clean-up time!

[dono]

any recommendations on a clean-up crew for a 14-gallon?

how many of what do i need?

[Zack]

In my 20 gallon i had 5 astrea snails and 5 blue leg hermits. Worked very well for me. If you like maybe add a cleaner or pepermint shrimp. Anything else as far as inverts go you want to add?
Zack

[dono]

i've read the article - "setting up a nano-reef" off of this forum (now that I think about it, maybe I should've started this post in the beginner's section) and the article suggests:

astrea snails
turbo snails
nassarious snails
fighting/queen conches
sand shifting cucumbers
scarlet legged hermits
brittle starfish
emerald crabs

i'm sure i don't need ALL those critters in my tank, but I am curious as to which are a definite recommendation to have in a 14-gallon nano, how many, and what exactly do these do (eat hair algae, etc)?

btw, i think the label "turbo snail" is funny. haha! sorry, i am easily amused.

[Zack]

btw, i think the label "turbo snail" is funny. haha! sorry, i am easily amused.

HAHAHAHA i like that! Do you mind i use that in my signature?

Now is this going to be a reef or fish only? I would suggest 5-6 astrea snails since they are smaller then the turbos, 5-6 nassarious snails, 6 hermits blue leg, and if you like maybe a small starfish. I would not go with the ccucumbers as when they die they can take down your smaller tank very quickly.

As for hair algae, there are way to prevent it and I hope and highly suggest you start off with fresh lighting, using ro water, not having lights on for to long, not over feeding as these are all ways to preven hair algae!

HTH
Zack

BTW thanks for taking the time to read an article, one of the best ways to get info :)

[dono]

for sure... you have my permission to use the "turbo snail" comment!

i am going very slow with my tank. i'm planning for this to be a nano-reef tank.

right now i just have a damsel (my guinea fish), 25 lbs of live rock (florida key rock), lighting (i don't know what it is and i'm confused with all these terms such as pc and mho, vho, blah blah blah) but it has both a white and blue bulb and it's purdy darn bright!, remora protein skimmer, and sand about 2 inches deep which i think the live rock seeded because i see a few worms

since it is small, i'm planning to just have an anenome, pair of small clowns, and maybe a goby (any other suggestions for fish?), and a shrimp

hey zack, thanks so much for the input!

[Zack]

Hey
About the lighting, you really should if you can find out what it is. Is it long bulbs like normal output or short screw in bulbs or 4 pin stright or square? That will help us figure out the corals that will do best in the tank.

As for the anemone, i suggest to not get that but rather stick to colorful soft corals like leathers, mushrooms, zoos and other polyps. The anemone will outgrow the tank and just in general don't do well in smaller tanks i have seen.

I would suggest to get the damsel out before you get anymore fish as it most likly could be very mean to them. The clopwn pair sounds great and a goby would work fine with them.

Zack

[Sugar Magnolia]

can I make a suggestion? since you are just setting up the tank, please wait on the anemone. they are difficult to keep and best suited to a well established tank. (at least six months old...preferably a year) they also have very high lighting requirements as do some corals so it would be a good idea to check out your bulbs and see what it is that you are using for lighting before stocking the tank with corals. it would be a shame to spend the money on an animal only to have it die due to inadequate lighting.

[Zack]

Very well put sugar magnolia!!!

[dono]

sigh... the both of you are right.

as much as i really want to have the anemone/clown combo in my tank, i guess it wouldn't be good.

as for the lighting, my light fixture has the following label:

ViaAqua
Compact PL Lighting Systems

PL Tube: LV-468

18W x 2
120V/60Hz


There are two bulbs in the tank. I looked up some info on them and supposidly: First one is blue ( I believe it is called actinic) rated at 18w and 12,000k. The second one is a regular fluorescent light rated at 18w and 7,100k.

So this means.... ???

[dono]

p.s. i never knew there was so much math involved with this hobby. all this multiplying, dividing, blah blah blah...

[nanoman123]

i have all the things you lsited besides the conches and the cukes, and it seams to still not be enough for my 10 gallon...... i htink ill get some hints for a cleaning crew from this thread also :)



~Matt~

[dono]

you're kidding me... are you for reals?!

[vanadium]

this is what i would have in your tank....5 turbo snails,1 emerald crab,3 red legged hermits and 5 blue legged hermits....peppermint shrimp only if you have aiptasia anemone.....lights keep the blue on for 12 hours a day and the white 9 hours run them on timers.

[dono]

awesome! you have enlightened me!

i'm in whistler right now... although it's beautiful up here, i can't wait to get back to work on my tank!

[nanoman123]

that sounds like a great idea! but would he realy need 5 turbo snails?!

i had one and i got rid of it for knocking down too much stuff and squishing, and sometimes eating, my corals.

also, i would reccomend a brittle star. NOT a green one.

~Matt~

[Sugar Magnolia]

5 turbos' in a 14 gallon? no..really. DON"T! those things are like bulldozers. I have two in my 30 cube and every so often they knock over corals and my clams.

go for variety in your snail selection. skip the turbo's alltogether...more trouble than they are worth.

-3-4 margarita snails for the glass
-3-4 ceriths for the glass and sand
-8 or so nassarius snails to stir the sand and eat the detritus
(astreas if you have to but keep in mind that if they topple over they can't right themselves and die.)

-the red and blue leg hermits are fine too - 4 of each plus extra shells for them to grow into or they will attack the snails and use theirs.
-emerald crabs are okay when they are small but can get destuctive when they grow larger.
-peppermint shrimp are fine but keep in mind that they have been known to eat polyps. (1st hand experience with this one)

[dono]

ok... got it.

that makes sense... umm, i think? haha

[dono]

not a green brittle star? what's wrong with the green ones? what other kinds are there?

[cich1]

the green ones have been known to eat smaller fish, i have one in my 29g tank and i think he may have eaten a firefish but i can't prove it, i make sure i keep him fed with sinking pellets so what good is a scavenger that you have to hand feed to keep him from eating your livestock :D also the greens get pretty big, mines already 10" from tip to tip