Seeking Invert Advice for 10gal Nano

[NekoWah]

Hey all,

I have a ten gallon nano low tech running for about two months and a few weeks now. By low tech, i mean most of the parts and equipment came from wal-mart and basic LFS. The tank is though running fine. Ammonia is immeasureable, as are rites and ities. Salt is 1.021 and the PH stays at 8.0. Temp and other things are as well stable, and lighting is provided by two of zoomed's coral life flourscent tube sun/artinic half lights. Equipment is simply a heater and a 200GPH powerhead that creates a current around the reef. I had a nano skimmer, but since i do a water change every week, i took it off - more trouble then it was worth - after the first month, and everything still seems fine.

The tank has a live sand bed and 9 pounds of LR. Live stock include two damsels and a pygmy angel (North atlantic pygmy). I know people will kinda be shocked at that inclusion, but hes 2 inches and seems fine..He (as will his tank mates) be relocated to my 75gal eventually. (I no longer have room for this tank, and it had to be taken down.) Also included are a few dusters, and a few varied snails - i believe mostly Stomatella varia and a few turbos.


My issue is i thought with the snails and my self doing duty work (I have a toothbrush i use for a 'sand stirer.") I'd be fine in such a small tank. Well needless to say, as i grow more into the tank, i want my hands in the tank less and less, and it is becomeing a issue - my white sandbed resembles a green and brown shaggy carpet!

I am thinking of picking up a cleaning crew for this tank of this type. Bad ideas, suggestions, and DONTs are welcomed:

1 Fighting Conch
2 Scarlet Hermits
7 Nassarius Snails
5 Cerith Snails
1 Cleaner Shrimp (Of varyng variety as i can find at LFS'es.)

Good idea? Bad idea?

 

[Anonymous]

What was wrong with your skimmer? I would put it back since it could only help with nutrient export. Your tank is 2 months old so it is still young. You will get algae blooms until about 6 months.

The nassarius snails won't help with algae. The cleaner shrimp will only add bioload. The best things for algae are astrea snails and scarlet hermits.

 

[NekoWah]

The skimmer was just crap -a "skelter" (i think that was the spelling.) 250. It made a lot of bubbles that made the tank look horrible, and seemed to collect almost nothing. I will look into a better nano skimmer.

As for the Nassarius snails, i was under the impression they would eat various bio-matter in the sand bed, and while not algea eaters, would only be beneifical in that regard. The shrimp is indeed not an (major? )
alagea eater, and was considered in the same regard as the Nassarius.

 

[cindre2000]

Definetly change the ratio on snails, less nassarius and more herbivourous snails. Also, I would drop the fighting conch since they need a good bit of algae and space; not to mention they do get a little big for my tastes (maybe in a 30 they would be more proportional).

 

[Kerchakone]

I got a mixture of
2 scarlets
4 turbo snails maybe margaritas, don't remember
and 10 or so blue leg hermits and haven't seen the slightest bit of algae in the month or so I've been up and running.

This is in a 12 gal.