What do you have as a clean-up crew?
- Thread starter Batmanjay28
- Start date
That actually sounds like a much better way to go. Build your own, save $ and get exactly what you want.
Ya, haven't had a hair algae problem in many years.. but the emerald I tried seemed to think my nice zoas were a good alternative to hair algae.
yeah, i have heard some horror stories too. In reality, all they SHOULD be doing is removing dead tissue, because thats all they really eat is dead tissue (and small crustaceans like pods) but, i wont say more on it, simply because i have not witnessed it.
Batmanjay- no problem, They have been running that deal for some time now, and i think its no doubt one of the best in the business, the only one i've found better is one that i can't really share. But to give you an idea a friend has a friend who works in wholesaling of carribean clean-up crews and i get dwarf blue legs for 12 cents, scarlet reef hermits for 25 cents, and astrea snails for 20 cents. Doesn't get any better than that =). I'd love to share the source, but if i did, im afraid i'd put him out of business =).
Jay, how many blue legged hermit, Turbo/Astrea Snail, and Nassarius Snail would I need in the 90G reef?
They would be with the clean-up crew that I already have and 3 emerald crabs, arrow crab, 2 Porcelain Crab, and maybe another sally lightfoot crab.
What would be your suggestion?
They would be with the clean-up crew that I already have and 3 emerald crabs, arrow crab, 2 Porcelain Crab, and maybe another sally lightfoot crab.
What would be your suggestion?
I had a couple emerald crabs and a sally lightfoot crab..but they both liked my polyps. Got rid of them all.
Just have a mix of hermits and snails.
~~Ange
Just have a mix of hermits and snails.
~~Ange
well, to be honest i wouldnt mix SO many crabs together. Personally i would pick 2 out of the three species of crab you mentioned (excluding the arrow crab, as they usually like to stay in the water column and not on the rocks). I'd probably go with another sally light foot and the 3 emeralds and forget the porcelain, just to avoid possible war between them, although you may get lucky and never see them fight too... who knows, but thats what i would do.
As for the hermits, i tend to like the dwarf blue legs the most for sand cleaning, which is IMO pretty much what the nassarius do too. If it were me, i would probably get 15-20 dwarf blue leg hermits, but my opinion is biased as well. I'd probably get 10-15 astreas, maybe a couple of Mexicans, although not many as they tend to be more expensive and do less work load. And maybe 10 or so nassarius.
That would put you at:
20 dwarf blue legs
10 astreas
10 nassarius
3 emerald
1 sally light foot
1 arrow.
With all of the other stuff you already have, this would be MORE than a sufficent cleanup crew, in fact if you wanted too, you could even cut down a bit and not get as many hermits.
I'd probably shoot for end result
20-40 hermits (however many you feel necessary to keep your sand white)
10-20 astreas (my personal favorite snail)
5-10 turbos (which it sounds like you have)
5-15 nassarius(just to help stir up the sand some)
and whatever other crabs you like, such as the arrow sally light foot, and the emerald.
This is of course just my opinion. =).
As for the hermits, i tend to like the dwarf blue legs the most for sand cleaning, which is IMO pretty much what the nassarius do too. If it were me, i would probably get 15-20 dwarf blue leg hermits, but my opinion is biased as well. I'd probably get 10-15 astreas, maybe a couple of Mexicans, although not many as they tend to be more expensive and do less work load. And maybe 10 or so nassarius.
That would put you at:
20 dwarf blue legs
10 astreas
10 nassarius
3 emerald
1 sally light foot
1 arrow.
With all of the other stuff you already have, this would be MORE than a sufficent cleanup crew, in fact if you wanted too, you could even cut down a bit and not get as many hermits.
I'd probably shoot for end result
20-40 hermits (however many you feel necessary to keep your sand white)
10-20 astreas (my personal favorite snail)
5-10 turbos (which it sounds like you have)
5-15 nassarius(just to help stir up the sand some)
and whatever other crabs you like, such as the arrow sally light foot, and the emerald.
This is of course just my opinion. =).
Thanks for the help man.
So this is what I'm going with from ETropical.com----
DG-89188 SW - Serpent Sea Star (BYO) $5.50 x 1 = $5.50
DG-89178 SW - Emerald Crab (BYO) $4.00 x 3 = $12.00
DG-89192 SW - Astraea Turbo Snail (BYO) - Large $1.20 x 10 = $12.00
DG-89197 SW - Nassarius Snail (BYO) $1.80 x 10 = $18.00
DG-89182 SW - Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab (BYO) $1.00 x 20 = $20.00
DG-89179 SW - Sally Lightfoot Crab (BYO) $8.00 x 1 = $8.00
DG-89177 SW - Arrow Crab (BYO) $5.50 x 1 = $5.50
Subtotal: $81.00
What do you think? I do have 170lbs of live rock and 120 lbs of live sand.
So this is what I'm going with from ETropical.com----
DG-89188 SW - Serpent Sea Star (BYO) $5.50 x 1 = $5.50
DG-89178 SW - Emerald Crab (BYO) $4.00 x 3 = $12.00
DG-89192 SW - Astraea Turbo Snail (BYO) - Large $1.20 x 10 = $12.00
DG-89197 SW - Nassarius Snail (BYO) $1.80 x 10 = $18.00
DG-89182 SW - Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab (BYO) $1.00 x 20 = $20.00
DG-89179 SW - Sally Lightfoot Crab (BYO) $8.00 x 1 = $8.00
DG-89177 SW - Arrow Crab (BYO) $5.50 x 1 = $5.50
Subtotal: $81.00
What do you think? I do have 170lbs of live rock and 120 lbs of live sand.
2 scarket skunk cleaner shrimo
8 peppermint shrimo
1 red/black brittlestart
2 black foot turbos
1 florida fighting conch
1bazillion stomtalla snails
55g. and I don't consider the porcelain crab a cleaner although it is a filter feeder.
8 peppermint shrimo
1 red/black brittlestart
2 black foot turbos
1 florida fighting conch
1bazillion stomtalla snails
55g. and I don't consider the porcelain crab a cleaner although it is a filter feeder.
list looks good to me jay. Personally I'm not a huge fan of stars unless they are for viewing purposes (like a red formia or a linika) but some people like them.
You will certainly have a very diverse cleaning crew.
You will certainly have a very diverse cleaning crew.
I'm not a fan of getting a large clean up crew at once. Especially in a new tank which I believe this is for. And while my discrimination against crabs that hunt with their claws is well known there are definitely some on that list that even pro-crab people should admit are risky in a reef. I'd recommend the blackfoot turbos over the astraea as well.
