Can I go without a clean up crew?

[MarkoD]

The reason I'm asking is that I'd like to keep a trigger

[sphelps]

There's a few triggers that are both reef safe with coral and inverts. Bluethroat and Crosshatch come to mind.

The effects of not having a proper CUC show up later in a tanks life, although adding a bunch at the start isn't wise either. I tend to add things like snails and urchins as time goes on and I notice the need for them.

[MarkoD]

Originally Posted by sphelps

There's a few triggers that are both reef safe with coral and inverts. Bluethroat and Crosshatch come to mind.

The effects of not having a proper CUC show up later in a tanks life, although adding a bunch at the start isn't wise either. I tend to add things like snails and urchins as time goes on and I notice the need for them.

what about things like hermit crabs? should i even bother?

[cuz]

I gave up on cleaning crews a couple years ago, enough tangs keep the algae in check..

[sphelps]

I don't bother with hermit crabs, they seem to do more harm than good. Snails are a better option IMO. My personal favorite is the urchin.

[MarkoD]

I'm not really worried about algae. my achilles and black shoulder tang graze all day long.

but ill see how the next month or so goes. if the diatoms (i think) dont go away, ill start adding a cleanup crew