The CUC lovers thread!

Slocke

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Nice!

How do you guys balance CuC loads? Given the cost of shipping a conch, I'm inclined to get several things, but don't want to "over clean" the tank.

Current Crew:
- 6 Nassarius
- 6 Astrea
- 24 - (6?) Blue legged Hermits (we've seen a few bodies, and assume there are more)

Installed about 2 months ago

We've got a deep sand bed and diatoms are definitely present (brown film everywhere and water clarity noticeably diminished) in a 90 gal.

So, considering adding:​

- 1 Fighting Conch (Reefcleaner doesn't have juveniles currently)
- 2x Halloween Hermits (the wife/kids love the look, even if they're inefficient)
- 2x Bumble Bee Snails (I'm paranoid about Vermatid...although I don't currently see any)
- (2?)x Nerite? Was thinking the back wall is just covered in film...would love to see more cleaning happening.

But, I'm very new and don't want to overload the system with cleanup crews unnecessarily

PXL_20240918_161013313.MP.jpg
I’d look at what reef cleaners recommends. It looks like a lot but they provide a lot of the smaller CUC you don’t get elsewhere but is important for your tank
 

tbrown

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Fyi, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but don't Halloween hermits steal conch shells for their homes?

If you have lots of film algae and a good lid, I'd get a bunch of nerites, maybe 10 or so. Maybe about 6 trochus as well.

I'd probably do 3 strawberry/tiger conches instead of one fighting conch. Mine keep the sand and lower glass well vacuumed (2 in a 40 gal).
Halloween Hermits live in Conch shells, yes. So do some Scarlet Reef hermits and some Grey Stripe hermits.

I have a Scarlet, a Halloween, and a Grey Stripe all living in Conch shells. I have a Tiger Conch and a Fighting Conch plus 3 "spare" conch shells in the tank.
 

Slocke

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I saw they have a request for suggestion form, submitted! Thanks for the direction
I was actually talking about this but I’m sure that works even better
 

TangerineSpeedo

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I was actually talking about this but I’m sure that works even better
Just put an order in for the first time with them today... will see how it goes...
 

mythesis

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I was actually talking about this but I’m sure that works even better
Oh wow... If that's the suggested CuC size I've got plenty of room!


Also, wife just noticed a Vermatid hiding on a stalk of a Hammer we've had for a month.

Crushed the tube best we could, but definitely including bumble bee snails in our order!
 

tbrown

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Oh wow... If that's the suggested CuC size I've got plenty of room!


Also, wife just noticed a Vermatid hiding on a stalk of a Hammer we've had for a month.

Crushed the tube best we could, but definitely including bumble bee snails in our order!
Keep in mind, that's typically for a mature tank that needs a full CUC for every type of algae.
 

tbrown

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Anyone else find that nerite snails like to climb out of the tank and die? I’ve had to toss 3 back in in the last couple days.
Yep! But they're great cleaners.
 
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JoJosReef

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Anyone else find that nerite snails like to climb out of the tank and die? I’ve had to toss 3 back in in the last couple days.
They are intertidal snails. So they leave your tank looking for the next tide pool and meet your carpet wasteland instead, their version of a Mad Max post-apocalyptic world. If only they'd turn back, but no, must find next tide pool.
 

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