Proper Cleanup Crew?

[fenwaypark]

I would appreciate some expert assistance with the selection of a great cleanup crew for my setup. I have 36G corner aquarium and stand made for it. The setup however is just in the planning stage. I plan on using 30lbs of live rock with a 2inch live sand bed. I have decided after alot of reading, to go with a Fluval305 Canister filter. I will use 2 small Hagen powerheads for movement and top it off with a Remora C when the time comes. Now, What I hope to support are 2 Percula Clowns, 3 or 4 Blue/Green Chromis, a Royal Gramma and maybe a small angel in the distant future. I know this is pushing it for the size of the tank and that is why I want to over do it with the filtration.
I would like to support a lobster in this tank as well if at all possible. I want to make sure everyone gets along. Tell me what you would use as a top notch cleanup crew considering the factors I have stated. Thanks in advance!

 

[anthropo]

i'd get a purple lobster if you are gonna get a lobster cause they don't get big like some of the others. i would get a bunch of blue legged hermits, a couple turbos, and a few peppermint and camel shrimps. i would also imo advise against the canister filter unless you've had experience with them in the past so you know how big of a pain in the a@# they are. i'd get an emperor 280.

 

[fenwaypark]

Whats the deal with canister filters being a pain in the buttocks? I dont really want to have a filter hanging on the tank AND a skimmer down the road. Please expound upon the canister filters problems. Also it was my understanding that 2 peppermint shrimp in a tank will fight if they are not mated, is this incorrect?

 

[anthropo]

the only advantage a canister filter has is obviously that you can hide the filter. i've had canister filters and you use a lot more media, and in order to get to the media you have to disconnect a things, to clean them out is a job in itself. where as you have a hangon which you can buy one with a biowheel which is preferred over a canister filter for the filtration purposes of the bacteria, you don't spend as much on media, and it's a quick rinse and replace. trust me the ease far out weighs the look of the filter. also to my recollection i have never heard of peppermints fighting if they weren't pairs and have never read anything about peppermints doing this, but i'm sure someone along the lines has seen peppermints fighting as there is always an exception in this hobby.

 

[fenwaypark]

What's a bunch of hermit crabs? 10? 20? 5 shrimp? Also how many extra shells should I have for the hermits? Whats a good ratio? I appreciate the advice.

 

[anthropo]

if it were me...i'd put 30-40 hermits, only a couple snails, and 5 or 6 shrimp. in my tank i don't even know how many hermits i have but it's a lot, a holloween hermit, i have 5 snails, a cowrie, a purple lobster, 4 cleaner shrimp, 1 coral banded shrimp, 8 camel shrimp(by the way if you are going reef don't get these), 3 peppermint shrimp, and a couple of crabs that were hitchhikers but not a threat. this is just my inverts in my 180. they take care of my tank pretty good. and i have a corner with a ton of shells of all sizes, so if i were you i'd put one for every hermit cause if you get snails then they will kill the snails and take their shell. obviously you want shells that are a bit bigger than the ones the hermits have and usually that isn't hard to find since they are tiny usually.