Clean up crews

[Lady G]

Ok, I don't really want to add fish yet to my tank..until I can get the fuge/sump done...but can I add anything yet? My levels are all good, and I have the one blue damsel in there still. I plan on going up to the LFS to get some more live rock..is there anything else I can get?? The tank is a 55, have a HOB...2 powerheads which now work great. When I got the tank only one worked and it wasn't very good. I replaced the one that didn't work, took apart and cleaned the other one and it is working great now too. So can I add anything??

Things I have been looking at...

Snails
Turbo
Nerite
Trochus
Cerith
Bumble Bee

Urchins
Pincushion
pencil
longspine

Starfish
Serpent

Clams

Featherdusters

Crabs
Emerald

Shrimp
???

No, I do not plan on all of these, especially right now. Of these though is there any that I could pick up while there? Any suggestions to anything else??

[Reefscape]

When adding your clean up crew, its always best to start off small due to the severe lack of food for them..

In your size tank, i would start off with a mixture of 10 - 15 turbo and cerith snails, 10 hermits, and cleaner shrimp perhaps (depending on water params).

I would leave of the urchins for the time being, especially the long spine variety as your coraline will never get a chance to establish..The short spine, or tuxido variety are not so bad..

Seastars, again, i would hold off untill the tank is established and settled.

Clams, dont really see much of a need for them and you wont see much of them anyway..

Feater dusters will grow in your tank on your live rock, depending on nutrient levels. However, the larger variety of tubeworms can be purchased when tank is settled..

Just my thoughts..

Niko

[Lady G]

Thanks Niko!!!

So maybe a few snails, shrimp and hermits at the time, I have heard that the blue legged Hermits are not good to have, is this true and what ones would you recommend? Same with the shrimp...which would you recommend?

I will hold off on everything else. It is just killing me though wanting to buy something, besides LR for my tank! In the end I may hold off on all....but I hate looking at everything there and not getting anything.

[Reefscape]

Thanks Niko!!!

So maybe a few snails, shrimp and hermits at the time, I have heard that the blue legged Hermits are not good to have, is this true and what ones would you recommend? Same with the shrimp...which would you recommend?

I will hold off on everything else. It is just killing me though wanting to buy something, besides LR for my tank! In the end I may hold off on all....but I hate looking at everything there and not getting anything.

Personaly, i have never seen anything different in the blue or red hermit crabs. Both with pick at a sick coral, both will kill a snail for its shell (or eachother), both eat the same foods..I have always said to get a mixture of both, and stand by saying that now..

They are both Clibanarius with their colour added to the end, so, i do find it strange when some say that blue legged are bad, but, red legged are ok. People probably say this because they saw a blue legged one pick at something that it should not, but, that can happen with any hermit crab in the reef..They are just the same as us humans, and that is unpredicable....oh well..

Shrimps, well, you have a good few options..You can go for the standard Lysmata cleaner shrimp, blood red shrimp, sexy shrimp...quite a few options to think about really...

Just my thoughts..

Niko

[Lady G]

Thank you again, Niko!!!!

Now with the Hermits, I do need to get bigger shells to place in the tank too right?

Is there any special foods I should get for the crabs or shrimp?

[Grins]

The crabs will have a ready meal with your snails.:lipssealedsmilie:

Oh and be aware that the bumblebee snails are carnivores.

[Lady G]

The crabs will have a ready meal with your snails.:lipssealedsmilie:

Oh and be aware that the bumblebee snails are carnivores.

Ahhh, what they will eat my fish??? (the snails)

So maybe not the crabs????

[Reefscape]

Thank you again, Niko!!!!

Now with the Hermits, I do need to get bigger shells to place in the tank too right?

Is there any special foods I should get for the crabs or shrimp?


It is always a good idea to buy a good range of spare shells for the hermits to grow into, save's the snails becoming a new meal..

Your clean up crew will scavenge when you feed the fish, plus they have the natural algae / detrius which will normally be present in a tank..

Niko

[Charlesr1958]

Hopefully what I put together on reef clean up crews will help you decide on the proper animals for such a crew.

The Clean up Crew (http://home2.pacific.net.ph/~sweetyummy42/cleanupcrew.html)

Chuck

[Lady G]

Hopefully what I put together on reef clean up crews will help you decide on the proper animals for such a crew.

The Clean up Crew (http://home2.pacific.net.ph/~sweetyummy42/cleanupcrew.html)

Chuck

Thanks for link there Chuck!!

[Grins]

Ahhh, what they will eat my fish??? (the snails)

So maybe not the crabs????

The bumblebees won't eat your fish but if they are hungry they could eat your other snails. And many are very happy with hermit crabs, you might be as well..I'm just a fan.

[Lady G]

The bumblebees won't eat your fish but if they are hungry they could eat your other snails. And many are very happy with hermit crabs, you might be as well..I'm just a fan.

You mean you are NOT a fan right? Wow, I may have to vote to lynch you for that typo...LOL!!!

I realize everyones opinion will vary on these kinda things, I have read both good and bad on the crabs and really are not sure at this point. Hmmm, maybe I should make a poll:grinyes:

[Grins]

The bumblebees won't eat your fish but if they are hungry they could eat your other snails. And many are very happy with hermit crabs, you might be as well..I'm just not a fan.


eeek, I meant I'm not a fan, not a fan

[Grins]

You mean you are NOT a fan right? Wow, I may have to vote to lynch you for that typo...LOL!!!

I realize everyones opinion will vary on these kinda things, I have read both good and bad on the crabs and really are not sure at this point. Hmmm, maybe I should make a poll:grinyes:

Yes! See? Most of my typos are just typos not evil tells...lol

[Lady G]

Yes! See? Most of my typos are just typos not evil tells...lol

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

[Lady G]

Ok, I am going to make a poll...why not, sounds like fun. Let it run a few day's then decide on the boogers or not.

[vorlx]

Snails
Turbo
Nerite
Trochus
Cerith
Bumble Bee

Nerite are fun and help sift the sand a bit. They don't really clean up all that much outside of whatever they are doing in the sand. I had up to 30 at one time before the ice storm wiped them out. I didn't lose any fish but those Nerites bit it hard.

Turbo snails have been great for me, I have 2 large and 1 medium size. I like them the best. They are very active.

I would stay away from Bumble Bee they are omnivores and will eat other snails.



Urchins
Pincushion
pencil
longspine

I would stay away from urchins for the Display Tank due to the fact they can and will probably dine on your Coraline Algae. I swore mine wouldn't do it or wouldn't care if it did. Against good advice. He was a great cleaner then eventually started stripping my rock. I demoted him to my refugium and now he just dines on my Chaeto all day. Saves me from having to prune it.



Starfish
Serpent

Serpents are supposed to be pretty decent but they get pretty big. I haven't gone with any stars yet.



Crabs
Emerald


I have several emeralds and they do a decent job of cleaning up the rock. I also have a Anemone crab but he doesn't clean up at all. I had a decorator crab that did a good job before he passed away.

I like hermit crabs and have quite a few of them. They are always active picking away at stuff. I need to get some more.



Shrimp
???


Shrimp do a good job as well as long as you don't get any fish that like to eat them. I unfortunately have a fish that will snack on them. =(

I think the key to a good cleanup crew is start small and expand as you need it. If you overstock them then they will starve. Good Luck.

[Lady G]

If I get hermit crabs...can I add emerald or porcelain crabs later with them...or now??

[Grins]

Yes G, you should be able to mix those.

[Lady G]

Thank you Grins!

[Lady G]

Are pistol shrimp dangerous for my fish? I was looking at shrimp and am interested in the skunk cleaner, peppermint, and possibly he pistol and bumblebee.

[Grins]

Your fish should be fine with the pistol, the yellow watchman you listed will be cool with it in fact. The possible trouble is with the other shrimp.

[Lady G]

Your fish should be fine with the pistol, the yellow watchman you listed will be cool with it in fact. The possible trouble is with the other shrimp.

So, IF I do get pistol shrimp....that is someone I will need to keep an eye on then. Yeah, I read they had a good relationship..that is really what made me want them. Then I read they could be very aggressive and I was a little worried.

[BToast]

Also want to thankyou for the link, it was a good one!