Best invert for maintaining live rock?
- Thread starter Unarce
- Start date
Hermits seem to be really good at picking the rockwork clean, but I don't like 'em for other reasons. A mix of different snail species seems to work for me, although if I had a peristent macro algae that they wouldn't touch I might try an urchin too. JME...
Thanks, Chris.
My LR is getting fuzzy in some areas. I wonder if it's because I lost all my bluelegs after treating for red acros. All of the scarlets lived, but I guess it's because I lost half my crab population.
Never had an urchin before. Do they really decimate coralline?
My LR is getting fuzzy in some areas. I wonder if it's because I lost all my bluelegs after treating for red acros. All of the scarlets lived, but I guess it's because I lost half my crab population.
Never had an urchin before. Do they really decimate coralline?
I've never tried an urchin myself for that very reason (coralline), although some say if you have a tank with strong coralline growth they can actually help spread it.
IME the large Mexican Turbos are great at eating a wide variety of algae. Also conchs are good (stick with Fighters, Queens grow too fast IME). The only drawback to large snails and conchs is that they can be frag bulldozers (although IME the large snails are not nearly as bad as the conchs).
Do you have a pic of the algae?
IME the large Mexican Turbos are great at eating a wide variety of algae. Also conchs are good (stick with Fighters, Queens grow too fast IME). The only drawback to large snails and conchs is that they can be frag bulldozers (although IME the large snails are not nearly as bad as the conchs).
Do you have a pic of the algae?
I have to urchins and they don't keep up with the corraline growth, I can't tell where they ate last night. I wouldn't worry about that.
Regarding the maintenance crew my advice is to get a bunch of something that multiplies in your tank: this way you'll have a constant supply of crew members that will track your level of pollution (algae growth) no matter what you do. I have three types of snails that reproduce readily in my tank and they keep my rocks really clean - except for one patch of Bryopsis but you'll find little creatures eating that.
M.[/b]
Regarding the maintenance crew my advice is to get a bunch of something that multiplies in your tank: this way you'll have a constant supply of crew members that will track your level of pollution (algae growth) no matter what you do. I have three types of snails that reproduce readily in my tank and they keep my rocks really clean - except for one patch of Bryopsis but you'll find little creatures eating that.
M.[/b]
I have a Diadema (long spine urchin) and a "Purple urchin", not sure of the species. I like Diadema best when I look at the tank (it looks awesome), but I like the purple one when I stick my hand into the tank: the Diadema hurts when it pricks: it's venomous -> not much worse than a mosquito, but still annoying.
M.
M.
I, personally, have never seen an issue with having urchins in a tank... I get masses of corraline and wish they'd eat some back!
In answer to the main question, I don't think one organism will do it...
A mixture of conch, astrea, turbo, cerith (they tend to ignore rocks), red legs hermits, scarlet hermits, sally lightfoot... all of them eat some things and not others. If you can support them, the mixture is the best way to go.
In my 200g tank, I have 5 _big_ mexican turbo snails, 2 astrea, 2 red leg hermits. Recently lost my urchin after 3 years from lack of food.
Wade
In answer to the main question, I don't think one organism will do it...
A mixture of conch, astrea, turbo, cerith (they tend to ignore rocks), red legs hermits, scarlet hermits, sally lightfoot... all of them eat some things and not others. If you can support them, the mixture is the best way to go.
In my 200g tank, I have 5 _big_ mexican turbo snails, 2 astrea, 2 red leg hermits. Recently lost my urchin after 3 years from lack of food.
Wade
I had some hitchiker urchins that came on my carribean live rock. I believe the name was E. lacunter (I think that is misspelled).
Anyway, they were plain old black urchins, and they did a lovely job on nuisance algae. They ate a little coralline, no biggie.
For some reason I could only get them to live about two years though, then they all croaked over about 6 months span. I had about 6 to start with. I don't know if I had a water quality problem or a predator or what, but I sure liked the little guys.
I had put two into a tank with my derasa clam, who's shell was covered with hair algae. They each picked a side, and marched along the shell cleaning it gleaming white.
Anyway, they were plain old black urchins, and they did a lovely job on nuisance algae. They ate a little coralline, no biggie.
For some reason I could only get them to live about two years though, then they all croaked over about 6 months span. I had about 6 to start with. I don't know if I had a water quality problem or a predator or what, but I sure liked the little guys.
I had put two into a tank with my derasa clam, who's shell was covered with hair algae. They each picked a side, and marched along the shell cleaning it gleaming white.
None that I bought reproduce, they are all hitchhickers. I have
- stomatella varia (same as you do)
- some chitons (the one looking like the vietnamese hat)
- some small (about 1/4") round snails that look like mini-turbos. I think I have hundreds of them at night.
All three species disappear during the day (I can still spot the chitons in the shade), so they are not an eye sore. During the night the tank is over-run with them. I had lots of stomatela, now I only have 20-30, I think that the mini-turbo-s are tough competition.
For the detritus I have hundreds of mini-brittle stars and bristle worms, but they'll not do much for your rocks (they'll keep the water clean though).
Mihai
- stomatella varia (same as you do)
- some chitons (the one looking like the vietnamese hat)
- some small (about 1/4") round snails that look like mini-turbos. I think I have hundreds of them at night.
All three species disappear during the day (I can still spot the chitons in the shade), so they are not an eye sore. During the night the tank is over-run with them. I had lots of stomatela, now I only have 20-30, I think that the mini-turbo-s are tough competition.
For the detritus I have hundreds of mini-brittle stars and bristle worms, but they'll not do much for your rocks (they'll keep the water clean though).
Mihai
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