banner ad question

nobody knows everything

nobody knows everything

and no one was being ridiculed. You asked for a suggestion and I gave you mine. You can laugh at my suggestions if you'd like. I won't be offended. Hopefully you learned something from my posts.
 
If it matters, I have in my 120g

4 narissus
4 turbo
5 cerith
6 astria
5 peppermint shrimp

5 halloween hermits
5 blue hermits

1 tuxedo urchin
1 black spin urchin
 
beware the snail Ilyanassa obsoleta which are temperate snails often sold as Nassarius. Their lifespan will be greatly accelerated (read: shortened) in a tropical reef aquarium.
My favorite "cleanup snail" of all time has to be the commercial Turban and nothing beats bristleworms for cleaning up food that shouldn't be (but might be) laying around.

If someone is purchasing hundreds of crabs, snails etc. for their home reef aquarium something is wrong. You probably need to start feeding less. You might need to check the TDS on your RO unit (or get one!), make sure your skimmer is properly sized and operating correctly, check nitrates and phosphates. Set up a lit refugium to grow algae.
 
Consider Scarlett Legged Hermits instead. They are not nearly as aggressive as the Blue.

I always thought the opposite, that scarlet legged were more aggressive.

For my 90 I've got:
-4 turbos
-6 asteria snails
-4 nasarius snails
-between 1 and an unknown quantity of tiger tail cucumbers
-2 scarlett leg hermits
-3-4 blue leg hermits
 
i like to have a clean up crew so when i do feed the food that goes into the rocks or under where the fish cant get to the crabs will.
And i think they look sweet! I have probally around 20 or so blue leg crabs, 10 scarlett crabs, 10 nasarius snails, 3 conchs, a few turbos and a few mexican turbos.

Yeah they try to steal food from my corals but if you watch your tank for 10 mins after you feed the corals you can shoo them away from said coral.
O and i have 2 cleaner shrimp 2 pepp shrimp, 2 sexy shrimp,3 emerald crabs,long spine black urchant and a staghorn crab.
I love the diversity they bring to a tank! When you look at it the fish might scoot into hiding but you can always see something going on.
And thats an awesome price, though they are only 1/4" big i believe it said on their site. I would buy the package for my tank if i didn't already have them. Some will die during shipping, some during acclimation, some my Pink spotted watchman goby will steal for my pistol shrimp to have/eat. And if their ever was a problem with too many they are easy to catch and remove!!
And as far as i can tell everyone is happy, no fighting between the crabs, i keep empty shells in their for them to upgrade if they want. I have a couple blue leg hermits that are huge, like an inch and a half big and i love them!!! And im happy that i dont have to worry about an uneaten food rotten in my tank!!!
 
Obviously not. Before this is how you got a thread deleted. These got stupid and have no business here so they should be deleted.
 
It's not stupid at all.
Thought you had questions and folks trying to answer them.

BTW arrow crabs(Stenorthynchus seticornis ) are not reef safe. They attack smaller animals including shrimp and wipe out anelid populations which remove more food and waste than the crab does. They do best in tanks over 150gallons.
What "everything " have you read? I have never read that they are reef safe and I read a lot of this stuff.

For the readers who are interested ,I don't see any need for crabs at all and don't use any personally; a crab is a crab and naturally predatory;just a few astrea,thochus and tubo snails here and there along with a few nassarius and natually occuring stomatella , mini serpent stars and pods and bristle worms.
 
Despite the offence that Bobtail took and the defence that he has taken, I am, personally, enjoying this thread. I like to read about what others are using as their clean up crews. I appreciate Gary's experience and understand that if there is food laying on the sandbed after feeding, then you are feeding too much. The best way to remedy this is to... not feed so much!! Besides, a feeding regiment of Mysis, Cyclopeze, and frozen brine "regularly" sounds like a lot (a lot = two words) of food. Cyclopeze should be used once per week as a supplement.

Now for my two cents... Get some thinker skin, and LEARN from the people on here (aka the Reef Gods). If you are young and have yet to get into the working world (and I'm not talking about a job that is NOT your career), now is a good time to start learning how to accept criticism because it will come in ALL sorts of ways... This one was just a massage. Furthermore, some of the people here who are offering their opinions (and facts) aren't your parents, family, or friends so they don't have to phrase things in a complete sentence and politically correct manner. They are telling you the way it is and you should appreciate their honesty. Good luck.
 
Last edited:
It's not stupid at all.
Thought you had questions and folks trying to answer them.

BTW arrow crabs(Stenorthynchus seticornis ) are not reef safe. They attack smaller animals including shrimp and wipe out anelid populations which remove more food and waste than the crab does. They do best in tanks over 150gallons.
What "everything " have you read? I have never read that they are reef safe and I read a lot of this stuff.

For the readers who are interested ,I don't see any need for crabs at all and don't use any personally; a crab is a crab and naturally predatory;just a few astrea,thochus and tubo snails here and there along with a few nassarius and natually occuring stomatella , mini serpent stars and pods and bristle worms.

I agree. Crabs are opportunists, and hermits are known to eat the meal of least resistance. I like having hermits, and notice that they don't make a lot of trouble when their numbers are small.

I've noticed with arrow crabs and other inverts and fish that online sites like live aquaria sometimes list them as reef safe. While they are detrimental to an overall reef environment, they are not likely listed this way because they aren't known to directly eat corals.
 
You guys think what you want but my offense came because I was getting judged for 1. Someone assuming I was buying 100 crabs(you assumed wrong, 2. That I had not researched the arrow crab, you all may know that he is not reef safe but everywhere I checked said he was. 3. I assumed that my fish could not eat EVERY piece of food so crabs where needed. I do not see any food on my sand. I never asked for any advice on here when Gary told me I needed a massive overhaul on my reef keeping. Then all I asked was what I should have for a clean up crew. Your right, no one on here needs to talk politically correct or coddle me, I will stay off the upstate forum. I obviously have no business on here until I learn how to fit in here better. Ill find another place to ask my ridiculous questions. I'm glad I could bring some drama into everyone's life for a short time. Ill stick to just making my mistakes in silence.
 
Came across a little crass but good advice! Not everyone knows how to take ya gary!

Actually, When I first read your response Gary I had to look at who wrote it as my first thought was "this guy sounds like a jerk" (but not as nice) Saw it was you Gary and figured it just came across wrong or your having a bad day.

Sorry to Bobtail1075, most people here are nice and helpful.
 
I will stay off the upstate forum.


Unfortunate , but your call.
 
Back
Top