Cleanup Crew List

briandg

briandg

Member
I checked my trates today and they are down to 20. I got my RO unit and will begin water changes tomorrow. I'm thinking about going ahead and purchasing my cleanup crew. I don't have a problem with algae yet, but diatoms are all over my tank. I have a 55 gal w/ 70lbs live rock, and 40lbs of live sand. I got my two maxijets 900 today and they are circulating my tank along w/my prizm skimmer and my rena xp2 cannister filter. I have no lfs to purchase the crew so I'm ordering. The list I'm thinking about is as follows:
Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab 5
Dwarf Red Tip Hermit Crab 5
Dwarf Zebra Hermit Crab 5
Astraea Snail 5
Nassarius Snail 5
Turbo Snail 5
Nerite Snail 5
I know I will need to add more later but I don't want to add more than the food available. I have no fish yet. All my numbers are right on target except the trates, but they're down from 80 three days ago. I wanted some variety in the cleanup crew. Any advice before I order would be greatly appreaciated.
Thanks
 
robpsca

robpsca

Member
Howdy Brian.
I think your list looks good. for a starter set. you can always ad more later. after you ad fish. with that said. ad them slowly so not to increase your bio load to quickly. that way your tanks bacteria population can keep up with it.
Good luck bud.
again. welcome to the board
 
mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
Here are some other cleaners for variety:
Cerith snail
Bumble bee snails
Emerald crabs
Porcelan crab
Cleaner shrimp
Peppermint shrimp
Cucumber
Sea Hare (needs lots of food)
Banded trochus snail
Mexican turbo
 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
Your list looks good, but I wouldn't get Turbo or Nerite snails. As far as mrdc's list:
Cerith snail - great, get 5 instead of the nerites
Bumble bee snails - not a cleaner
Emerald crabs - get 1
Porcelain crab - not a cleaner
Cleaner shrimp - Get a fire shrimp or a skunk cleaner (I like the fire shrimp)
Peppermint shrimp - these sometimes eat corals - they are iffy IMO
Cucumber - skip
Sea Hare (needs lots of food) - skip
Banded trochus snail - GREAT snail get 5 instead of the Turbos
Mexican turbo - nope, too big
 
briandg

briandg

Member
Ok, I'm getting aggravated :). I've been trying to purchase my first cleanup crew for a couple of weeks, but I must order online as I don't have a LFS to shop at. I'm am starting with a small number so it really limits where I can order from. I've been planning on ordering from the DR website as this one only sails snails and crabs in groups of ten. The following is my final list based on everyone's help, thanks.
Dwarf Blue Leg 5
Drarf Red Tip 5
Dwarf Zebra 5
Cerith Snail 5
Banded Trochus Snail 5
Nassarius Snail 5
Astraea Snail 5
Fire Shrimp 1
The problem is that whenever I get ready to order, something is always out of stock. Finally today, everything was in stock and I got ready to order, only to find the Astraea Snails go out of stock before I finished ordering. I don't want to wait any longer, does anyone have a suggestion what I can purchase in place of the Astraea Snails.
Thanks.
 
nicole05

nicole05

Member
they have clean up crew on this website in packages but they come in groups of ten or twentybut you should give it a look they everything already no brainwork its under reef packages
 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
Originally Posted by mlandrigan
Wax, what don't you like about nerite snails?
A LOT of them are cold water species, you have to be careful you get tropical ones.
 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
Originally Posted by briandg
does anyone have a suggestion what I can purchase in place of the Astraea Snails.
More Trochus.
 
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