Cameronbherring Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Which inverts and fish are the best clean up crew? All I have is a few hermits and a turbo snail and I need a bigger clean up crew for my 100g tank. i have green hair algae but I also need some thing to eat some of the extra food that falls on the sand bed occasionally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolt Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Nassarius snails are good for the sand bed. $3 at Aquatek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubasteve92 Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 http://reefcleaners.org <-- all you need they have quick crews, you can build your own, or you can have them build a custom one that fits your needs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BornToHula Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 http://reefcleaners.org <-- all you need they have quick crews, you can build your own, or you can have them build a custom one that fits your needs I like Reef Cleaners too. Be warned, whoever ships the clean up crews can't count, so they send more than what the package is supposed to contain (especially the smaller snails). I ordered a crew for my 75g and they sent too much, so if you go with them I'd recommend ordering a package for a little bit smaller system than you actually have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+ludakris Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 I got a 90g tank and I got about 6 turbos,a few nasaurus snails and asteria snails.i got a mix of red leg and blue leg hermits and a foxfire for bubble algae. They do a pretty good job but I beleive ull always have to get in there and do a little cleaning ur self too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 3 - 4 short spine urchins (don't get pencil urchins), sally lightfoot crabs and brittle stars. Sally ligthfoot crabs should live 3 - 5 years the urchins and brittlestars should live 10 - 20. I also like one or two of the stripped leg hermits from the coast but they are clumsy and that can be annoying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 I do not like the massive several hundred snail /hermit CUC's that many recommend. It just ends up being a constant nutrient source as the snails slowly die off over the first year or two. I believe in stocking a CUC only as needed. If you're just looking for a general film and light GHA, maybe a turbo, and get a half dozen trochus which are great with film algae and will reproduce in the tank if the conditions and available food is present. You'll naturally get colonista snails, bristle worms, and asterina stars. After that, unless it's something just to have for the appeal, like a fighting conch, or some ornamental crab or shrimp, I would stock carefully. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 +1 for reefcleaners. Group buys are easy to set up with them and there are no shortage of people interested. Snails If you get Nassarius snails, then don't get many. They often starve to death. Nerite snails should be avoided. They are often collected on shore and climb out of the tank during the night. Florida and Dwarf Certith Snails are your best bet for cleaners. They don't knock things over like Turbos and they can right themselves if they fall over. Turbos and Limpets can't right themselves and they will die if a fish knocks them off of the glass. Wrasses larger than 4" may eat the Dwarf Cerith. Fighting Conch are pretty cool and they will keep the sand bed clean. They bury themselves so you need 2-4" of sand to keep them. I think Queen Conch should be avoided. I've had two and they have both eaten my other snails. Fuzzy Chitons are pretty cool. They will not clean the glass, but they are great on rocks and they mow down GHA. Crabs Sally Lightfoot and Emerald Crabs are the only ones I trust. Even then I keep a close eye on them. I avoid all other crabs. Stars Brittle Stars are good cleaners, but don't expect to see anything but an arm here or there. They're nocturnal and good for consuming detrius. Linkia Stars are good cleaners as well, but they are very sensitive to water quality. High ammonia or nitrates and changes to salinity or oxygen levels in the tank can kill them. Sand Sifting Stars should be avoided. They eat all of the little organisms in your sand bed, destroying it. They will starve in a few months even in the best home aquarium. It's best to avoid all other stars. They are either not suitable for our aquariums or they are not reef safe. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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