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Underestimating the power of........the CLEANUP CREW! Wait don't close this thread just yet! Hear me out. Yes most of us know the importance of a cleanup crew in our reef tank but I think sometimes we underestimate the work that they actually do that a lot of times go unnoticed.
What is a cleanup crew or CUC? We have a very good article here but basically it's the tank janitors of your tank like snails, crabs, starfish etc. that consume the uneaten, decaying food as well as fish waste and things like that. They also keep the glass, rock and sand clean among other things.
So what do I mean about "underestimating the power of a cleanup crew?" I think sometimes we underestimate the GOOD that having them in the tank does! We also underestimate the BAD that happens when the cleanup crew start to deplete. The thing about a cleanup crew is that they do eventually start to die off and they need to be replenished. Just recently my sand started getting covered in some green/brown type of algae and even after stirring it's the type that resettles and comes back. I realized that I hadn't replenished my cleaners recently so I made an order and got the new crew in place. Two days later the sand is noticeably cleaner and I can see the hermit crabs and snails eating away on the sand and doing their job!
Today let's talk about the clean up crew a little!
1. How important do you think a good clean up crew is to a saltwater reef aquarium?
2. What are your favorite cleaners?
3. How often do you "replenish" the cleaning crew in your tank?
What is a cleanup crew or CUC? We have a very good article here but basically it's the tank janitors of your tank like snails, crabs, starfish etc. that consume the uneaten, decaying food as well as fish waste and things like that. They also keep the glass, rock and sand clean among other things.
So what do I mean about "underestimating the power of a cleanup crew?" I think sometimes we underestimate the GOOD that having them in the tank does! We also underestimate the BAD that happens when the cleanup crew start to deplete. The thing about a cleanup crew is that they do eventually start to die off and they need to be replenished. Just recently my sand started getting covered in some green/brown type of algae and even after stirring it's the type that resettles and comes back. I realized that I hadn't replenished my cleaners recently so I made an order and got the new crew in place. Two days later the sand is noticeably cleaner and I can see the hermit crabs and snails eating away on the sand and doing their job!
Today let's talk about the clean up crew a little!
1. How important do you think a good clean up crew is to a saltwater reef aquarium?
2. What are your favorite cleaners?
3. How often do you "replenish" the cleaning crew in your tank?