My Proposed Cleanup Crew

[bla403]

Hi All!
I am currently building my first reef tank 55 gallon rimless tank with 15 gallon sump.
Ive purchased 75 lbs of live rock and 50 lbs of live sand and I want to know if the following cleanup crew is adequate or if its too much.
3 Emerald Crabs
1 Porcelain Crab
10 Hermits (Various)
1 Cleaner Shrimp
10 Nassarius Snails
2 Mexican Turbo Snails

 

[anthropo]

i'd say when the tank is cycled and ready for animals that i would not even bother with a porcelain crab, hermits and the nassarius snails. if your looking for algae eaters i would get more of the between 5-10 mexican turbos. they will take care of the algae in your tank better than what's on your list. also if your looking for inverts that pickup any food not eaten by the fish, i would say shrimps that are reef safe. they are interesting to watch and worth all the money you pay for them. the cleaner shrimp is definitely fine. i used peppermints but had to be careful what type of corals i bought. i also have a coral banded shrimp that is a good scavenger and reef safe. the emerald crabs are good though for both. the percelain crabs don't give anything towards the cleanliness of your tank. hermits do but they often fight over shells even if you have enough for them to pick from. they will also attack and kill any snail you put in the tank. nassarius snails are good scavengers except they are nocturnal so food can sit in the tank till night time when then come out.

 

[bla403]

Thanks for the advise. I was thinking about he hermits and I found alot of people who said their hermits got very aggressive so I was going to remove them. My girlfriend really hates the look of the shrimp so I was told to keep them out of the mix for the most part but I think that the 3 emeralds will be able to do the scavenging that I need.
The porcelain crab was a thought since they look cool but alot of people cant even find theirs for weeks so I may get another shrimp or 2 or maybe a purple lobster.

 

[joe____17]

My hermits have never once been agressive.

 

[bla403]

ive gotten mixed responses on thatso that was the reason I decided to stay away from hermits.

 

[cwolf88]

Originally Posted by Bla403
http:///forum/post/3014035
Thanks for the advise. I was thinking about he hermits and I found alot of people who said their hermits got very aggressive so I was going to remove them. My girlfriend really hates the look of the shrimp so I was told to keep them out of the mix for the most part but I think that the 3 emeralds will be able to do the scavenging that I need.
The porcelain crab was a thought since they look cool but alot of people cant even find theirs for weeks so I may get another shrimp or 2 or maybe a purple lobster.

Purple lobsters are awsome, but mine did not clean anything. He just stayed in his hiding place until nighttime and would only pop his head out for feedings. He was neat to see when he would come out, but he didnt do any cleaning even at night....just ate a little lol. Cool though especially when they shed.

 

[bla403]

Im just too scared that he will go for the small fish.
I am going to get a pair of clows, small angelfish and a small tang...
I plan on getting a bigger tank once they grow up a bit more but I dont want to risk them with the lobster.

 

[npage]

If you are going to get hermits, I would suggest only getting the dwarf ones.
They stay pretty small and are great for getting into the little nooks and picking out detritus.
Just my 2 cents.