Clean up crew

[hapki88]

I'm approaching the end of the cycle on my new 65 gallon mini reef. What should I purchase for my clean up crew? I've heard that the red/blue crabs can become unruly. What should I start with and how many?

Thanks.

[e46er]

I went with an assortment of snails around 40 and a couple brittle stars
also a couple cleaner shrimp..... Just cuzthey look cool
found probably 10 snails died over the next few months the packages fish stores try to sell are rediculous

[MMAX]

In my 100gal I have 7 Trochu and 3 Mexican turbo snails. They cleaned the hell out of my tank, might have to move a few into my 20 gallon.

[Dolf]

I would not add a lot of anything to begin with. My advice (and there are those who will disagree) is to stay clear of crabs. They are omnivores and will one day start getting a taste for meat. Emeralds are often sold as a “good” crab, but I have pictures of my emerald pulling a hermit out of it’s shell and snacking- no, the hermit was not dead to begin with. I have since sworn off of hermits, emeralds and all other crabs.

Without knowing your setup and what you want to keep it is a difficult question to answer. If you have some sand in the bottom I would add a couple of nassarius snails to keep the sand turning a little and they eat anything dead (though they don’t really “do” algae.) Remember to feed them even if you have nothing else in the tank. A piece of shrimp occasionally will do.

I would add a few snails to control algae- not too many even in the case of an outbreak. The algae will eventually disappear once the nutrients are used and you will end up with dead snails. Being as you asked “how many” I suppose I would start with 3 or 4 when you can actually SEE algae and add a few more as the algae grow (again, no point is starving the little buggers- they are expensive.) Also, your tank will likely grow different types of algae as it matures and adding a species to take care of a problem that will go away on it’s own does not make sense.

Now, you can add some shrimp or not as you see fit. Shrimp will “pick” at smaller life that will otherwise help clean up your tank, but they also pick at the leftovers. Again, a personal choice on how you want to keep your tank. Personally I prefer to have worms and bugs eat the leftovers and keep shrimp away (and, as this is how I keep a tank it must be “right…”)

Well, you are on the right track. Keep researching and asking questions- but again I come back to the point that it is all dependant on how you want to keep your tank and the trade-off’s that you will put up with for what you do or do not add. Best of luck…

[hapki88]

Great info - thanks. To give some an idea of my tank so far: 2 inch Aragonite substrate, 50 lbs LR, cycled for 1.5 weeks and quickly growing green algae. Water chem, temp, and salinity in acceptable range. Only found a hitchhiking crab but otherwise looks "normal".

[whatcaneyedo]

My 120gal only has two abalone, an astrea snail, a trouchus snail, a turbo snail and a tiger tail cucumber that asexually reproduced its self not too long ago... so two cucumbers. My 50gal frag tank has a single turbo snail and the 20gal nano has nothing. Good liverock will provide you with most of what you need in terms of a cleanup crew. I actually also have mini brittle stars, bristle worms, pods, stomatella snails and several other mini snail varieties that have all come in off of the rocks.

Basically take it slow, try a couple types of snails one at a time and see how they do. Dont buy in mass and if you're a risk adverse person stay away from crabs.