Help Please - CUC for 2,5g

[Ratvan]

Greetings all,

 

So I am in need of a little help, I have been looking at clean up crews for what feels like months now and if anything I am more confused than when i started.

 

I currently have a 2.5g cycling, with live rock and 50% live sand and 50% dry sand in a sand bed roughly 1-1.5 inches deep. Footprint is 12"*6"*8". I will be adding Macro-algae when it arrives so my CUC need to be Macro safe. My main concern is making sure that the CUC is not overstocked so that they don't starve and also that they don't destroy my macro's (i'm looking to avoid what happened with my Yellow Rabbit Snails - They ate all the vegetation in my planted tank and have their own tank now and get my weekly trimmings)

 

I do not know until the algae arrives what I will be receiving...........

 

So this is what I am thinking so far;

3-4 Dwarf Cerith Snails

1-2 Nassarius Vibex 

Hermit Crab - Blue Legged? - I come from FW so a Crab is definitely different for me. I'd want as small a hermit as possible? With shells will they accept any? Such as FW Snail shells?

 

I do want to eventually stock the tank with something else such as a tiny Goby and Sexy Shrimp.

 

Will the above work? Have i missed a glaring newbie mistake? Is it Macro Safe?

 

[billygoat]

Until you get some sort of livestock that needs to be regularly fed, I would skip the Nassarius snails. They are scavengers that have no interest in algae, and they require a certain amount of uneaten food or fish waste in the system to stay alive. Maybe add 1-2 of them at the same time that you add a goby/pistol shrimp combo, if you do decide to go that route.

 

Dwarf Ceriths are a good choice but are extremely small, so you are probably going to want a few larger and beefier snails to do the heavy lifting - perhaps 1-2 Florida Cerith or Nerite snails. I'd avoid Turbo or Trochus snails as they will eventually get too large for a pico. None of these snails should have any interest in most macroalgae (Cerith snails actually climb onto my macros and keep them free of epiphytes), though they might snack on leafier varieties like Ulva.

 

The hermit crab will do fine with any sort of shell it can fit into, freshwater or otherwise, and will not be interested in most varieties of macroalgae either.

 

Good choice to not overstock! Remember that even a single dead snail can mean a huge ammonia spike in such a small system.

 

 

[Ratvan]

8 minutes ago, billygoat said:

Until you get some sort of livestock that needs to be regularly fed, I would skip the Nassarius snails. They are scavengers that have no interest in algae, and they require a certain amount of uneaten food or fish waste in the system to stay alive. Maybe add 1-2 of them at the same time that you add a goby/pistol shrimp combo, if you do decide to go that route.

 

Dwarf Ceriths are a good choice but are extremely small, so you are probably going to want a few larger and beefier snails to do the heavy lifting - perhaps 1-2 Florida Cerith or Nerite snails. I'd avoid Turbo or Trochus snails as they will eventually get too large for a pico. None of these snails should have any interest in most macroalgae (Cerith snails actually climb onto my macros and keep them free of epiphytes), though they might snack on leafier varieties like Ulva.

 

The hermit crab will do fine with any sort of shell it can fit into, freshwater or otherwise, and will not be interested in most varieties of macroalgae either.

 

Good choice to not overstock! Remember that even a single dead snail can mean a huge ammonia spike in such a small system.

 

 

I rescue Betta fish in my spare time, one of the most common problems that I get is Ammonia burns, mostly caused by a dead and decaying snail going unnoticed. Followed swiftly by over stocking and people trying to run Sorority tanks. If anything I prefer to over filter my tanks. 

 

Thank you so much, that answers a lot of my questions. I'll leave the Nassarius alone for the time being until i start to seriously consider Livestock. I looked at the Trochus snail but decided against it as I wanted a Hermit, I assumed that keeping the snails smaller than the crab would alleviate bullying for the shell? From what I have read the Turbo snails would give me some of the same issues with my Yellow Rabbits, bulldozing through the substrate and dislodging my plants (before eating them) so decided against them as well. 

 

With the Nerite Snails, are these are the same as the Freshwater Versions? I know I have some in my FW tanks that lay eggs constantly (never hatch as need brackish/saltwater) which obviously makes me wonder if I could try and make the eggs hatch...... or I wonder if i could acclimatise them to saltwater....

 

 

[billygoat]

6 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

I looked at the Trochus snail but decided against it as I wanted a Hermit, I assumed that keeping the snails smaller than the crab would alleviate bullying for the shell?

Hermit crabs (like all crabs) are opportunistic and lazy; in my experience they only show an active interest in attacking snails that are stressed or otherwise vulnerable. Having a few empty shells in there for your crab to inspect should be more than enough to keep it from bothering your snails.

 

7 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

With the Nerite Snails, are these are the same as the Freshwater Versions? I know I have some in my FW tanks that lay eggs constantly (never hatch as need brackish/saltwater) which obviously makes me wonder if I could try and make the eggs hatch...... or I wonder if i could acclimatise them to saltwater....

My understanding is that saltwater Nerites are a different species, and that freshwater ones will simply die if exposed to saline water. One thing you should be aware of though is that saltwater Nerites are intertidal species that like to spend a certain amount of time above the waterline, so sooner or later they will crawl out of your tank if you don't have a lid. Some varieties of Dwarf Cerith snails are similar in this regard, though they tend not to venture as far as the Nerites and usually will not end up on your floor. 

 

My personal recommendation is that you get a pair of Florida Ceriths as your larger snails. They are extremely hardy, long-lived, and have the added benefit of burying themselves in your sandbed when they are not eating, which helps to aerate the substrate. The only downside that I've noticed with them is that they are not the best at consuming hair algae, and also have little interest in cyanobacteria.

[Ratvan]

Sweet, so I can throw in the remnants of my Assassin Snail's snacks into the tank for the Hermit Crab/Crabs. 

 

11 minutes ago, billygoat said:

My understanding is that saltwater Nerites are a different species, and that freshwater ones will simply die if exposed to saline water. One thing you should be aware of though is that saltwater Nerites are intertidal species that like to spend a certain amount of time above the waterline, so sooner or later they will crawl out of your tank if you don't have a lid. Some varieties of Dwarf Cerith snails are similar in this regard, though they tend not to venture as far as the Nerites and usually will not end up on your floor. 

Hmmm I wonder, i have a few different species of FW Nerites, would be an interesting test. Not to do now or anytime soon. My FW Nerites are the same, I can usually tell the time based on where the snails are in my tank, Above the water line usually means it is after 20:00.  My cats are good at picking up my escape's, not so good at returning them to the tank however. 

 

Ok, i will look at Dwarf Ceriths, Florida Ceriths and Hermit Crabs. Sadly I cannot get Reef cleaners packs as I am in the UK. I'll see if my LFS has any of the above in and if they do what sort of deal they can do for me

 

 

[Naekuh]

I personally think the best snails are astrea and trochus snails. The trochus may get too large for your nano tho. 

Although i also question how in the hell they made it though evolution because if they ever fall and odds are the way they are shapped, on their back, they will die because they cant right themselves up.

 

You'd figure after several millennia they would of evolved to have shells that are round and could right themselves up.   

 

 

[This guy is extra salty]

A tank that size you will probably need maybe 1 or 2. Any more they’ll more than likely starve due to lack of nutrients

 

im going with in my 2.5 (probably)

1-astrea 

1-trochus

2-cerith 

 

maybe a blue leg crab then I’ll have to replenish the ceriths cause the crab gets bigger and steals the shells

[Ratvan]

Okay I think I may have settled on

 

2/3 Dwarf Ceriths - Depends on LFS "Offer"

1 Florida Cerith 

1 Red Legged Hermit Crab 

2/3 Sexy Shrimp - Depends on LFS "Offer"

 

And run as Invert Reef

[Naekuh]

get an astrea at the very least.

They do way better jobs then Cerith's at trimming whatever algae you have and they go right up to the coral. 

They are not crazy drivers like mexican turbo snails are, and do not really bulldoze anything.

 

But my primary snail would be an Astrea hands down.  

 

Tidal Gardens has an excellent video in regards to them:

 

[Ratvan]

Unfortunately I cannot find anything near me that I feel would be small enough to be suitable for the Pico long term, I do want to keep the tank going after the contest ends. 

I can easily get Conchs and a golf ball sized Nassarius but smaller is an issue. 

However I have got a Red Legged Hermit crab and will be making a special trip this weekend to a further away fish store to see what they have in, if it is good can pop out on my Lunch break next week and go get them. Not really a fan of shipping/posting livestock due to issues with FW orders. 

 

Can Sexy Shrimp perform CUC duties with the assistance of a hermit, toothbrush and turkey baster?