CUC - Another Aquarium Abbreviation (I Love Alliteration)

The new background for the tank -
Taken from a wreck we dove in Aruba!
Thanks for the idea Beth!

Ever leave a football game well after the players have left the field, or a concert 20 minutes after the encore?

It is always a huge mess - cups, spills, wrappers - everywhere. The next show is only two hours away? No problem - we have a clean-up crew.

The Clean-Up Crew (CUC) is the aquarium version of a union. These guys work relentlessly to make sure that your DT is ready for the next viewing. Your nieces and nephews are in next weekend and they loved "Finding Nemo"  - no worries the CUC is on it.

The CUC is usually the first addition to the aquarium after the rock has cured. These guys prep the system for livestock and take care of that end-of-cycle diatom bloom.

Getting them acclimated was the first step. The LFS suggested I use the "floating bag" method of acclimation, in which you float the livestock bag in the DT. First, let the temperature equalize over a 30 minute period. Next, add 1/4 cup of your system water to the bag 3 times with 15 minutes intervals between each addition. This is all completed while the bag remains floating in the DT water.

Now without further ado - 

The supporting cast in the aquarium, listed in order of first appearance:

Dwarf Blue-legged Hermit Crabs (22):

Clibanarius tricolor

Care level:           Easy

Diet:                    Omnivore/Detritivore

Origin:                Caribbean 

Temperament:     Peaceful

Max Size:             1"

Notes:                  Needs Extra Shells to Grow into

Purpose:              Great addition to reef aquarium, Eat Algae, and Aerate tank by shifting sand

Red Banded Trochus Snail (6):

Trochidae Trochus sp.

Care level:           Easy

Diet:                    Herbivore

Origin:                Indonesia 

Temperament:     Peaceful

Max Size:             1"

Notes:                  Needs stable levels of Calcium; Easily breed in aquarium

Purpose:              Great addition to reef aquarium, Eat Algae growth on all surfaces of the aquarium including glass

Other livestock added to the tank with today's purchase - some might even call them "The Stars" of the show:

Serpent Starfish (1):

Ophiolepsis superba

Care level:           Easy

Diet:                    Carnivore

Origin:                Caribbean, Asia, Fiji

Temperament:     Peaceful

Max Size:             1' 2"

Notes:                  Nocturnal

Purpose:              Not really a part of the CUC, but will help shift sand

Brittle Starfish (1):

Ophiocoma sp.

Care level:           Moderate

Diet:                    Carnivore

Origin:                Caribbean 

Temperament:     Semi-aggressive 

Max Size:             10"

Notes:                  Nocturnal

Purpose:              Not really a part of the CUC, but will help shift sand

Coralline Algae:

Corallinales

This is a red algae - seen as very beneficial to the aquarium. It is hard, calcareous, and purple in color. They can be used as a food source for sea urchins. A strong healthy aquarium, with  stability, will grow coralline (as long as it has been seeded in some form).

While at the LFS, my girlfriend pointed out that I should get a peice of live rock "with that beneficial purple stuff on it." I spoke with the guy at the store and he said he could just break me off a bunch from his coral tank. I crushed it up some large chips he gave me, and added it to the tank.

The tank is currently extremely active - can barely keep my eyes off of it. In a week or so - maybe some fish. Until then....

Cheers!

The tank with new inhabitants and background that adds depth!