cleaner Crew for 29 gal. mixed tank

[spider crab]

What would you recommend in terms of cleaner crew, for this size tank. I hope to, at some point, include some reef stuff (When I can get proper lighting). I thinking of both fish and snails and crabs and would like to know how many of each i should have. things like turbo snails, blue legs, sally light foots etc. I think those kinds of things are cool to watch as well as serving a function within the tank.
Anything that is sold out there as cleaners that I should avoid?
thanks

 

[hondo]

snails snails and more snails. They are the safest and best cleaners. Get some Nassarius for detrious on the sand bed. Trouchas for cleaning algae off rocks (and they last longer than astreas or margaritas). Cerith all around good cleaners. Turbos are alwsy good to have. good rule of thumb is 1 per gallon of water. If you feel you must have crabs go with scarlet reef hermits as they are the safest. Emerald and sally lightfoots are fun to watch but most people seem to have horror stories about them turning carnivorous and attacking everything in the tank. Personally I took a chance on both and have had no problems.

 

[krux]

I would invest the 15-50 dollars for magnetic cleaning pads. No matter hoe many snails you have, the front and side glass will never stay clean.... the snails leave small tracks everywhere where their radula scrape along. Once you are cleaning 3 walls of your tank theres a lot less algae, so you dont need to necessarily follow the one snail per gallon rule you see and hear a lot. Take a look at my prophile below if you want an idea of a good 29g crew.... my tank is spotless, and i even have to feed nori from time to tine as everything gets so clean. You really dont want to see anything starve though.... so make sure you add things in batches.... dont throw 30 snails in and think your tank will support them all forever.
GL