Suggested ratios for cleaner crew

as40

as40

Give it to us raw and wriggling!
Oct 12, 2003
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Ventura, CA 93003
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Hi again everyone. Okay. So I got 12 hermit crabs. Two blue-legged, the rest scarlet. Supposedly they'll stay small, will be okay with the snails. I've got 2 turbos, 6 astraea, and 6 cerith. Although the tank is supposedly 60 gallons, after rocks, sand and all it's really only 40 gallons of water. Think this is enough as far as snails go? Don't want to get any more crabs, in case of aggression. The turbos seem like giant poop factories. They generate tons of it everyday. Don't want to get any more of them. I just found today a snail egg trail on the front of my tank. I've read though that they probably won't survive. Would be cool if they did though, they aren't cheap at the LFS and it's not worth the $$$ in shipping to order snails online. Besides, everywhere I've seen charges the same as the LFS. Thoughts, suggestions? As usual, thanks all! :D
 
Nassarius snails reproduce in my tanks--I added 10-15 of them, and now have tons in all tanks in the system. I think if you have 1.5 cleaner per gallon of water, they should be able to take care of normal maintenance. A few more snails probably wouldn't hurt, but I'd wait a month of two, and see how these guys do.
 
Thank you, OrionGirl! As usual, you are a great source of information and help! :)
Now, I'm going to pick your brain for a bit more! More! MORE!!!! :D

Nothing but questions on the salty side, sorry...

Just read an article stating that the scarlet hermits EAT AWAY your coralline algea! That's not a good thing, I want that to grow and spread, the sooner the better. Is this true, first off, and do I need to worry about it with the crabs I have? I have 1 per 4 gallons right now of the scarlets.

Second, was thinking of eventually trading in the poop factories (turbos) if the LFS would go for it for a bunch of smaller snails, maybe the nassarius if I can find them. Or would you just keep the poop factories? I was thinking more smaller snails - fewer larger snails = more surface area covered + less waste produced. Am I wrong though?

Thanks again!
 
I was gonna ask the exact same thing! I was wondering about a 'cleaner kit' that is sold online. I am cycling my 75 now (it stinks! wife's not digging the smell) but I only have roughly 60 gallons in now. There will be less when the LR goes in after the cycle. The 75 kit had like 50 crabs and a bunch of snails. that seems excessive.
How does the cleaner crew really count against the bio-load of the tank? My assumption is that it counts for some but not as much as fish.
 
I prefer the smaller snails. I have some turbos, but they are only in with the FO--they are bright enough to hide during the day, so survive the trigger better than some of the other snails. The Nassarius work mostly on the sand--they will go on the glass, but not as much.

For the crabs--actually, a little bit of attention on the coralline algae encourages it to spread. My tank with the most coralline algae is the one with the urchin, and I know he eats it. It grows very quickly, and a little bit of nibbling will result in flakes that land elsewhere, and grow. So, I wouldn't stress, unless you actually see a serious problem.

Yes, cleaners contribute to the bio-load, but not as much as a fish. Most places recomend a ton of cleaners, because it's easier to prevent a problem than to resolve it once it's there. I go slower, so buying huge package of them at once doesn't work with my style. It does work--just not my style. I prefer to build up to the higher numbers, rather than adding them all at once. Costs a bit more, but hey, it makes me more comfortable.
 
Thank you for the information, OrionGirl. As usual, it is very... Informative! :)

I think I'll keep the crabs and the turbos for now. The turbos will probably get traded in soon though. I think I also prefer smaller snails.

Oh, yeah, another thing. Exciting! Did a water test last night, and my nitrites finally hit zero! :D
 
Whoop, whoop! Now the fun part starts! I was happy to find my 10 hit 0 as well. Added a few smal chunks of live rock, and have spent the last week trying to identify the hitch hikers that's leaving 'trails' all over the tank. Certainly can't be starving, whatever it is!
 
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