Clean up crew time!!!

[Andy16]

The time has come! its time to pick out my clean up crew for my 20 gallon reef tank. Right now i have 1 hermit crab(not sure what kind). I am going to get an emerald crab for sure also. So what else should i get? I know i need snails and more hermit crabs but i am unsure of quantity and type. And then there still might be a few other members of the clean up crew i am forgetting.

EDIT: Technically, you guys are creating a shopping list for me:p :D

[Guy W]

some may have other ideas but I'd go for the following for a 20gal.

6 scarlet hermits
4 to 6 Turbo Snails (I like mexican turbos)
1 Serpent Star
1 Emerald Crab
1 Cleaner or Blood Shrimp

See how the snails and crabs do and add a few more if necessary.

[Andy16]

As always, thanks. That looks like a great list to go by. One thing that ive heard about the turbos is taht they get big. Astreas seemed to be the better choice there but i am no expert.

[Guy W]

The mexicans, which are the only ones I've gotten are actually fairly large, you know for a snail. But I guess it doesn't seem to big in a 125gal tank. They are cleaning machines though...

Can Astreas right themselves if they fall over? I know the Mexicans can, which was another bonus. I've seen mine do it many times.

[mogurnda]

Astreas have trouble righting themselves on sand. If there is a rock nearby, they can grab on. I have only lost one from the inability to right itself in 2 years.

If you go for shrimp, I'd go for two. Any two will mate and make zooplankton for you. It certainly won't overload the system.

Before you add the cleaning crew, you might think about a detritivore kit from Indo-Pacific Sea Farms (http://www.ipsf.com) or Inland Aquatics (http://www.inlandaquatics.com). It's easier for the detritivores to settle in before the shrimp and crabs are in.

[Andy16]

I got some of my clean up crew this sunday. Here it is


4 Blue legged hermits(couldnt find the scarlet, if i see some cheap i will snag a few)
2 mexican turbos(huge, also am going to get a few more)
1 coral banded shrimp(cleaner to spendy)
1 sand sifting star( i am also going to get a serpent but the didnt have any and the sand sifting star was cheap. I also though i needed something to stir the DSB.)

[lostris]

Would a lionfish eat a snail or a shrimp, a friend of mine has an algea bloom,and he has a lionfish and some damsels.I dont know the size of the tank, but its fairly big