Clean-Up Crew?

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sykomagnet

Guest
Im setting up a clean-up crew for my 55 US gallon (30 UK gallon) reef. And i just want to make sure its enough (or not too much)
5 x Scarlet Hermit Crabs
20 x Nerite Snails
18 x Drawf Red-Leg Hermit Crabs
10 x Cerith Snails
1 x Brittle Starfish
1 x Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
Thanks any comments xx
 
kdfrosty

kdfrosty

Active Member
For a 55g, I would recommend:
-3 Mexican Turbo Snails
-10 Nassarius Snails
-10 Scarlet hermits
-5 Cerith Snails
I would NOT recommend adding a starfish as part of a cleanup crew. Also, I avoid any hermits besides Scarlets. I dont know anything about the hermits you mentioned, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
 
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sinner's girl

Guest
I'd say it's fine. But that's a lot of snails. They will die if you don't have enough algea to feed them or lots of lr.
I don't like snails. I get urchines and cc star. Hermits will eat the snails for thier shell if you don't have extra shells. hermits will kill each other for shells or just for fun. I've heard they will kill snails even if they don't need a shell. cc will kill snails too.
I would NOT recommend adding a starfish as part of a cleanup crew.
Why?
Why no starfish? they are great, but you should have some lr and an established tank unless you're going to spot feed (which you should anyway). A brittle will clean up a dead fish before you have a chance to know it's gone, of course, he might also be the reason the fish is dead....
I love my stars. I have a seprent (about 5 years), and a new brittle and cc star.
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
Never used stars or urchins. Not that I don't like them, just never got around to using them.
In my 210 gallon I have:
1 pink&black cucumber
4 Emerald crabs
Couple of peppermint shrimps/ and cleaner shrimps
50 Ceriths
400 Nass. snails
10 Micro hermits. (with plenty of available empty shells I threw throughout the sand.
Nass. snails are a must for a sand bed, imho. They bury themselves until they smell food, then they all rise to the surface and seek it out. I've never seen any food spend more than about 30 seconds on the bottom of my tank before it is covered by snails. They eat algae too (I assume since occasionally they climb the glass), but are mostly scavengers.
Ceriths are also great for a sand bed, and feed nocturnally on algae.
Cucumbers can be good. Just make sure you get on of the least toxic variety and keep your powerheads protected and water quality good. They can process a huge amount of detritus.
Emeralds eat buble algae. Though they also eat anything else around. If they get big they can start going after snails.
Start slow, and keep adding as you see the need.
 
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sykomagnet

Guest
dwarf red-legged hermits are basically mini versions of the scarlets i think.
Are starfish really that bad? Its putting me off, what people are saying, lol
 
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sinner's girl

Guest
nope. I don't have any lights on tank right now. Though if you don't have algea growing, you'll need to feed them algea.
 
kdfrosty

kdfrosty

Active Member
I was under the impression that Sykomagnet was starting a tank and adding a cleanup crew right after the cycle. In this case, a star is a bad idea as they need a mature tank and a stable environment.
 
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sykomagnet

Guest
NOOOO WAY! im not that stupid, lol.
I had a fish-only tank for 8 months. then they all died of ich so im starting afresh (with a reef)
Gonna get live rock soon cos it's nearly done cycling.
Im gonna add snails... then wait and add crabs.... then wait and add shrimp...
And then fish of course :p
and maybe later a brittle
 
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