cleaner crew recommendations????

[hammbone]

I'm about to purchase a cleaner crew for my first reef tank and would love to hear some suggestions from you guys as to what I should get. What has worked good for you and has done a good job keeping things clean?
Are all hermit crabs the same other than color or do some clean better than others?
What else do I want? Crabs? Shrimp? Cucumbers?
How many of what?
What should I avoid that may cause me problems in a reef?
I have a 110G main tank that is 6' long with a large sump in the basement below. Total water in system is about 190G. I have almost 200lbs LR and 80lbs LS.
What do you suggest and why?
Thanks, Jim

 

[clsimons29]

I am also setting up a new tank and I am in the process of cycling it now and planning on adding my cleanup crew in about a month. Don't know if I can help you much except let you know what I am doing. I am planning on using the 100+ cleanup crew available on this site. Seems to be a good mix and decent price. I am also planning on adding a serpent star. I would avoid nudibranches as they seem difficult to keep fed over the long term.

 

[zanoshanox]

This site offers some great options for reef aquariums, just go for variety..snails, hermits, shrimp and other inverts, and try to get all kinds of different species.

 

[rujelus22]

not all hermits are the same make sure you do your research on any that your going to get, some are way more aggresive and some even eat corals and other shrimps and crabs

 

[clsimons29]

Noticed you are from FC CO, spent the last four years there while my wife went through Vet school...I miss having a local LFS sooooo MUCH, we moved to small town USA...Denzins of the Deep.... I always loved going there just to look at the fish.

 

[hammbone]

Yep, Denzins of the Deep is a good place. They've been very helpful.
Jim

 

[hammbone]

Originally Posted by clsimons29
I am also setting up a new tank and I am in the process of cycling it now and planning on adding my cleanup crew in about a month. Don't know if I can help you much except let you know what I am doing. I am planning on using the 100+ cleanup crew available on this site. Seems to be a good mix and decent price. I am also planning on adding a serpent star. I would avoid nudibranches as they seem difficult to keep fed over the long term.
How big is your tank? That 100+ crew seems like a lot of critters. If there's not enough food for them all, won't they just die?

 

[hammbone]

Originally Posted by rujelus22
not all hermits are the same make sure you do your research on any that your going to get, some are way more aggresive and some even eat corals and other shrimps and crabs
Can you please elaborate on which ones are good and which ones are bad?
Thanks, Jim

 

[wwfstyle]

I beleive that the blue leg hermits have a shorter life spam than the scarlets. Just what I have heard. So I recommend getting more scarlets and various snails to help with any up coming algae problems. I hate the green serpant star fish due to them eating up my snails. Get a small collection of shrimps like the cleaner, and peppermints.

 

[fanker]

ive had great succes with turbo snails and blue legged hermits, and a emeral crab is good. they eat hair alge and everything except my fish and corals.