Cleaning Crew Options For The Aggressive Tank

[trighappy]

I am in the process of cycling a 75 gallon FO tank. Upon it's completion, I first want to introduce a cleaning crew as I have already started to get some unsightly brown algae forming in my aqaurium as a result of the cycling process. Here is what I plan on stocking in stages.....
Domino Damsel 1 1/2"
Humbug Damsel 1 1/2"
Flame Hawkfish 2"
Bicolor Dottyback 2"
Picasso Trigger 2 1/2 to 3"
Pink Tail Trigger 2 1/2 to 3"
I am aware that some of these species (mostly the Triggers) will feed on some of the inverts. I am okay with that as most of the smaller crabs are fairly inexpensive. I look at it as hiring a maid to clean your house. Eventually as some of the crabs get picked off I will just purchase more to serve the vital purpose of tank maintenance. I am interested in adding other inverts such as snails, starfish, and possibly a cleaning shrimp since they help to prevent parasites on the fish. I was wondering what the people that house aggressive fish use to combat the maintenance problems such as algae and detritus. :notsure:

 

[trighappy]

Is anyone out there??????

Please post!!!!! :jumping:

 

[cdubbs]

I have had a chocolat chip starfish in my tank with a coral cat and SFE and they never bother it. Before i bought the shark i also had a clown trigger and it picked at it once and when it realized it didnt taste good he left it alone. Whatever hermit crabs i ever have tried to add to any of my agressive tanks have slowly dissapeared, u will start to see claws laying around the tank. I am going to try and get an emerald crab for my tank, i will let u know how it goes

 

[trighappy]

Thanks for the reply. So how do you combat algae and detritus problems in your tank?

 

[cdubbs]

i dont know, i never had an algea problem, except once when my tank was in view of sunlight from a window, but since i moved it i never had a problem.

 

[simms]

I have an aggressive FO tank. My niger and puffers will NEVER allow a clean-up crew. I introduce crabs once a month or so in hopes they can help with cleaning but they are quickly destroyed. The puffers are worse than the trigger but the trigger is a monster.
My advice is to run skimmers. I run 2 skimmers and they keep my numbers close to perfect.
I also have a foxface lo, which helps with algae.
hope that helps

 

[trighappy]

What is a Foxface lo and also, do you mean that you run 2 protein skimmers?

 

[moto757]

clean up crew options and a trigger = full trigger run a uv and a good skimmer and ro water and u should be fine even run a refuge and that is all the combo I did and made a world of change in my tank I got tired of buying hermits snails and starfish to watch my trigger maul them up

 

[trighappy]

Thanks Moto! I am in the process of cycling right now but have contemplated adding a UV if I can scrape up the funds. Can you tell me the positives of having a UV?

 

[simms]

I am running 2 protein skimmer right now. it helps with the "messy eater" problem.
A foxface lo (foxface rabbitfish) is a bright yellow fish that grazes on Algae all day. It is never bothered by other fish because it is venomous. This adds a new dimension when you are cleaning (WHERE IS THE YELLOW GUY) but the positives outweigh the negative in my opinion. My wife loves this fish because of the pretty coloring.

 

[moto757]

uv does two things depending on your wattage and your flow rate you can control bacteria and algae and also kill parasites for ex. I broke my uv a couple of months ago and i got a ick out break i lost one fish but got my uv up and running after i order new parts and it with the help of some chemicals killed off the ick for a 75 run a 8 or 9 watt bulb with a maxi jet 400 and it will be fine try aqua uv sterilizers they have a 14 month lamp and an external wiper