Clean up Crew

[75 gallon bow]

I have a 72 Gallon tank. 70 pouns of live rock so far. Eventually I want to go reef. Currently I have a Yellow tang and 1 small cleaner shrimp. The tank has been up since November 3rd. I was looking at different clean up crew packages and I was leaning toward the big 20 + 1 reef package. Also, I was thinking about adding a fire shrimp and a coral banded shrimp.
What is everyone's thoughts?
Should I get a different package?
Is this a good package?
Should I not order the fire shrimp?
What does everyone have or need in there clean up crew's?
Thanks in advance

 

[75 gallon bow]

Here is what's in the package by itself....
Quantity
Scarlet Hermit Crab:20
Turbo/Astrea Snail: 20
Blueleg Hermit Crab:20
Emerald Crab: 3
Cleaner Shrimp: 1
Cleaner Clam: 2

 

[mcbdz]

If you want the package it should be ok. Or you can put your own together. You really need a mix of all the different snails. Some people don't like hermits, but I do. They are fun to watch and do clean. Some will kill your snails for there shells, so make sure you have spare shells. Emeral crabs are good, but I think it is a little early unless you are going to supplement them with algea sheets. Cleaner shimp, fire shrimp and pepperment shrimp are good. Coral banded shrimp can get aggressive as they get big. I don't care for them, some love them. Just don't over stock too fast or they can starve. I add cleanners a few of each at a time and go by if they are keeping up or they need more to help keep things clean.

 

[75 gallon bow]

so would it be better to but my own package together. How many crabs would be good? Which ones should I get? Why different snails.
Sorry I was aslso going to order the 50 empty shells.
Should I hold off on the 2nd cleaner and get pepperment shrimp?
Is the fire shrimp similar to what the cleaner shrimp does?

 

[renogaw]

ok... here's my take on what you should have in your 72 gallon, from personal experience (i had a 70 gal)
20 tonga nassarous snails (personally ,i don't like this site's snails)
2-3 mexican turbos
15-20 turbo astrea snails
2-3 emerald crabs
2-3 peppermints (some people are afraid of them though, but this site's supposedly do eat aiptasia)
20-30 mix of blue and scarlet hermits
do not buy their shells (my hermits won't go into them, they are mainly astrea snail shells and are way too heavy).
no cleaner clams. mine have all died.
and 10 of the pointy snail... cant remember the name (brb)---cerith snails.

 

[notsonoob]

Don't chance the peppermint as it might not be as reef safe as projected.
I would buy the two cleaners. Tehy are more active in pairs or multiples. I bought two off the bat and they each picked their own half of the tank. I don't think you will need anything else. Mine cruise all over the place all day.
I don't really think you need that many crabs either as they will eventually fight each other off anyway. I started out with 45 crabs and I know for a fact I have no-where near that left.
Remember that crabs are opportunistic. Astera snails you need to consider as consumable. I had empty shells, but it seems that snails fall upside down from time to time, and if you don't get to them in time, tehy will be a nice juicy snack.
Crabs also nuked my clams, when they got sick.
Always alot to think about. You need a wide range of different snails. I was told to stay away from bumblebee, because they are preditor snails.
Emerald crab loved my feather duster so much he pulled him out of his tube and made popcorn out of him...

 

[renogaw]

bumblebees are whelks. they are decent cleaners, but will prey on anything if there's not enough food. they are a GREAT addition to a sump.

 

[mcbdz]

It will mostly be what you like. The fireshrimp has good color. That is the main reason people will get them. They are just another cleaner shrimp. Them mix of snails and hermits, is mainly because different ones do different jobs, such as, clen rock, clean sand, clean glass, clean left over food, different algeas, etc...........
Just read on each one and decide what it is your in need of or just mix them all to cover it all. That goes for how many you'll need of each also. Since your tank is new you want to just slowly add them so you don't get too many and they starve.
Some thing like 10-20 hermits( I started 10 and add as needed. A couple turbo snails, 5-10 astraea, mini-turbo, margarita, nerita, and ceriths snails.

 

[notsonoob]

I only have one bumblebee which doesn't do anything to anything else.
If you added a couple it might be trouble. They add color.
Good thought about using them in a sump though.

 

[75 gallon bow]

So pepperment are bad for reef? How big of a problem are crabs? Should I just have 1 cleaner shrimp and 1 fire shrimp compared instead of 2 cleaner shimp? Also which starfish are reef safe and which would you prefer?
When would be a good time to start adding starter corals?

 

[renogaw]

i'd wait until your tank is more mature for the stars, but serpent stars are nice, stay away from chocolate chip and sand sifters.
I personally do not think peppermints are bad for reef. What i think is they are doing their job. I think people have dying corals and the peppermints eat them, but they aren't 100% dead yet so people think they are killing them. Peppermints are great for aiptasia, if you get ones that are used to eating aiptasia. they are also great cleaners.
as with any cleaner package, it never hurts to feed them once a week. i give my crabs a piece of seafood or a silverside and let them feast. they still do their job the rest of the week, but i know they aren't starving to the point that they'd go after each other or the corals/fish in the tank.

 

[75 gallon bow]

Thanks, that help's out alot. WHat do you know about Blue thriat trigger's? I know alot of triggers are bad for corals and cleaners. But, I have read they are the best. Would they work with all the shimp? Or is that a big negative

 

[75 gallon bow]

Bump

 

[notsonoob]

I tried to give my crabs a silverside for desert.
Even after I fed all the fish with frozen spurline other fish and spot fed the corals my Yellow and Blue Hippo nibbled on the silverside of about 15 minutes.
I never would have guessed

 

[notsonoob]

It could be as Renogaw states.
I've read 50/50 on them being reef safe. I have also read some articles that state that pepperment shimp don't do well in community tanks or last long. Mine didn't either and I never replaced them.
I've always heard that cleaners to better in pairs or community and have more confidence around the tank. I had one pepperment that I rarely saw. I bought the two cleaners because I have a blue hippo that was an ICK magnet. That was gone a week after I put in the cleaners and never came back.
If your tank is big enough you could add two cleaners and the fire, but hey it's your own tank..