reborn substrate - what CUC to use?

[FishTruck]

Can anyone using reborn as substrate share what clean up crew works the best?

I have found that turbo snails (my old favorite) can't navigate very well on the reborn. Urchins handle it fine.

What about crabs, serpent starts, shrimp, conchs etc..? Any experience or thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[TX_REEF]

how about trochus snails? I find them to be extreme agile (as snails go) and they easily can flip themselves over as needed.

Shrimp are of course great for any substrate, but will steal food from corals. Skunk cleaner shrimp are my favorite.

I'd stay away from crabs if you have corals, I've seen both hermit crabs and emerald crabs that are supposed to be reef safe eat LPS.

 

[officialreefbros]

I have a turbo that doesn't seem to mind it. I have a lot of hermit crabs to pick through and run around that work well. The micro bristle stars i have work great in it too!

 

[FishTruck]

Great suggestions, thanks!

I'll try some trochus snails, micro bristle stars, maybe one or two skunks and a very limited number of crabs.

I keep findings my turbos upside down with a chunk of reborn.... and I feel like I need to rescue them if they haven't flipped back over in a few hours.

 

[BZOFIQ]

Brittle stars will love it, it's literally their natural habitat in the FL keys.

 

[areefer01]

Can anyone using reborn as substrate share what clean up crew works the best?

I have found that turbo snails (my old favorite) can't navigate very well on the reborn. Urchins handle it fine.

What about crabs, serpent starts, shrimp, conchs etc..? Any experience or thoughts?

Thanks!

You will want something small. Strombus grazers. Also micro hermits and a couple of scarlets.

I personally don't care for reborn as a substrate as it will require a lot of work to keep the detritus from building up and I don't believe critters are going to keep it in check. At least with bare bottom or more traditional substrate the flow can pick it up and move it around. Rubble it is going to get trapped.

 

[D'sreef]

Try some "mini" trochus, not a true trouchus, but the little fellas get in everything, and breed like crazy.

 

[FishTruck]

You will want something small. Strombus grazers. Also micro hermits and a couple of scarlets.

I personally don't care for reborn as a substrate as it will require a lot of work to keep the detritus from building up and I don't believe critters are going to keep it in check. At least with bare bottom or more traditional substrate the flow can pick it up and move it around. Rubble it is going to get trapped.

Yep … one has to vacuum it. I just want the CUC to be able to navigate from rock to rock etc….

So far… it’s about the same as BB for my tank except that I can procrastinate without actually seeing the detritus piles. And… I was bored of the bb look.

 

[areefer01]

Check out Strombus Grazers then. Small, 1/4 or so in size. Perfect for navigating rubble and reef structure.