Snails for a 20g cube

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tzoa

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Yeah tank too clean for a bunch of snails. Wait to add more. Think hermits and nassarius ok for now. I like trochus, cerith just seem pointless to me, but I know others like them.
Sorry, I don't think the picture I took did it justice

IMG_8061.jpeg
 
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skey44

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Hard to say if that’s diatoms or film algae. Either way a few trochus, nassarius, and hermits will probably do fine. Everything is still pretty white. Can always add more as needed.
 

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Sorry, I don't think the picture I took did it justice

IMG_8061.jpeg
Just looks like a bit of diatoms, algae just doesn’t start to grow, it has to be introduced somehow, on a frag plug etc adding cuc that only eats algae would be cruel atm until you get some in there.

No rush the tank is going to look 100x worse than that, enjoy the ride, it actually helps your tank mature, going through all the different stages.

Get your alk stable then add a few easy corals, they will have algae on them, then as it grows add more cuc.
 

OrionN

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I would add a few Stomatella snails and let the self regulated the numbers needed for a 20 gal tank.
Don’t add any shrimp or hermit crab. These will eat all the Stomatella.
 

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I've got a IM 20 gallon peninsula. I started with a small CUC in the beginning (its still small). First it was 2 Nassarius snails to help clean up the un-eaten food. They turn the sand, but that's not the reason I have them. I still have these original snails 2 yrs later.

Next was 2 Trochus snails because they can often times flip themselves selves upright. These critters have always been hit or miss on survival. I've got 1 original and replaced the others a few times (I'm up to 4 snails @ 2 years)

2 small (smallest I could find) blue legged hermits to help clean up un-eaten food on the rocks. (Still have these 2 aswell)

That's it for a long time, almost a year before I added bigger CUC (Conch, urchin and emerald)

Couple final thoughts:

MY approach to CUC is about cleaning up the leftover fish food, not so much algae eaters. Yes snails eat algae but I don't think they make nearly the impact a single Conch, pin cushion urchin, and emerald crab can do. You will know when it's time to add these "bigger" critters based on you cleaning the rocks not snails.

My thoughts have always been the CUC is as much about controlling the rotten food and water quality/perimeters v.s. algae removal.

You, water changes, and a tooth brush are the MVPs of the clean up crew and can handle most the algae.

In the beginning a single snail death would and could swing my Nitrates +/- 10 easily. I've always been a diligent water tester and I could find snails deaths with swings early on. Now that my tank is more established I don't see these swings as much.

Sorry for the long most, I wouldn't be adding 5 of each of anything. It's a slow roll, add a couple watch the impact. Repeat until satisfied.

My Lil 20
20250109_182123.jpg
 

OrionN

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Say why? As far as I’m aware, algae is a plant so has to be introduced same as coralline algae.
While it is not spontaneous generation, Algae have a way to get into a tank with addition of life stocks, sand and LR. Yes, the spores need to be introduced, but almost never introduce on purpose.
 

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While it is not spontaneous generation, Algae have a way to get into a tank with addition of life stocks, sand and LR. Yes, the spores need to be introduced, but almost never introduce on purpose.
Exactly, as I said it needs to be introduced, not sure why I was accused of being misleading.
 

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It is misleading because these algae just come no purposeful introduction to the tank needed.
Where did I say purposeful? It’s a new tank set up for 2 weeks, I said algae will grow when it’s introduced to the tank.
 

Rhetoric

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Say why? As far as I’m aware, algae is a plant so has to be introduced same as coralline algae.
Not all algae has to be introduced. Turning the lights on in a sterile tank will cause algae growth. There are definitely some that need introduced, but not all.

Misleading info (however Suttle) is everywhere it's usually for the purpose of sales. In this case it's part of a marketing strategy selling dry rock.

Yes, you can control some of the things introduced, but not all... hence the misleading.
 

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Not all algae has to be introduced. Turning the lights on in a sterile tank will cause algae growth. There are definitely some that need introduced, but not all.

Misleading info (however Suttle) is everywhere it's usually for the purpose of sales. In this case it's part of a marketing strategy selling dry rock.

Yes, you can control some of the things introduced, but not all... hence the misleading.
I’m confused, I don’t sell dry rock?

The op is very keen to add cuc even tho his tank is only 2 weeks old, I said it would be cruel to do that if there was no algae to support those cuc, I even suggested adding corals to get the algae in the tank if he were to add cuc that needed algae to live, to make sure they at least had a fighting chance.

For you to post you hated my comment and it was misleading is really over the top, it’s actually a little weird to be honest, I could understand if I jump in a thread from nowhere but it was clear I was trying to help the OP, but hey it’s a forum comments from left field are to be expected I guess.
 

Rhetoric

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I’m confused, I don’t sell dry rock?

The op is very keen to add cuc even tho his tank is only 2 weeks old, I said it would be cruel to do that if there was no algae to support those cuc, I even suggested adding corals to get the algae in the tank if he were to add cuc that needed algae to live, to make sure they at least had a fighting chance.

For you to post you hated my comment and it was misleading is really over the top, it’s actually a little weird to be honest, I could understand if I jump in a thread from nowhere but it was clear I was trying to help the OP, but hey it’s a forum comments from left field are to be expected I guess.
I'll be done after this one.

Your replay about how algae shows up in an aquarium is inaccurate. I didn't qoute your post or solutions to the original problem.

I quoted something that simply isn't true and said it's misleading. But hey it is a forum.

What's wierd is that misinformation isn't always called out allowing others to repost bad info.
 

Reef.

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I'll be done after this one.

Your replay about how algae shows up in an aquarium is inaccurate. I didn't qoute your post or solutions to the original problem.

I quoted something that simply isn't true and said it's misleading. But hey it is a forum.

What's wierd is that misinformation isn't always called out allowing others to repost bad info.
You clearly have a chip on your shoulder!

Starting an argument for no reason.
 
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tzoa

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I've got a IM 20 gallon peninsula. I started with a small CUC in the beginning (its still small). First it was 2 Nassarius snails to help clean up the un-eaten food. They turn the sand, but that's not the reason I have them. I still have these original snails 2 yrs later.

Next was 2 Trochus snails because they can often times flip themselves selves upright. These critters have always been hit or miss on survival. I've got 1 original and replaced the others a few times (I'm up to 4 snails @ 2 years)

2 small (smallest I could find) blue legged hermits to help clean up un-eaten food on the rocks. (Still have these 2 aswell)

That's it for a long time, almost a year before I added bigger CUC (Conch, urchin and emerald)

Couple final thoughts:

MY approach to CUC is about cleaning up the leftover fish food, not so much algae eaters. Yes snails eat algae but I don't think they make nearly the impact a single Conch, pin cushion urchin, and emerald crab can do. You will know when it's time to add these "bigger" critters based on you cleaning the rocks not snails.

My thoughts have always been the CUC is as much about controlling the rotten food and water quality/perimeters v.s. algae removal.

You, water changes, and a tooth brush are the MVPs of the clean up crew and can handle most the algae.

In the beginning a single snail death would and could swing my Nitrates +/- 10 easily. I've always been a diligent water tester and I could find snails deaths with swings early on. Now that my tank is more established I don't see these swings as much.

Sorry for the long most, I wouldn't be adding 5 of each of anything. It's a slow roll, add a couple watch the impact. Repeat until satisfied.

My Lil 20
20250109_182123.jpg
Beautiful tank!
 
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tzoa

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You clearly have a chip on your shoulder!

Starting an argument for no reason.
Calm down, everyone has a different opinion and some things may be true for different people. Reef2reef is just a place where different experiences are shared
 

Reef.

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Calm down, everyone has a different opinion and some things may be true for different people. Reef2reef is just a place where different experiences are shared
I hate this comment and it’s very misleading.
 

penfold2

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While I would be hesitant to add a clean-up crew to a tank with only diatoms visible, it's quite likely that there are other species already present, reproducing, or waiting for opportune conditions. They don't necessarily have to be manually introduced. They can be introduced as aeroplankton, cells that become aerosolized from crashing ocean waves, storms, and wind, and are then carried high into the atmosphere where they can travel thousands of miles, ending up in your tank, or anywhere else you can imagine. The air all around us is filled with living organisms, many potentially from other continents and oceans.
 

OrionN

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IMG_6075.jpeg
image.jpg
image.jpg
image.jpg
My 40 gal has 6 Astrea and 4 Mexican Trocus. I have an advantage over you because I just take these snails from my main tank and put them back once the algae are cleaned from my 40 gal cube. Notice all the new growth on my Astrea snails.
 

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