Approx how much cleanup crew do you have???

[yoboyjdizz]

Was wondering what does your cleanup crew consist of.. What size tank you have and roughly a list of inverts you keep to help make your job easier for you? I want to get an idea of what my 280 invert stocking should be around. THANKS!

 

[jnarowe]

very subjective question since having a cleanup crew in the ifrst place is highly debatable!

Here are my specs. to start you off:

1. 1000g display, 1,200g total volume
2. Almost BB with a little bit of sand for aesthetic reasons in viewable areas; 400 lbs. sand in RDSB.
3. Refugium

Inverts:
50+ cerith
6 mythrax
48 large Turbos, probably Mexican but not sure
7 blue leg hermits from MI
8 - 12 hermits
approx. 75 adult nerites
approx. 200 sub adult and adult collumbelids
approx. 1000 baby collumbelids
approx. 30 sub adult and adult DIBS Turbo sp.
approx. 3000 baby DIBS Turbo sp.
approx. 200 stomatella (adults and babies)
1 hairy pincushion urchin
1 sea hare
misc. mini brittles, bristle worms etc.

So some notes: I am not a fan of any type of crab but they are so damn cute!

I just put the picushion into the overflow to help keep the coraline alga down.

The sea hare is totally kick-*** but they do have drawbacks like running out of food, and in the evnt of a death, they are toxic.

The list is rediculous in that I really have no idea how many snails are in my system but the fact is they are multiplying like rabbits. Some are part of the DIBS project (Disirable Invertabrates Breeder Society) which I am participating in. The function of this group is to propagate inverts that are better candidates for captive tanks than what you often see in stores.

HTH!

 

[yoboyjdizz]

....

 

[yoboyjdizz]

Tank: 280g
So far i have:

25 Turbo Snails
35 Nassarius Snails
30 Astraea Conehead Snails
1 Electric Blue Hermit Crab
3 Cleaner Shrimp
1 Peppermint Shrimp

Plus the collection of bristle worms

 

[jnarowe]

I forgot to mention that I have 38 peppermit shrimp and 4 cleaner shrimp...I don't look at them as cleanup crew really, but more as a band theiving of pirates! :lol:

 

[HighlandReef]

i just ordered 100 blue legs and 100 cerith for my 210, i am also thinging about ordering a pepermint shrimp or two.

 

[stlouisguy]

My experience is

100 hermits = 100 snails = 100 bigger hermits and no snails in 3 months

I have no hermits in my 450 and its great

 

[jnarowe]

yeah well no doubt. that's why I just have a few...they will kill a turbo snail 5 x their size and take its shell.

 

[petedoc]

Jonathon where did you get your crew? I am stocking my new 270 and need a large cleanup crew this week.

 

[nyvp]

I agree on no crabs
I also havesand sifter stars and 2 fighting conches

 

[lotsofgallons]

for cheap good sized nerites, check this out:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...MESE:IT&viewitem=&item=300095064306&rd=1&rd=1



if you want a cleaner crew, check this out:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...MESE:IT&viewitem=&item=300094876125&rd=1&rd=1

 

[petedoc]

Thanks Lots, I will check them out. Liveaquaria.com looks good too, but I am trying to find a supplier on the Wests coast. Any ideas?

 

[petedoc]

Got that wrong, its etropicals that have the exceptional prices right now.

 

[cpagego]

So, where can you find compatibility charts for invertebrates? My hermits made a meal out of my lovely crocea clam. SOB

 

[nyvp]

crab=killers

 

[Scottkelly911]

As for hermits, the Mexican Red Legs and left handed hermits seem to be pretty good. But I'd stay away from Blue Legs. Blue Legs are infamous for not only killing snails, but also other hermits. Red legs and left handed hermits usually only kill when they need a new shell, whereas the blues kill for no apparent reason at times. Nerite's are my favorite snail, they do a great job. Also, you may want to pick up some bumble bee snails because they're great for the nooks and crannies in the rock work.

 

[petedoc]

Just added a batch of bumblebees and nerites, as well as trochus and nassarius today.

 

[cbabcock]

I have red legs and scarlets in my 300 and have never had a problem with them killing snails. Blue Legs seem to do ok as long as they are small.

 

[jnarowe]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9585099#post9585099 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by petedoc
Just added a batch of bumblebees and nerites, as well as trochus and nassarius today.

Sorry I was out-of-town!

From what I understand, bumble bees are predatory and I would remove them if you can. Nerites are great and sometimes will breed in captivity. I love their shells too. Trochus and nassarius aren't entirely bad but I would prefer columbellids to them.

I got my original "clean-up" crew from a West Coast supplier and that included 50 nerites, 50 "Vietnam" turbos, and 50 ceriths. It turns out that the turbos really weren't from warm water but they have held up well so far. I think they are getting to the end of their life cycle though. The problem with them is that they are huge and knock stuff over all the time and they make huge piles of turds.

The vast majority of the snails in my system are actually DIBS snails including the DIBS Turbo sp. and columbellids and I have to update quantities to somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 DIBS Turbo sp....I was checking out the rock late at night and saw that the 750 lbs. in the system was virtually encrusted with them at night.

 

[petedoc]

Thanks Jonathon. What are DIBS? Do you have a link to any West coast suppliers?