Did i get enough of a cuc?

[rotarygeek]

I have a 30 gallon that finished cycling a couple weeks ago. Now its growing a brown/orange colored stuff all over the top rock. (Diatreates? sp?) So i bought 1 peppermint shirmp and 5 blue legged hermit crabs. Is that going to be enough to take care of my problem?

 

[yerboy]

more likely its diatoms, an algae like substance that grows in newly established tanks. It should go away on its own without the need of a cleanup crew.

 

[rotarygeek]

ok thats good. after all this stuff disappears will this still be enough of a cuc? one of the hermit crabs is either dead or its just an empty shell, so really i only have 4. also i decided on what fish i want. after i return the yellow tail damsel ill be getting two clownfish and a mandarin goby. i love the mandarin and my girlfriend wants the clownfish. only plan on 3 fish and maybe a starfish later on down the road when i can see my tank supporting a starfish.

 

[john,jr]

Originally Posted by Stargeek
http:///forum/post/2497922
ok that's good. after all this stuff disappears will this still be enough of acuc? one of the hermit crabs is either dead or its just an empty shell, so really i only have 4. also i decided on what fish i want. after i return the yellow tail damsel ill be getting two clownfish and a mandarin goby. i love the mandarin and my girlfriend wants the clownfish. only plan on 3 fish and maybe a starfish later on down the road when i can see my tank supporting a starfish.
Mandarin goby IS a beautiful fish but they eat copods and a lot of them. They only need to be put in a well established then with lots of live rock.

 

[earlybird]

In my 29 after almost a year I have about 10 hermits, 7 nassarius snails, 7 cerith snails and 5 astraea snails. I don't count my shrimp as cleaners really.
Also FYI, I don't know of anyone with less than a 55g tank that has successfully kept a mandarin goby for longer than a few months. Do a little research and you'll understand why. The same applies to a starfish, they just don't do well in small tanks the only exception that I know of is with brittle starfish but they are actually not quite a starfish. They will need to be spot fed though. Good luck.

 

[alix2.0]

heres the clean up crew in my three year old 29.
30-40ish hermits (mostly jade, a couple blue legs, & 1 or 2 scarlets)
30-40ish snails (mostly nassarius and 1 or 2 turbos)
2 emerald crabs
3 peppermint shrimp
1 fighting conch
1 queen conch
asterina stars & bristle worms
i might be forgetting 1 or 2 things.