Cleaner crew advice

EekABunny · 02-07-2005, 01:35 AM

I just add my first cleaner crew members to my 12g NanoCube (10 tiny blue leg hermits, 6 astrial snails, 3 peppermint shrimp). Any advice regarding adding additional cleaner crew (if needed). Also, I heard adding a Sea Cucumber might be a good idea. Is this correct?

EekABunny · 02-07-2005, 02:20 AM

Also, what is the best way to increase calcium levels in my tank. I took a water sample to my LFS and everything was great (actually got a complement from the employee, as I told him that I am still a newbie to this) except the LFS employee stated that the calcium level could be increased, as this will help the snails and crabs.

Thanks!

wharyat · 02-07-2005, 02:46 AM

What you have sounds good to me; you have to be careful about cukes, read here. As for calcium, you can use a calc supplement of some sort, kalkwasser etc. I have had good luck with kent additives.

EekABunny · 02-07-2005, 02:56 AM

I checked out your link to calks, and, holy smokes, this was informative! It looks like the Sea Cucumber will NOT be added!

EekABunny · 02-07-2005, 02:57 AM

Er.....I meant cukes.....

Loverotties · 02-07-2005, 07:49 AM

How about a Brittle star!

Cosine · 02-07-2005, 08:04 AM

nassarius snails - will stir sand
cerith snails - will eat astrea poop

nigle · 02-07-2005, 11:28 PM

Oi!

Brittle stars are good for getting the big stuff that isn't eaten, cosine's advice is great, as for the cuke in a 12 gal Nano, even I am not that brave!

Cheers!
nigle
!~!

EekABunny · 02-08-2005, 08:13 PM

I got the brittlestar (NOT a Green Brittlestar, as I have heard that they will kill your fish, if given the chance) and added 4 Red Legged Hermits. I will get the other snails this weekend, but Ceriths are hard to find here, as I tried 3 LFSs, and none seemed to have them......

Also, I lost one of the Peppermint shrimp (he decided to check out the intake and got his legs stuck and died).....

Geoff · 02-08-2005, 08:48 PM

things to think about.

make sure the peppermint shrimp that was stuck in the intake was actually the pep. it could have been its molt. this is a very easy mistake to make.

whenever you add hermits to your system and there are snails also in there. you have to also add empty shells. if not then the hermits will kill the snails for the shells.

unless you are currently keeping clams or stonies in the system there is no real reason to mess with your Ca and alk levels. doing weekly water changes will keep these in check enough for what you are keeping. messing with additives without a total understanding of how they work is a recipe for disaster in a nano. when dealing with nano's, if it doubt do a water change. do not mess with additives. the concentrations are so high that you can easily poison the critters without even trying.

using kalk in the top off water is an option. a very good one, but still, you need to have something in the system that needs it.

G~

EekABunny · 02-09-2005, 09:56 PM

I made sure that it was the 'real' shrimp, as it's tiny legs along its abdomen (forgive me, I have not learned the correct terminology for shrimp anatomy) was still moving while stuck in the intake before it died. I heard that due to my small size tank, that 3 Peppermint Shrimp may be too much, so perhaps this was the 'Maker's' way to tell me so (although I still was depressed about the loss of life).

I just added my first coral (Green Star Polyp Soft Coral) to my tank to test if it is ready for other corals (as it was cheap). But I would rather that this survive as well, as I am the custodian of their 'world'.

Also, I added some empty shells to the tanks to keep the snails alive

!