How important is clean up crew?

[1911_guy]

I have just scratched the surface on the addtional roles that the cleanup crew has. I always thought it was just to eat detritus and algae. Just read that snails and such consume calcium and other trace elements :notsure:
Are these little critters used for more than just grazing LR, LS and glass? This is one area where I have skimped. I only have 5 astrea snails (left) and 2 very small hermits. Am I heading for disaster?
Also, I have an area in my sump that houses 20 lbs. LS, one LR and some chaeto. Is there any reason why I should add a few hermits, cucumbers, snails or stars down there? It is a high flow rate area and some risk involved where something might get over the baffle and into the return pump intake.
Thanks

 

[scsinet]

Cleanup crews eat fish waste, dead organisms in your tank, algae... etc.
Just about anything that will contribute to water pollution, cleanup crews eat before it gets to that point. So a cleanup crew does help in that regard.
That said, I've heard of lots of people who do not use snails because hermit crabs often ambush them for their shells.
Snails consume calcium to build their shells, but rest assured this amount is negligable.

 

[thefishy]

i am still a rookie but from what i know a good cleanup crew playes a good role in the overall health of the aquarium and also the look/ they eat algae keep the sb cleaned and turnedover eat any uneaten food that may have sank down and would usually decay. heh that about all i know so far=) hopefully some of the pro's can explain better than me=)

 

[thefishy]

amen)

 

[renogaw]

i believe people put clams from your local food store's seafood section to help out with nitrates into their fuges.

 

[rusting]

Originally Posted by 1911_Guy
I have just scratched the surface on the addtional roles that the cleanup crew has. I always thought it was just to eat detritus and algae. Just read that snails and such consume calcium and other trace elements :notsure:
Are these little critters used for more than just grazing LR, LS and glass? This is one area where I have skimped. I only have 5 astrea snails (left) and 2 very small hermits. Am I heading for disaster?
Also, I have an area in my sump that houses 20 lbs. LS, one LR and some chaeto. Is there any reason why I should add a few hermits, cucumbers, snails or stars down there? It is a high flow rate area and some risk involved where something might get over the baffle and into the return pump intake.
Thanks
When that fish dies behind a rock, and you can't find it,the crabs will clean it up in no time.

 

[scsinet]

Originally Posted by renogaw
i believe people put clams from your local food store's seafood section to help out with nitrates into their fuges.

Mmm true enough but there is one big drawback to doing this.
The clams bury themselves in the substrate, and if they die down there, you'd never know until you see the massive ammonia spike.

 

[hatessushi]

Just about every clam I have seen die will open up all the way when it dies so you will know it died and can take it out of the tank.

 

[scsinet]

Unless it is buried in the substrate at the time. We're not talking about tricanada clams, we're talking about cleaner clams, right?

 

[1journeyman]

My Nass. snails will tell me when one of my clams dies. They are like vultures.