New to Bareefers, Hello everyone!!

[realest614]

Hello,

Lets start with intro on myself. I have been in this hobby for a little over 1 year. I started with a 55gal tank, the tank has been a success for me. I have good amount of sps on the top and bunch of zoas in the bottem.

Now i recently started a 200 prop tank. It is bare tank, no sand or rocks in the prop tank. But i do have sand in the refugium and live rocks in the sump. I have started this tank about 1 month ago. Believe it is starting a cycle. Whole bunch of brown stuff everywhere.

My question is, what should i get to clean this mess? Hermit crab? I have a few, but they dont seems to be able to move around in the prop tank due to lack of sand and rock. The current of water blows them away when they try to walk. I have snails also and they dont even touch it.

I also brought a mimic tang and it have no help.

Any advice?

Thanks everyone!!

 

[70Cuda]

hi welcome ~smile

 

[realest614]

any advice guys/gals?

 

[A_Lee]

Snails - go for some trochus snails or turbo snails - even cerith snails did the job for me.
I don't find hermit crabs to go wild over the brown stuff (diatoms) ... aside that, I don't think their claws (or pincers, or what have you) were meant to effectively harvest diatoms for consumption.

 

[tuberider]

I second the snails especially Trochus if you have a bare bottom.

Welcome to BAR!

 

[Lyn]

Welcome to BAR! You could also try Strombus snals.

 

[patchin]

Welcome! We have a meeting tomorrow at the Aquarium Showroom. There's more info on this site.

 

[GreshamH]

[quote author=A_Lee link=topic=5528.msg68869#msg68869 date=1229095476]
Snails - go for some trochus snails or turbo snails - even cerith snails did the job for me.
I don't find hermit crabs to go wild over the brown stuff (diatoms) ... aside that, I don't think their claws (or pincers, or what have you) were meant to effectively harvest diatoms for consumption.
[/quote]

entirely depends on species. The "left claw" eats it with a gusto...it has plates at the end of it's pinchers, like Mithrax crabs

 

[Gomer]

interesting. I thought hermits had symmetric claws. Time to look at my little buggers up close when I get home.

 

[GreshamH]

[quote author=Gomer link=topic=5528.msg69009#msg69009 date=1229132266]
interesting. I thought hermits had symmetric claws. Time to look at my little buggers up close when I get home.
[/quote]

Like other animals we deal with not all are the same Gomer. "Left claw" is a certain species, not your typical scarlet or blue leg Typically it comes from HI, Bali and Indo.

 

[Lyn]

Pictures of some of my Hawaiian Left handed hermits.