Looking to create a 30 gal reef tank

[Luckypheonix31]

I recently started a 30 gal tank. I have approx 16 lbs of live rock and 3 inches of live sand in the tank. I've done the water tests and it looks as though everything is where it should be. How long should i wait to add my CUC? What should i be looking for? With a bit of research I've come up with:

10 Scarlet Reef Hermit Crabs

30 Blue Leg Hermit Crabs

20 Astrea Snails

1 Emerald Crab

1 Lettuce Nudibranch

1 Serpent Starfish

2 Peppermint Shrimp

 

This seems like a lot, will there be enough food or will i need to feed them?

Will be looking to add

2 Clown fish

2 Goby's

2 Pistol shrimp

and maybe a dwarf angel or 2

[Havok_9]

That's a LOT of hermits in my opinion. I only keep around 3-5 because you'll quickly find out they're little punks. Also I wouldn't bother with an emerald crab, they have been known to eat corals and hard to get out of the tank once they're in.

 

I have a 30g and my clean up crew consists of 3 blue legged hermits, 10ish various types of snails, some sort of starfish, a fighting conch, and a skunk cleaner shrimp. I only add peppermints when I need some aiptasia taken care of. Your crabs will kill the snails every now and then for sport/to eat them/or steal their shells.

 

If you're going to have enough open sandbed, a conch is an awesome addition to a CUC. They eat all sorts of undesirable gunk. Get a small one, they're slow growers. Love mine.

 

And as far as fish, your stock list sounds reasonable but I would only do one dwarf angel. Which angel in particular were you looking at?

 

Edit: also, I'm not familiar with keeping pistol shrimp, but aren't you only supposed to keep one? Or they kill one another?

[Luckypheonix31]

I thought it sounded like a lot of hermits. Originally I was only thinking of having about 5-6 mixed, then the snails and shrimp. I'm still pretty keen on the emerald crab. Been doing some more research and it's very hit and miss for reviews on how they act. Still have a lot to figure about the pistol shrimp, it sounds as though if they're matched with a goby they should be ok.

 

I'm really liking the looks of the Pygmy (Cherub) angelfish or the Flame Angelfish. I'd really like to have a colourful tank.

[Angeles]

I have a 29gal. My clean up crew has only five hermits total. Be careful about the Emerald crab. Only if you really need it. Definitely only one dwarf angel if any. They nip at corals. otherwise, it sounds good. CUCs eat leftover food in an aquarium.

[Tamberav]

I recently started a 30 gal tank. I have approx 16 lbs of live rock and 3 inches of live sand in the tank. I've done the water tests and it looks as though everything is where it should be. How long should i wait to add my CUC? What should i be looking for? With a bit of research I've come up with:

10 Scarlet Reef Hermit Crabs

30 Blue Leg Hermit Crabs

20 Astrea Snails

1 Emerald Crab

1 Lettuce Nudibranch

1 Serpent Starfish

2 Peppermint Shrimp

 

This seems like a lot, will there be enough food or will i need to feed them?

Will be looking to add

2 Clown fish

2 Goby's

2 Pistol shrimp

and maybe a dwarf angel or 2

 

too many hermits

 

Astraea snails are meh... they fall on their backs, can't get up and die. Look into cerniths, nassarius, tronchus and one conch snail.

 

Lettece nudibranches don't do well in places with high flow/pumps. They tend to get themselves shredded rather quickly. They also only eat specific types of algae and often starve to death.

 

Peppermint shrimp are okay but sometimes known to pick apart LPS. A cleaner shrimp would be a lot safer bet but any shrimp will steal food from corals so they need to be fed extra if you want to feed your LPS.

 

Serpent starfish sometimes prey on fish once they get larger. Some colors are safer than others. They can actually add more nutrients to a tank because the best way to keep them from eating fish... is direct feeding them... which makes more poop.

 

Emerald's are "with caution" but can be good for bubble algae. If you like crabs, porcelain Anemone crabs are very interesting and hang out in the open. My emeralds always hid until lights out.

 

Basically snails are the best CUC, a few hermits if you like watching their antics but they arn't needed and things like starfish and shrimp are more for your enjoyment than part of the CUC since feeding them tends to add more bioload.

 

Some of the best CUC members are the things we don't buy like micro brittle stars, bristle worms, and stomella snails.

 

One dwarf will be fine but just know, they sometimes pick at corals.

[ghostgr]

Ive got 5 hermits, had 5 tronchus bit 4 are dead probably due to hermits, and then i have 5 nassarius. Ill most likely be getting a few small cerith snails and a cleaner shrimp next. Maybe a brittle star as well. Just keep doing your research.