View Full Version : Clean up crew info required.
ander88
05-26-2009, 1:22 PM
Hey again everyone. I'm getting good at this forum thing :)
Currently im my tank I have 3 Cleanre shrimp, and 5 hermit crabs to form a part of my cleaning crew.
I have been doing some research and are thinking off adding the following to bulk up my crew:
2 mexican turbo snails
Starfish (unknown variety as of yet. Contacting LFS to discuss)
Sea Cucumber
I have a 30gal reef.
Any suggestions welcome
Watch out for star fish. There are several types that will hurt coral.
ander88
05-26-2009, 2:06 PM
Yea will do DSR been reading my books hehe like the geek I am ha! i know the starfish that the LFS had were in there coral tank and I presume that they were reef safe.....
Do you think this would be a good clean up crew to go for DSR
There really are not a lot of starfish that are "aquarium" compatable. sandsifting stars require a ton of sand, linkias are great looking, but super fragile to the point I have never known anyone to successfully keep one. Only stars that you buy that are known to be safe and hardy are pretty much your serpent stars and brittle stars (stay away from the green brittle if you go with one, they get to be 18"-24" tip to tip when they grow up and have the nickname Green Monster)
Turbos are great cleaner.. but also great bulldozers so if you go with them be prepared to pick up corals on a daily basis when you get to that point any also and unstable rocks stacked runs the risk of being knocked over by turbo snails.
Sea cucumber, can't really say myself, no personal experience because everyone I every spoke to about them told me to stay far away from them, so I listened and have. I forgot the reason now (maybe strip the sand like sandsifting stars, but if I remember correctly, they can crash your tank from toxins when they die, or something to that effect).
ander88
05-26-2009, 2:55 PM
I'll deff have a word with LFS and find out what kind of starfish it is first and see what I can find out. I think I'm gonna stear clear of cucumbers on advice and there general appearance....
As for the turbo's at the minute as you can see from my pics I dont have much coral on high level and i think the rocks that are stacked are large enough for them not to knock over...... maybe im wrong....
I think I'm gonna stear clear of cucumbers on advice and there general appearance....
What... you don't like the looks of a big dog turd laying in your sand? :rofl:
You will be suprised at how strong a turbo is, especially when they are against the back glass moving along.. they can push a lot of stuff out of their way.
ander88
05-26-2009, 3:09 PM
What... you don't like the looks of a big dog turd laying in your sand? :rofl:
Haha your **** right!!!!
I only really have the large shell shaped piece near the back but theres a good space between it and the glass, maybe not big enough depending on the snail size?
What other alternative is there to turbos?
Astreas would be an alternative to turbos.
ander88
05-26-2009, 3:32 PM
Cool, just looked them up. The site im looking at is calling them astrea turbo snails. I take it these are similar to mexican turbos just not as strong?
I'm looking online at reefstock.co.uk - would you ever buy from an online retailer?
Turbos are cool, but they knock stuff down all the time. Which is ok if you don't mind that, but I have several pieces of SPS that if they fall they break and I don't want them to break just yet. I am going to revert to using reef putty soon to minimize this from happening, but right now I can't find any in Tulsa (and I don't leave the office soon enough to go to the good LFS.
ander88
05-26-2009, 3:40 PM
Reef Putty.... never heard of that sounds interesting. will have to google it.....
Is the sort of stuff?
http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/218637/product.web
Could I use that to stick my pieces of live rock together to form one structure. Or even use it to secue the LR to the glass bottom, eg, the Large Shell shaped piece to stop it toppling over....?
cjtabares
05-26-2009, 3:45 PM
Reef Putty.... never heard of that sounds interesting. will have to google it.....
Its just a 2 part putty that when mixed will harden and is useful for holding coral where u want it.
ander88
05-26-2009, 4:24 PM
So can this be used for securing LR atall together or to the glass? or is there other products/methods for this?
cjtabares
05-26-2009, 4:36 PM
I used a little to secure some of my live rock together. Idk if u can use it to secure it to glass. But i would try not sick it to well together depending on how much live rock u have. U dont want one big 40lb bolder to worry about if u have to move it.
ander88
05-26-2009, 4:40 PM
I never thought of it like that lol. At the mo i've only got 10kg (22lbs) roughly. do plan on getting more but never thought of big chunkiness lol. Is there any other semipermanent ways to do it or do i just have to place it nice and secure :)
cjtabares
05-26-2009, 4:49 PM
well if u use the putty sparingly u should have no problem pulling it apart.