What's a good clean-up crew for 125g tank?

[bwonder]

Can someone suggest a good clean-up crew for 125 g. tank:
My substrate is a shallow crushed coral bed and I currently have:
100 lbs. of LR
Two damsels
1 naso tang
1 arrow crab &
6 hermit crabs
I'm planning on adding:
1 yellowmargin trigger
1 blue koran angel
1 copperband butterfly
1 yellow tang
2 mandarin dragronet &
2 clowns

 

[fisherson]

not sure if your trigger would eat snails or not but i'd get a good 50 snails to start off with personally and some more hermits. Some people say that hermits attack snails but i've been doing this a while and never noticed it so i guess it's hit or miss.

 

[wax32]

Hermits usually attack snails if the hermits are starving because of overcrowding. Add a few at a time until you see no algae, then you are at your maximum.
In my 70 I have a mixture of snails totalling no more than 27 altogether and a little over 17 hermits and my tank stays pretty clean.

 

[bwonder]

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[whitey]

It doesn't really matter what cleanup crew you have in that tank if you really plan on adding everything stated above.
Way too much for a 125.
The Naso needs more than a 125 also.

 

[bwonder]

Originally Posted by Whitey
It doesn't really matter what cleanup crew you have in that tank if you really plan on adding everything stated above.
Way too much for a 125.
So, what's the rule of thumb for determining what can be housed in a 125? :notsure:

 

[whitey]

Stocking saltwater should not be determined by using any rule of thumb.
It completely depends on the species of fish you want.
A Naso Tang needs a 180 or larger because they are large active fish and demand swimming room. Watching it pace back and forth is not a Naso's normal behavior.
A full grown Koran, Yellow and Margin Trigger are going to fill that tank on their own, and even with that, your bioload will be high so excelent filtration and a skimmer are a must, along with frequent water changes.
The Butterfly's are tough to keep, and if your tank is overcrowded, and your levels aren't zero all the time, forget about it.
I'd say the same for the Mandarin's. Many agree that they shouldn't be considered an aquarium fish because they simply waste away a majority if the time.
Not to rain on your parade, just offering opinions from experience.
I have a 125 with a Puffer a juv Emporer Angel, a Yellow Tang, and a Coral Hogfish.
4 Fish.
JMO

 

[bwonder]

Thanks for the feedback Whitney. I'm definately going to :thinking: what I add to my tank.