Why bother have a clean up crew anyway?

[kcobain111]

i have a 55 gallon tank 42 lbs of live rock so far hopping to have about 70-80 when i'm done... and i intend to add some soft coral heven't even really gotten into what fish i want yet except looking for reef safe fish....my question is ....How big should a clean up crew be? do i need one? what does the clean up crew do that a protien skimmer a filter and my live rock and sand don't do?

 

[tizzo]

Snails will keep the algae at bay. One per gallon is the norm, as far as turbos go. I know it sounds like a lot but it really isn't. Hermits will keep uneaten food that falls to the bottum from rotting and causing nitrates. They will also break down fish and snail poop. As far as a clean up crew there are a million different options, but snails and hermits are the most beneficial for the price.

 

[kcobain111]

anyone thing the reef packages on this website are good for a 55 gallon tank? i think they look pretty extesive.

 

[1journeyman]

As your tank matures I think you'll be surprised with how fast algae grows.
Clean up crews also depend on what type of substrate you have.

 

[edwar050]

i dont think its as much of speding alot on a clean up crew as to what inverts you put in the tank. By that, I mean some inverts clean better than others. To me a good crew for a 55 would be 55 nassarius snails, 5 red legged hermits, 3-5 large turbos, and a couple of brittle stars. I guess the cleanup crew really depends on what your having problems with or our concerned about. If you have no problems w your tank, then there is really no need for a large cleanup crew.
not a big fan of hermits but the scalet are ok