Need some help with CUC

I'm beefing up the CUC in my 55 because there is just a little more algae than I would like...and my fiancee likes hermit crabs more than my fish for some reason ;D. I have a serpent star, a handful of hermits, 8 or so turbo snails, one lone surviving nassarius snail, and two fire shrimp(not really CUC, but important).

So I'm looking to add about 20 hermits, 10 turbos, and 20 nassarius (sandbed). In a couple reef packages I have been pricing some of them include 3 peppermint shrimp and either a coral banded shrimp or arrow crab. Would the CBS, peppermint shrimp and my fire shrimp get along in a 55. My fire shrimp are a pretty good size but only really come out of their cave for feeding time. I know the arrow crab and CBS will become aggressive if enough food is not available...

Also, I may skip the hermits all together. They killed off almost all my nassarius and some turbos. I've heard other people on here say they decided not to have them as part of their CUC. Just an idea.

I just don't want to start a turf war with my inverts. What do you think?

 

based on the recommendations you say you got, I'd say it is safe to say you have not gotten a recommendation from John at reefcleaners.

Go there, tell him your situation and trust what he says.

ReefCleaners.org | Clean Up Crews and Macro Algae - Home


(arrow crabs kill fish btw and CBS can be a pain... heck, shrimp are so barely CuC, I wouldn't consider them in a package period... ornamental only)

 

+1 to pered's summary of CBS and arrow crabs. Doesn't mean they aren't cool, but they can have a lot of fight in them for their size.

 

I know the arrow crab and CBS can be problems... I don't have any personal experience with them so I was seeing if anybody else has.

Thanks guys.

 

I'm a big fan of emerald crabs too. I just threw a couple in my tank the other day to help out with some bubble algae. I've been having a small outbreak of aiptasia and so far have been trying to remove them chemically(Red Sea Aiptasia-X), but they seem to keep popping up in new places....anyways, those peppermint shrimp I heard can clear that up. I'm debating getting some of those, but I really don't want them to eat my coral.

 

pepps don't eat coral. they'll eat dead flesh, but they won't eat a healthy one.

shrimp are very sensitive to SG swings - they do better if you have ATO

 

When I get my CUC can I add it all at once? When should I add it, in relevance to the "new the tank cycle"? I also only have a few snails & like 2 hermits in my CUC for my 29g. I need to go the LFS soon & buy some more.

 

depends on what you want... I wouldn't add things like starfish or urchins for a long time... but the snails can all be added at once.

Once you cycle and your ammonia/nitrites stabilize at 0 and then your nitrates eventually fall and hold ~20 is when I suggest to add CuC.