pygmy Hawkfish
Some sps and soft corals

 

[ApoIsland]

That's plenty of cuc. I would go with one snail per 5-10 gallons. They cover a lot of ground.

I'm guessing your snails starved to death or were killed by the hermit crabs. I had one in my 40g sump that easily lived more than 5 years.

I doubt you need two urchins either.

If you have not tried pulling those rocks and scrubbing the algae off that is the route I would go. Sometimes rocks just need time to build up enough good stuff to fight off the bad stuff.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

That's plenty of cuc. I would go with one snail per 5-10 gallons. They cover a lot of ground.

I'm guessing your snails starved to death or were killed by the hermit crabs. I had one in my 40g sump that easily lived more than 5 years.

I doubt you need two urchins either.

If you have not tried pulling those rocks and scrubbing the algae off that is the route I would go. Sometimes rocks just need time to build up enough good stuff to fight off the bad stuff.

I'm surprised you have any green hair algae at all after having a lawn mower and two urchins in there.

One lawn mower rid an entire 54 gallon tank covered in GHA, in under 3 weeks.

Personally it looks like you have too much clean up in a 24 gallon tank to me.

May want to switch gears and work on depriving the gha of nutrition since a large cleanup crew isn't working.

Urchins Also don't do well with long algae. Manual removal as close to the rock as you can get usually gives them a chance to get at it.

 

[C_Reefer]

That's plenty of cuc. I would go with one snail per 5-10 gallons. They cover a lot of ground.

I'm guessing your snails starved to death or were killed by the hermit crabs. I had one in my 40g sump that easily lived more than 5 years.

I doubt you need two urchins either.

If you have not tried pulling those rocks and scrubbing the algae off that is the route I would go. Sometimes rocks just need time to build up enough good stuff to fight off the bad stuff.

I've heard that rule of thumb before! So maybe 2 more small trochus snails. I also have a population of collonista snails that hitchhiked in but it seems to be waning.

I do pull out rocks without coral on them and scrub them down every 2 weeks with a 25% water change. I also have a skimmer that removes excess nutrients

 

[ApoIsland]

I've heard that rule of thumb before! So maybe 2 more small trochus snails. I also have a population of collonista snails that hitchhiked in but it seems to be waning.

I do pull out rocks without coral on them and scrub them down every 2 weeks with a 25% water change. I also have a skimmer that removes excess nutrients

I would not buy any more snails. I would decrease the amount you have now actually. I would not want more than 3-4 snails max in that size tank.

Yes, just pull the rocks out and hit them with a very hard bristled toothbrush. Get every last speck of hair algae off and rinse clean in the tank water you pulled out for the water change.

Once the hair algae is down to the roots the snails may eat enough to keep it at bay. I don't think you will have to scrub as often as every 2 weeks. Hopefully never again after you do it once. At least that was my experience way back in the day.