Clean up crew ?

[woolfe]

I'm almost done cycling & I've been starting to look into what I want in there for a clean up crew. I do already have a couple of snails that came with the rock.

What I think are star polyps. Not sure of the color yet but right now they're white. A few tiny feather dusters. They came with the rock too. Everything seems to be doing ok. I also have 110 lbs. LR & 150 lbs of LS in a 90 Gal. How many can/should I have of the following:
Emerald Crab
Turbo Snail
Sally light foot
Blueleg Hermit
Cerith snail
Nassairus Snail

 

[oceanists]

Originally Posted by woolfe
I'm almost done cycling & I've been starting to look into what I want in there for a clean up crew. I do already have a couple of snails that came with the rock.

What I think are star polyps. Not sure of the color yet but right now they're white. A few tiny feather dusters. They came with the rock too. Everything seems to be doing ok. I also have 110 lbs. LR & 150 lbs of LS in a 90 Gal. How many can/should I have of the following:
Emerald Crab
Turbo Snail
Sally light foot
Blueleg Hermit
Cerith snail
Nassairus Snail

Emerald Crab- 1 (allthough not for sure to be reef safe)
Turbo Snail- 0 they often dont stay alive and then rot in your tank.
Sally light foot-1
Blueleg Hermit- 0
Cerith snail- 0 (Worthless)

Nassairus Snail- 20
Astrea- (I added this in place of the Turbo, they do a much better job and stay alive longer) 20
Red Scarlet Crabs- (I added this because the Blue Legs will kill all of your snails for their Shells, and for some reason the Scarlets dont) 40
Brittle Star- 1
Searpent star- 1
Good Luck!

 

[woolfe]

really? I thought I was supposed to have a lot more then you listed...... Will just that many clean my tank? It's pretty nasty.

 

[oceanists]

Originally Posted by woolfe
really? I thought I was supposed to have a lot more then you listed...... Will just that many clean my tank? It's pretty nasty.
well , 1 snail every 2 gallons, 1 crab every 5 gallons then a couple of starfish ... you could get more deffinatly i was just thinking about the most cost effective crew.
if money isnt an issue I would add more 20 more astrea snails ... these guys are AWESOME. My Turbos did do anything for my tank and then died (one got stuck in the powerhead)
and a couple more britle stars.
If you have Diatoms , my best advise would be a sea cucumber for a interem period of time then once that goes away trade him in.
I wouldnt overload on crabs otherwise they may start fighting each other off, also make sure you have plenty of bigger unused shells or they may go after a snails or two when the grow and need a new home... I havent had a red scarle do this but anything is possible ..... Also
I forgot the best thing
6 Peppermint Shrimp
3 Skunk Cleaners (keep cleaners in odd numbers)
Oh one more thing, I may be confusing this subject alittle,
There are 2 types of Turbos, Mexican Turbos (HUGE) and then the Astrea Turbo which are the good ones

 

[dc2mlbsm]

y odd numbers?

 

[oceanists]

Originally Posted by dc2mlbsm
y odd numbers?
for some reason they fair better , they seem to hang out with each other alot more, and also fish seeem to let cleanings take place with more shrimp.
Im not sure why but when you have 3 they all hang out, and when you have 4 they go near each other
not sure of the reasoning behind this

 

[bsd230]

Originally Posted by woolfe
really? I thought I was supposed to have a lot more then you listed...... Will just that many clean my tank? It's pretty nasty.
I have a 105 gallon with about 40 dwarf blue legs, 20 red scarlets, 20 turbos, 40 astreas, 4 nassarius snails, 4 emerald crabs 1 Red emerald crab, 1 decorator spider crab, 1 arrow crab, 1 brittle star, 1 sand sifting star, 1 giant feather duster, 1 black sand sifting cucumber, 1 skunk cleaner shimp, and 2 peppermint shimps. If you add prenty of empty shells of various sizes this will help reduce hermits killing your snails. I also have several corals and anenomes and have not had any problem with my emerald crabs eating them. The only problem I have had is my decorator crab pulling zoos off and sticking them to himself. I have heard a rule of thumb is 2-3 snails per gallon but that seems a little crazy to me. The above setup does a great job in my tank. The one thing I would add is that astreas need to be setup facing the glass, if you allow them to float to the bottom and land upside down they can't usually right themselves, turbos are not a problem.

 

[woolfe]

cool thanks for all your help. I like that no matter what your always there to answer my q's. You've been a big help to me. Just want you to know I appriciate it.......

 

[woolfe]

Originally Posted by Oceanists
for some reason they fair better , they seem to hang out with each other alot more, and also fish seeem to let cleanings take place with more shrimp.
Im not sure why but when you have 3 they all hang out, and when you have 4 they go near each other
not sure of the reasoning behind this

Last message should have been here. I'll figure these boards out sooner or later

 

[oceanists]

Originally Posted by woolfe
cool thanks for all your help. I like that no matter what your always there to answer my q's. You've been a big help to me. Just want you to know I appriciate it.......

no problem. Good luck

 

[gen1dustin]

I thought stars were supposed to have more of a mature tank, rather than a freshly cycled one.

 

[merredeth]

Originally Posted by Gen1Dustin
I thought stars were supposed to have more of a mature tank, rather than a freshly cycled one.
I have always recommended that stars have a mature tank as I read someplace (probably here) they end up starving themselves. Although, some people do feed them krill by placing the krill under the starfish.
Denise M.

 

[oceanists]

Originally Posted by Merredeth
I have always recommended that stars have a mature tank as I read someplace (probably here) they end up starving themselves. Although, some people do feed them krill by placing the krill under the starfish.
Denise M.

yup, or algea sheats