Clarify adding a "cleanup crew" - Is this a one time deal?

[Arkayne]

So you set up a new tank, it cycles, and you have some leftover algae so you add the "cleanup crew". I'm under the impression that once you introduce these guys to a tank, they pretty much are there forever and you don't have to bring in another "crew". Correct?

 

[drummereef]

Nice pic! :lol: Not exactly... You will probably need to replenish your cleanup crew from time to time. As algae comes and goes, so does the food source for your little workers. Unfortunatly you might lose a few snails from starvation. I try to keep my crew as small as possible for such reasons. I only add as the tank demands.

I prefer nassarius, cerith, astrea, and turbo snails for my cleanup crews.

 

[Arkayne]

I like your point about keeping the crew as small as possible to minimize starvation. I suppose that finding the correct number of new guys as the tank demands will come with experience. great info, ty.

 

[demonsp]

Spread your crew out. Sand sifters , hermits , snails. Even with this you may still see some algea.

 

[Rue]

...is there any reason you can't feed algae tablets/wafers?

 

[Nano Chris]

Sure, you should be able to rubber band some algae to a small rock, i put dried algae to clip in my tank, and the snails come to it and eat it.

Should help them survive when you run out of algae.

 

[alkataz]

I too just add some and extra clip of dried seaweed. I have fish who are herbivores so I just add a little extra for the snails, and the crabs oh and I can't forget the urchins.

 

[danch]

I think if you're willing to be patient it's pretty easy to find the right size crew. When my 75G tank got to 0 nitrites, I had a huge garden of hair algea - including bryopsis! I bought (in a few purchases over a month or so), 10 astreas, 2 big nassarious, 5 hermits, and 4 ceriths. Between that small crew, tank maturation, and a huge pod bloom, the hair algae is pretty much gone now. I'm now patiently moving on to the next problem!

 

[Lotus99]

I started with a really small crew of a couple of snails and 6 dwarf hermits. I add a few more each month, whenever it seems the algae isn't getting dealt with. I still have a much smaller crew than the one-per-gallon guideline some people use.

I really like the nassarius snails, they're pretty entertaining in their own snaily way.