Clean Up Crew

[obsessivelady]

Hi, I have a 155 gallon with a niger trigger thats about 5" from head to tail, a dog face, blue damsel, yellow tang & a naso tang. My tank has been up & running for about a year now & I keep having a problem with the bottom turning brown. I have a thin layer of crushed coral on the bottom, which the trigger is always rearranging. Anyways, I am interested in getting a cleaning crew in & am wondering what anyone thinks if I were to add some hermit crabs, turbo snails, & some fighting conches, sand sifting crabs & a sand sifting starfish. Oh & I would like to put some cleaner shrimp in. Now I had a peppermint shrimp in there with my niger when he was younger & he never bothered it, however I had a moon wrasse that did him in. I no longer have that wrasse I traded him in for the puffer. OKay, so I'm obviously worried if my crew will become meals for the day. Please I'm waiting for some opinions or anyone who has done this. I will be ordering from here. Than last down the road I want to put in a annenome & a maroon clown & that's complete. Suggestions????? Thanks OBL

 

[briang]

I can't offer much help other than my LFS said a sand sifting star wouldn't do well in crushed coral. Said it was to coarse for 'em, GL.

 

[obsessivelady]

Thanks for your input Brian. I will talk to my lfs as well. Actually we just put new lights & changed the filter on the lifegard & I can't believe the difference from that. I still would like to have some critters to watch in there besides the fish. OBL

 

[oyam1]

bid hermit crabs are the best for your needs.
cheap and hardy

 

[moto757]

i'd go with the hermits just stick with one type and get extra shells to keep them from fighting for new ones

 

[ejensen]

Dog face will eat them. Try getting a few at you LFS and see what happens.

 

[moto757]

i don't know don't got a puffer got a trigger and he loves little snails big one he don't mess with but never messed with the hermits so i'd go with what ejensen said and try a few at first

 

[obsessivelady]

I'm gonna try the hermit crabs. I ordered some & also ordered a couple of shrimp, but I'm setting up a quarantine tank so I will be very careful. I figure this is it. I also ordered my maroon clown & a carpet annenome. Ordered from here. I will post later & let everyone know how it is going. My tank is so much clearer & levels are all good I think it's time. It's now or never. My husband will never let me add anything else....so.......Thanks OBL

 

[razoreqx]

Originally posted by obsessivelady
I'm gonna try the hermit crabs. I ordered some & also ordered a couple of shrimp, but I'm setting up a quarantine tank so I will be very careful. I figure this is it. I also ordered my maroon clown & a carpet annenome. Ordered from here. I will post later & let everyone know how it is going. My tank is so much clearer & levels are all good I think it's time. It's now or never. My husband will never let me add anything else....so.......Thanks OBL
Chances are your dogface and trigger will eat those.. I had the same problem in my aggressive tank.. the only good cleaner I found I could have with them was a LM Blennie

 

[obsessivelady]

I sure hope the puffer doesn't eat them. That's why I'll have the quarantine so I can test this out. I'm not gonna throw them all in & see what happens. Maybe I should check out the blennie. LM? What kind exactly is that? Thanks....OBL