cleaning crew in a predator tank

[johnyquest]

Hello, will a cleaning crew ( snails, shrimp, stars, etc.) be able to exist in the predator tank? If so, are there certain species that will fair better. And if not, are there fish that can get the job done? Thanks in advance for your helpful feedback.

 

[aw2]

First, we'd need a list of the fish you already keep or the fish you are planning, to give you an accurate assesment as to which cleaners you can keep.
Different fish eat different things...some eat crabs, but wont touch snails. Some eat shrimp, but wont touch crabs, etc.

 

[johnyquest]

I see, I plan to have the following:
Picasso trigger
lion fish
panther grouper
zebra eel
porcupine puffer
125 gallon tank( in-wall)

 

[unleashed]

Originally Posted by JohnyQuest
I see, I plan to have the following:
Picasso trigger
lion fish
panther grouper
zebra eel
porcupine puffer
125 gallon tank( in-wall)
triggers will eat just about all inverts along with puffers.but that doesnt mean you can't keep them at all .you may have to restock once in a while maybe every few months depending each type I always thought of them as h'orderbes not tank mates .kinda made it easier to replace lol but dont bother with expencive shrimps stick more to hermits and snails much easier to swallow the cost

 

[aw2]

Sounds like a good stock list, but I hope you have plans to upgrade your tank as all of those fish will outgrow a 125gal...especially the Panther Grouper (they grow extremely fast)...but, the Zebra Eel should be fine.
As unleashed said...with that stock list, you're kind of limited on what you can have, without having to replenish them every few months.
Try to find large hermits (Red Starry Hermits) and large Stars (Bahama Stars). Other than that...everything will get eaten by one fish or the other.
Picasso trigger : will eat hermits, snails, urchins, shrimp, crabs
lion fish : will eat shrimp and sometimes small crabs
panther grouper : will eat shrimp and possible small crabs
zebra eel : will eat shrimp, crabs, small fish
porcupine puffer : will eat just about anything, including hermits, snails and crabs

 

[cdubbs]

yeah it really depends on the individual fish. I had a choc chip star in my tank for months with my coral catshark,grouper,and SFE. I even had a porc puffer in there for a while until it got stuck to the powerhead. But once i added my black dogface puffer the starfish was missing legs within one day. You just gotta try different(cheap) inverts i guess.

 

[johnyquest]

Thanks for all your input, I can't wait to get started.

 

[harndog]

I just bought a few inverts for my 175 aggressive tank. I added 20 blue legs from the get go. Got 20 more red scarlets tonight 20 trochus snails (for free) 2 queen conchs. Colt coral to dress it up a bit more. (I have pc lights.) Att only have 2 Tangs a 4 or 5 inch Hippo and a 6 or 7 inch red sea sailfin. Next will be either the lion or the SF eel maybe a DF puffer. One at a time of course. All of these guys will last for awhile but we all know eventually they could would be lunch. Also thinking about the Marine Beta or the Mintias Grouper.

 

[djminus1]

I don't know if this helps but I recently converted my community tank to an agressive tank. I had a fairly good sized cleaning crew. I had turbo snails, blue-legged hermits, scarlet hermits, and nassarius snails.
A Lunare wrasse and a Humu Humu trigger wiped all of them out in a couple of months except for the nassarius snails. They just hide better.
I'm not going to add any more at this point. They just get eaten.

 

[scubadoo]

I have had success keeping larger hermits ..but the smaller ones along with snails eventually become part of the food chain. With aggressive systems..if it moves and will fit in a mouth that is where it will eventually end up.
If I add smaller hermits and snails under the cover of darkness they seem to last longer then if my fish see them coming in.....just my experience with my systems...not stating ANY of this to be factual aprroaches for success.

 

[johnyquest]

Thanks ScubaDoo, what species of large hermit are you referring to? I will have to pic some up. Thanks again

 

[scubadoo]

Originally Posted by JohnyQuest
Thanks ScubaDoo, what species of large hermit are you referring to? I will have to pic some up. Thanks again
I have two niger triggers , harlequin tusk and a clown trigger. They all leave the large hermits alone. I purchased a used system that was stocked...they came with the system. I am not certain as to what type of species.

 

[jon321]

Large hermits crabs are probably Dardanus megistos. Upto 6", hairy, red.
Jon

 

[mitzel]

I just picked up two mexican turbo snails that are bigger then a golf ball.

 

[ams153]

as far as your stock list goes really the only thing that would outgrow your tank is a panther grouper i think the rest would be fine just lettin ya know

 

[slipknotno]

I have a 3" starry with
6" stripped puffer
3" huma
3.5" bluejaw
2" blue spot puffer
and the starry holds his own he actually will wave his claws in the fishes direction if they get to close. It's pretty cool to watch

 

[aw2]

Originally Posted by Slipknotno
I have a 3" starry and the starry holds his own he actually will wave his claws in the fishes direction if they get to close. It's pretty cool to watch

I loved watching that, with my Red Starrys. Mine would fight off Queen Triggers, Clown Triggers, a Red Coris Wrasse...
When I first got them (I started with 6 small ones), I called them my Red Hermit Special Forces Clean Up Crew, since they were going into a tank where they probably wouldnt last. The Red Coris finally got to 4 of them, another fish took out the 5th, but the 6th one was a beast. He was the last member of "The Crew".

 

[slipknotno]

Is there anywhere I can get a full grown one. with sttitude. I've tried other crabs and they don't seem to last but this starry is all over the tank. He's in the middle of the feeding frenzy eating anything that heppens to get to the bottom.