clean up crew.

[horner420]

i recently went to a 65 from a 30 gal tank. for some reason i coudn't keep snails or hermits alive in the 30. the 65 has been up and running for about a month, it has cycled and levels are good....soo i got 5 astrea's to test it. they are doing fine . about 4 day's ago i got 5 blue leg hermie's and 3 turbo's. seem to be fine. just wandering if i can put more in or is this enough.


65 gal
2 blue devils
1 goby(blue striped)
1 tomato
1 bicolor angel
1 striped dotty
and the inverts stated above

 

[reefrash]

Snails tend to not like parameter changes, temp, sg, I'm inclined to say that may have been your problem, but you say you lost hermits as well, I just dunno. As far as snails go I've not had very good luck with astreas, and have had better luck with margaritas (not the ones with the black shells) were the snails you lost astreas? I'm grasping at straws right now.

 

[Decz]

I agree, the whiteshell margarita's are awesome and easy to care for. They will grow coraline algae too, and look like little rocks moving around - very cool!

As for the cleaner crew numbers.... in my 33 gallon I have:
15 aglae eating hermits
8 small blue leg hermits
1 brittle star
8 margarita snails
5 black turbo's (black margarita's)
10 crowned astrea
2 spiny turbo snails
1 peppermint shrimp
1 blue linkia (not sure if this is considered part of the crew or not).

So, IMO you still have plenty of room in your 65.

 

[YoFishboy]

I ordered some Strombus snails from ipsf.com - eat a ton of algae, small (1/2 inch) hardy and breed like crazy. Nerites are great too, and easier to find. I've also had good luck with blue and red legged hermits. Hard to have too many of the snails and hermits, but don't over do the emerald crabs or star fish. Have fun!

 

[horner420]

thanks for the advice. sorry forgot to mention that the blue legs i had in the thirty died at the hands(or claws) of another blue leg who wanted the smaller ones shells. and for the snails i lost...can't remeber. it was a cleaner pack from dr. foster's site. which had several species in there. they all passed.
but the snails i have now have white coned shaped shells...astreas? the lfs i bought them at did not specify the name. they had one type in ever tank they have.

ok thanks again. gonna get some more hermies today....if the lfs has any :duh: they sell out quick.