went overboard on cleanup crew???

[toddpolish]

for 5 months I've survived with a very small cleanup crew. The tank is getting really dirty lately and I'm sick of it....
90g...I currently have:
30 - astreas
2 - mexican turbos
1 - hermit crab (3 died - possibly from gorilla crab I removed last night)
3 - Peppermint Shrimp (do they eat my aptasias? no)
4 - Emerald Crabs (do they eat my bubble algae? no)
I've realized this just isn't enough...
my problem is with dirty (and cyano ridden) sand and lots of detritus.

[hr]
On a whim (and after a couple drinks), last night I ordered a big package from another site that had free shipping on $120 orders. I may have gone overboard (partly in order to reach that $120)...
100 - nassarius (site said up to 2 per gallon is ok)
48 - cerith
2 - Fighting Conch
did I go overboard? I'm hoping I'll be ok, cause the tank has build up enough crud for them to eat for 5 months, plus I don't have to worry about overfeeding anymore...

 

[hondo]

you went overboard with the nassarius snails but the rest is Ok (I'm assuming you have a 50g tank). You might be able to trade some of the nassarius with other hobbists in your area though. I don't buy into the 2 per gallon rule since they do not eat from the water colum but scavage food from the sand bed (they are scavengers and won't touch algae). Over time you will lose most of the astreas as they will fall over and can't right themselves. The ceriths on the other hand won't have this problem and before long you will have lot's of baby ceriths in your tank as they reproduce fast.
And yes Emeralds eat bubble algae.
2 fighting conch for a 50g is just right IMO.

 

[toddpolish]

90gallon, dude.

 

[hondo]

90g OK, I assumed 50 because of the 100 nass and them saying 2 per gal was OK. In a 90g you might still be a little heavy on the nass snails but not way over stocked. BTW the nassarius snails are pretty cool as they come boiling up out of the sand when you feed the tank, they seem to just appear out of no where.