I need some suggestions.

poisonmywell

poisonmywell

Member
I've been letting my tank cycle for quite some time now. the water is coming along pretty good. Its about time I start adding things....but not fish yet. I mean like the "clean up crew", snals, crabs etc...
I have a 50 gal. What would be good to introduce into this future reef tank?
How many of what?
thanks!
Ryan
 
wamp

wamp

Active Member
I would put 50 bluelegs, 25 scarlet and 35-40 astera snails. 3 mexican turbos. Maybe a cucumber or somehting of the sort to keep your top layer of sand nice and clean.
 
wingman

wingman

New Member
I am in the same position as you right now. Just added my clean up crew the other day. Heard that I need to wait a couple weeks before I start adding fish and once I do to do if very slowly, one fish at a time for awhile. What you put in your tank is up to you. Fish, corals, etc. I personally am going to start with a clown and an anenome.
 
wrassecal

wrassecal

Active Member
How long has your tank been set up? What do you mean by "water comeing along good", what are your amm,trites, trates, ph, salinity? do you have a dsb or cc bed? In my bed with a cc bottom (wish I'd done dsb) I started my clean up crew with 5 hermit crabs, 4 blue legs and 1 red leg, and 10 snails. I've added to that since but I starved 3 snails and didn't put in a huge crew at first and you may not want too many blue leg hermit crabs depending on what you decide to put in later, they can be a little destructive.My opinion, my experience. Good luck you'll have great fun with your tank :D
 
cyn

cyn

Member
Hmm.. My 55 started with only 3 hermits and 4 snails. They do a great job on everything. The hermits are down to 2 and the snails have reproduced on their own so now I have many more. I have always wondered about putting in a cleanup crew like is sold here. Seems like alot of critters for such a small space! I did add a pair of small(2inch)conchs 3 weeks ago, and now have thousands of eggs from them. I may be overrun with conchs soon! I will post here if they survive.
cyn
 
kmart93

kmart93

Member
I agree with cyn...I started out with 5 snails and a couple of hermits...they do more than a good job!
 
nutoit

nutoit

Member
I agree with kmart too. I started out slow as well. Then as the algea and stuff started to grow I adding more clean up crew. I also agree that the blue legs can be i bit destructive. I have red legs and turbos which do a great job in my 40 gal. tank. Good luck.
 
poisonmywell

poisonmywell

Member
Alright, thanks for all the advice. Yeah, all those packages with like 50 crabs and such seemed kinda odd, for a newer tank anyway. Plus, it kinda chilled me to think of spending $100 on crabs lol... But thanks again, I now have an idea of what kind of critters to put in there.
 
lordofthereef

lordofthereef

Member
STAY AWAY FROM BLUE LEG HERMITS!! <img src="graemlins//uhuh.gif" border="0" alt="[U-Huh]" /> they are notorius for eating corals and snails! personally, i use the "no claws" approach. IMHO, its just safer. in my 29 gallon reef for instance, i have 25 turbo snails, a bunch of those flat back snails (can't remember name), and 5 mexican turbo snails. and of course i have all those critters in there that grow over time. my tank is always squeeky clean.
 
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