Cleanup Crew
- Thread starter lietz06
- Start date
srfisher17
Active Member
Originally Posted by lietz06
http:///forum/post/2699529
Do I need a cleanup crew if I don't have coral? I have an emerald crab and a turbo snail in my 55 gallon. Do I need more lil guys to clean up after the big guys? Thanks!
I may be in the minority; but, IMO cleaner-uppers are vastly over rated for no-coral tanks. Especially crabs; but they are cute. I much prefer lots or circulation, good filtration (with good filter maintenance.)
http:///forum/post/2699529
Do I need a cleanup crew if I don't have coral? I have an emerald crab and a turbo snail in my 55 gallon. Do I need more lil guys to clean up after the big guys? Thanks!
I may be in the minority; but, IMO cleaner-uppers are vastly over rated for no-coral tanks. Especially crabs; but they are cute. I much prefer lots or circulation, good filtration (with good filter maintenance.)
mr.clownfish
Active Member
depends on the fish u have.
for a 55gal i would have maybe 50 or 60 hermits in there. they will keep the place clean and fresh. and u can throw in maybe 10 pepper mint shrimp. they will do great. one turbo snail wont do a thing for a 55gal. like 15 or 20 but i dont like turbos at all cause they get huge and poop A LOT! and if u dont have any coral or anemones u can maybe throw in a couple of chocolate chip starfish. they are awesome and will clean up any extra food laying around. also will eat some algae off of ur rocks and glass.
but u may have to feed them once in a while they will come up to the top of the tank and raise one of there hands out for u to feed them. meaty foods like formula one and two will work just fine. there are lots of shrimp too. cleaner shrimp are great for removing any parasites from your fish.
now that is an ultimate clean up crew. but it all depends on what kind of fish u have.
for a 55gal i would have maybe 50 or 60 hermits in there. they will keep the place clean and fresh. and u can throw in maybe 10 pepper mint shrimp. they will do great. one turbo snail wont do a thing for a 55gal. like 15 or 20 but i dont like turbos at all cause they get huge and poop A LOT! and if u dont have any coral or anemones u can maybe throw in a couple of chocolate chip starfish. they are awesome and will clean up any extra food laying around. also will eat some algae off of ur rocks and glass.
but u may have to feed them once in a while they will come up to the top of the tank and raise one of there hands out for u to feed them. meaty foods like formula one and two will work just fine. there are lots of shrimp too. cleaner shrimp are great for removing any parasites from your fish.
now that is an ultimate clean up crew. but it all depends on what kind of fish u have.
lietz06
Member
Originally Posted by Mr.clownfish
http:///forum/post/2699910
depends on the fish u have.
for a 55gal i would have maybe 50 or 60 hermits in there. they will keep the place clean and fresh. and u can throw in maybe 10 pepper mint shrimp. they will do great. one turbo snail wont do a thing for a 55gal. like 15 or 20 but i dont like turbos at all cause they get huge and poop A LOT! and if u dont have any coral or anemones u can maybe throw in a couple of chocolate chip starfish. they are awesome and will clean up any extra food laying around. also will eat some algae off of ur rocks and glass.
but u may have to feed them once in a while they will come up to the top of the tank and raise one of there hands out for u to feed them. meaty foods like formula one and two will work just fine. there are lots of shrimp too. cleaner shrimp are great for removing any parasites from your fish.
now that is an ultimate clean up crew. but it all depends on what kind of fish u have.
I have 3 damsels(which I keep reading will turn evil), 1 kole eyed tang, 2 clownfish, and an anenome.
http:///forum/post/2699910
depends on the fish u have.
for a 55gal i would have maybe 50 or 60 hermits in there. they will keep the place clean and fresh. and u can throw in maybe 10 pepper mint shrimp. they will do great. one turbo snail wont do a thing for a 55gal. like 15 or 20 but i dont like turbos at all cause they get huge and poop A LOT! and if u dont have any coral or anemones u can maybe throw in a couple of chocolate chip starfish. they are awesome and will clean up any extra food laying around. also will eat some algae off of ur rocks and glass.
but u may have to feed them once in a while they will come up to the top of the tank and raise one of there hands out for u to feed them. meaty foods like formula one and two will work just fine. there are lots of shrimp too. cleaner shrimp are great for removing any parasites from your fish.
now that is an ultimate clean up crew. but it all depends on what kind of fish u have.
I have 3 damsels(which I keep reading will turn evil), 1 kole eyed tang, 2 clownfish, and an anenome.
texasmetal
Active Member
It's good to have something that will keep the surface of the sand turned over, like lots of hermits or some serpent/brittle stars.
Really a cleanup crew can only do so much and is only supplementary to YOUR maintenance practices. The little critters can get to places you can't and take care of leftover food that goes in cracks and crevices you wouldn't see. It's good to have a wide variety as different cleanup crew critters have different niches to fill.
Ceriths and Nassarius turn the sand very well, because they bury themselves when they aren't active. Turbo's and Nerite's are very good at eating hair algae. Hermits are good for scavenging leftovers on your live rock. Cucumbers are good detrivores, they'll keep the fish poop from building up (though personally I wouldn't risk keeping one ever again). Stars are very good at taking care of leftover foods.
It's all personal preference really.
Really a cleanup crew can only do so much and is only supplementary to YOUR maintenance practices. The little critters can get to places you can't and take care of leftover food that goes in cracks and crevices you wouldn't see. It's good to have a wide variety as different cleanup crew critters have different niches to fill.
Ceriths and Nassarius turn the sand very well, because they bury themselves when they aren't active. Turbo's and Nerite's are very good at eating hair algae. Hermits are good for scavenging leftovers on your live rock. Cucumbers are good detrivores, they'll keep the fish poop from building up (though personally I wouldn't risk keeping one ever again). Stars are very good at taking care of leftover foods.
It's all personal preference really.