Clean up Crew

[Good Greef]

On 2/8/2017 at 5:34 PM, AlexMorse said:

Lots of snail species can right themselves if flipped.  That doesn't help with overstocking, but just add slow and watch and you'll sort that out.  I'm not sure how many I have in my 90gal display tank, 6-8 larger turbo varieties, about the same with decent sized ceriths, handful of misc, and an explosion of micro snails I didn't intentionally stock.  

The tiny guys aren't a big worry, they'll bloom and figure out their equilibrium.  Throwing a ton of larger snails in that could starve or get stuck could give you a waste spike.  Just add slow and pay attention.

I know there are several that can right themselves and to add slowly. But I didnt 3 yrs ago as a beginner,  and they gave recommendations like 10-15 turbos, 10-20 hermits, ceriths and nerites of 20, only for a 75g tank.

[Isaac]

a wise man once told me "a big hand doesnt come out of the sky and turn snails over in the sea" or something similar *cough*reburn*cough*  So if this concerns you, get self-flipping ones

[Sascha D.]

Snails deserve to be free, to make their own choices, and live their own lives! It's time! It's time for every tank cleaner to rise up and demand their independence. Today begins the Snail and Hermit Environmental Liberation Front (SHELF)! (Badge, t-shirts and bumper sticks coming soon)

[Reburn]

19 hours ago, Isaac said:

a wise man once told me "a big hand doesnt come out of the sky and turn snails over in the sea" or something similar *cough*reburn*cough*  So if this concerns you, get self-flipping ones

I dont specifically remember saying this but it sounds like something I would say

im in the minimal clean up crew camp without crabs.  

[+FluxCapacitor]

My tanks are still less than a year old but the only clean up crew that has consistently survived are:

* A cleaner shrimp

* Conchs

* Turbo snails

* Brittle stars

* Feather duster worms

* Bristle worms

* 2 Hermit crabs

 

Other hermit crabs have died and jumped out of their shells prior to dying.  Snails have been found dying that wouldn't turn themselves back over.  The large turbo snails seem to be doing well and I see them eating algae off the glass constantly.

[AlexMorsePremium]

I'm... not sure what I have.  There are some things easy to spot

1 Skunk Cleaner Shrimp

2 Peppermint Shrimp

2 Conch

5-8 Turbo snails of various types

???? ceriths snails

4 Scarlet legged hermits

???? misc other small hermits

---

I intentionally purchased the conchs, shrimp, turbos, some number of ceriths, scarlet hermits, and got the misc hermits with some frags... just didn't bother counting

Additionally I've found asterina starfish, which are doing nice jobs on certain rock/glass algaes.  Some sort of micro snails, which seem to do good work  on the glass and in tiny spots turbos and ceriths can't go. 

These are all in a 90G display.  Doesn't seem too much, I have had die off on the turbos (I think I had 12 at one point) but I'm pretty sure that's entirely due to impatient hermit crabs that didn't want to find all the extra shells I threw in for them to grow into.

The only thing this crew doesn't seem to take care of is bubble algae, but my foxface likes that once I put him back in this tank.

[jestep]

10 minutes ago, AlexMorse said:

 

Additionally I've found asterina starfish, which are doing nice jobs on certain rock/glass algaes.  Some sort of micro snails, which seem to do good work  on the glass and in tiny spots turbos and ceriths can't go. 

 

The micro snails are most likely colonistas. I used to have a ton, but I think one of my fish started eating them so I don't see them in my main tank anymore.

This hobby has always amazed me how much life in a tank is completely unintentional, asterinas, micro stars, varieties of pods, tons of worms, nematodes, flatworms, etc.

[AlexMorsePremium]

I've a ton of pods now, some getting real big... I suspect some sort of small shrimp.  too fast to get a good picture of so far though.

[Sascha D.]

13 hours ago, AlexMorse said:

The only thing this crew doesn't seem to take care of is bubble algae, but my foxface likes that once I put him back in this tank.

About the only things that I know of eating Valonia sp. are Foxface Rabitfish, Desjardin's Tang and Naso Tangs. Even then, it's hit or miss with each individual. Emerald Crabs are known to eat it, but they would eat almost anything else first. I've had good success using a connected or separate crab tank, but they won't eat spores and you'll be transferring perpetually. The easiest thing to do is use a siphon once a month and remove any bubbles you see.