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My personal reefing philosophies

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by xroads, Jul 28, 2015.

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  1. Dec 14, 2015 #21
    B_Braz

    B_Braz Well-Known ReefKeeper

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    Another for ya... What are you feeding during this time?
     
  2. Dec 15, 2015 #22
    Borky00 Lisbon

    Borky00 Well-Known ReefKeeper

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    I can't believe I just found this tread, well I am following it now.

    Can I get your opinion on Clean up crews? Bronson does not believe in them I thought they were critical. Thoughts?
     
  3. Dec 15, 2015 #23
    Bud West Des Moines, IA

    Bud Loves Bacon Website Team Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member Vendor

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    Personally I think people put way too much value on snails, I'm done with them, I've got nothing but shells in my tank.
     
  4. Dec 15, 2015 #24
    Fence13 Des Moines

    Fence13 Experienced Reefkeeper

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    Did the crabs eat them?
     
  5. Dec 15, 2015 #25
    tangers Ankeny

    tangers Well-Known ReefKeeper

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    I personally have always ran snails and always will. However, contrary to most I do not run astrea snails (regular turbo snails). I find then worthless ans once they fall off anything they can not right themselves and are almost certain to die. My favorites are banded trochus as they spend just as much of their time on the rocks as they do the glass. Mexican turbos for the glass and tonga nassarius in the sand bed. I will not run blue legs in my tanks as I have found them to be far more aggressive and are snail snipers. I run predominantly Mexican reg leg hermits with a few scarlets.
     
  6. Dec 16, 2015 #26
    xroads La Porte City, IA

    xroads Veteran Reefkeeper Vendor

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    Feed choice is really important early on.

    First, these fish have been plucked off the reef, shipped around the world to wholesalers and then to you with a ton of stress and very little food (waste fouls shipping water so they are fed little or none).

    So early on it is essential IMO to feed a good frozen or live food. They dont realize those pellets or flakes are food right away. Dry food is very lacking in many essential elements fish need. I personally only use dry food as a supplement, not as a main food. I just read a paper that showed fish fed only dry food has much lower levels of immunity, fertility, and general health.

    Smaller fish that are used to eating live food like wrasses and gobies do really well on baby brine shrimp to get them used to eating again.

    Any type of butterfly, angel, wrasse, and many other fish find it almost impossible to resist anything raw on the shell. You can buy clams from hy-vee, break them open, cut the meat up a little and they usually go crazy.
     
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  7. Dec 16, 2015 #27
    xroads La Porte City, IA

    xroads Veteran Reefkeeper Vendor

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    OK

    IMO they are 100% necessary.

    But I think most people do it wrong. I have seen so many people all the sudden have an algae problem, so they go buy 50 snails and 50 crabs.

    So what happens? Half die fairly soon and adds to the waste that is fueling your algae problem.

    Remember we are trying to create an ecosystem. This means variety and moderation.

    Lets say you have a 120G display

    Dont go and add 60 hermit crabs and 60 snails. And dont wait until you have an algae problem to do it.

    Instead try

    5 hermit crabs
    5 cerith snails
    5 nassarius snails (must with a sand bed)
    5 trochus snails (I agree these are the best)
    5 peppermint shrimp
    5 emerald crabs
    an arrow head crab
    Tuxedo urchin
    A brittle sea star (not the fish eating variety)
    Cleaner shrimp

    As well as there you need the mico cleaners. Isopods, Mysid shrimps, and the mini brittle stars. Once these are established they will breed and do their thing and help keep the tank clean as well as providing a snack for your fish.


    An algae blenny, there are several cool ones that eat algae

    So now you have a diversified clean up crew, and you will have more variety to look at in your tank other then 60 snails & 60 crabs.
     
  8. Dec 16, 2015 #28
    Bud West Des Moines, IA

    Bud Loves Bacon Website Team Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member Vendor

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    So why is it that all these CUC sites recommend huge CUCs? Seems like they are the blame for people doing it wrong!!
     
  9. Dec 16, 2015 #29
    xroads La Porte City, IA

    xroads Veteran Reefkeeper Vendor

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    Are they selling you something, or giving you free advice?
     
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  10. Dec 16, 2015 #30
    Bud West Des Moines, IA

    Bud Loves Bacon Website Team Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member Vendor

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    Bingo. I always thought those CUC packs were overkill but I guess I never publicly questioned it. I seem to recall a guide somewhere about how many of each type per gallon etc. Seems that was all a bunch of crap
     
  11. Dec 16, 2015 #31
    Borky00 Lisbon

    Borky00 Well-Known ReefKeeper

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    I think if you get a kit or build your own kit you can select the differnt variety as Craig is suggesting. I fully agree balance is good and better to look at. Thanx!
     
  12. Dec 16, 2015 #32
    Bud West Des Moines, IA

    Bud Loves Bacon Website Team Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member Vendor

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    CUC Example from Reefcleaners for a 120 2x2x4

    That's 268 items!! That's nearly 8 times as much as the 34 items Craig mentions! Thanks for the comment Craig, those uber-huge CUCs never seemed to make much sense to me.
     
  13. Dec 16, 2015 #33
    xroads La Porte City, IA

    xroads Veteran Reefkeeper Vendor

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    Just like anything in this hobby, there is no concrete rule either, 34 was just an example. Some tanks may need more, some may get along with less.

    But it DEFINITELY doesnt need 238
     
  14. Dec 16, 2015 #34
    GoodGreef Clive, IA

    GoodGreef Well-Known ReefKeeper

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    I'll add in my preference for tiger or fighting conchs as well. I have a diamond goby so I have gone light on sand and bottom cleaners but I use a couple nassarius, brittle star, and 2 tiger conchs. I also like limpets, if you can find the kind that are guaranteed reef safe. I have about 6 in my tank about half an inch long and 1/4 an inch wide. They are really good at getting inside the nooks of live rock to clean, along with dwarf ceriths. I also only use scarlet hermits and the cortez red leg hermits. I have a couple mexican turbos, banded trochus snails, and some ceriths and dwarf ceriths. In total, not including my dwarf ceriths, diamond goby and lawnmower blenny I'd say I have about 25 cleanup crew members for my 75 gallon. I have about 50 dwarf ceriths but in reality those count as like 3 snails.
     
  15. Dec 16, 2015 #35
    B_Braz

    B_Braz Well-Known ReefKeeper

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    Check out this video! goes right along with what we are talking about on here right now. lol

     
  16. Dec 16, 2015 #36
    Fence13 Des Moines

    Fence13 Experienced Reefkeeper

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    The Reef Aquarium, Vol. 3: Science, Art, and Technology by Julian Sprung, and J. Charles Delbeek gives a similar breakdown kind of like what Craig mentioned. I don't have it on hand but it does give a count/gallons on different CUC creatures, but leaves it up to you as to what creatures you want to get.
     
  17. Dec 17, 2015 #37
    Fred Johnston, IA

    Fred

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    i really love this series brs is doing. Very cool and informative.
     
  18. Dec 17, 2015 #38
    B_Braz

    B_Braz Well-Known ReefKeeper

    375
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    I love it best one they have ever done. Big props to BRS for always being willing to teach.
     
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