ost effieiet detrius eater

[asherah]

I'm looking to add some lean up critters to my tank soon and was wondering who the most efficient detrius eaters are
Here's what I was thinking so far
not sure on numers yet

Cerith
Scarlet Reef Hermit
Bumble Bee Snails
Red Footed Conch
Pompom Anemone Crab

asherah

[Brent F]

Brittlestars are great and can squeeze into the tiniest areas.

What did you end up getting for the new tank?

[asherah]

actually haen't gotten a new one yet
We are waiting to here about a job in california so we'll hae to see what happens with that first :biggrin:

asherah

[Skimmerking]

cucumber's are great tiger tail, black

[asherah]

This sausage-shaped sea cucumber moves slowly over the sediments, mopping up its dinner. It is not reclusive and may release holothurin toxin if stressed by abnormal physical conditions or if bothered or irritated by hermit crabs,


has anyone had this happen ?

[chevyjaxon]

maybe a blue legged hermit crab will work?

[Myka]

Here's some of my favs:

Orange Lip Conch
Cleaner/Peppermint shrimps (stir up detritus mostly so the filters can get it)
High flow rate ;)

I don't like Bumble Bee snails as they are predatory to other snails. Good luck finding a PomPom crab with pompoms. :D

[asherah]

Here's some of my favs:

Orange Lip Conch
Cleaner/Peppermint shrimps (stir up detritus mostly so the filters can get it)
High flow rate ;)

I don't like Bumble Bee snails as they are predatory to other snails. Good luck finding a PomPom crab with pompoms. :D


ummer =/ they are so ute
I did not know umle ees were predatory ! ross them off the list
i'm leary of shrip eause I killed my cleaner shrimp when I aclimated them I guess I didn't do it slow enough as when I added them to my tank they died =(

I'e neer heard of the orange lip oh efore I'll hae to look that one up
asherah

[scumchug]

I would sat that bristle worms are the most efficient.....

[asherah]

so you can buy risstle worms then ? Where do you get them ?
thanks asherah

[Brent F]

mine came with my live rock

[sharuq1]

IMHO pom poms are more decorative than useful. (darn cute though)

I know someone who had their tank nuked due to a cuke dying, so due to that I would not recommend them. The bristleworms and possibly microstars (micro brittle stars) that come in off most live rock are very good detrivores. I

Golds sells conches (I think called fighting conches, also called orange lipped though I see no orange) and I bought one from there. It loves to clunk about in the sand and eat stuff with its "trunk".

I like the tri-color hermit crabs for hc's. I found most other kinds ate my snails and each other.

If you just want to stir your sand bed up and have room for the bio load of a fish, a goby is nice. Their are several gobies that sift sand. The ones in my tank are Signal and "Dragon" (can't remember the scientific names).

Most people recommend against getting a "sand dollar" as they often have bad survival rates in the aquarium..same goes for sand sifting starfish.

Another cleaner upper I really like is the money cowrie. It is small, Golds sells them as well.