Clean up crew

[gareth.hubbarde]

Hi guys, got my 80g tank nearly ready to go, levels are nice. Just wondering how many cuc I should aim for. Its going to be fowlr set up. Blue legged hermits, nassarius snails and urchins are on the list but what else?

Stocking plan is

Pair of clowns
Foxface
Toby puffer
Dwarf angel
Dwarf lion
Some sort of wrasse possibly 3 Leopards.

Thanks in advance.

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[hkgar]

Some of the online sellers have assorted packs based on tank size. I would not recommend adding both hermits and snails. I know many do it, including me, but the hermits WILL kill he snails for both food and for the shells. Do one or the other, but not both.

 

[Joe0813]

another thing to consider is buying snails that can right themselves when they tip over. it gets pretty old reaching into the tank to help flip snails over and over

 

[gareth.hubbarde]

Some of the online sellers have assorted packs based on tank size. I would not recommend adding both hermits and snails. I know many do it, including me, but the hermits WILL kill he snails for both food and for the shells. Do one or the other, but not both.

How would algae be controlled with no snails? They always did a stellar job of keeping glass tidy on my nano tank. Would you recommend something to move the sand about a bit, conch or nassarius?
Thank you

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[j.falk]

My clean up crew...works great!

 

[gareth.hubbarde]

My clean up crew...works great!

Haha.
What about hair algae on the rocks? Emerald crab alongside army of hermits?

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[j.falk]

Haha.
What about hair algae on the rocks? Emerald crab alongside army of hermits?

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Honestly I've never had any hair algae issues in any of my saltwater aquariums. * knock on wood * I don't know if it's because I've just been lucky or it could be because I keep a low bioload of fish and feed sparsely to keep nutrients down (along with weekly 1/3rd water changes).

But I was thinking about it yesterday. One of the very first reef aquariums that I ever saw was a 90 gallon filled with a wall of live rock that was covered in green hair algae. It had a big fat yellow tang and a clarki clownfish as the only two fish in the tank. I loved it! The way the hair algae swayed back and forth with the water current was mesmerizing. I still wonder even today why people don't want it? Obviously if it chokes out corals that is a major downside...but is there an upside to having it if you didn't have corals? Natural nutrient export which would make it beneficial to the aquarium? More like a nature ecosystem...

 

[gareth.hubbarde]

Honestly I've never had any hair algae issues in any of my saltwater aquariums. * knock on wood * I don't know if it's because I've just been lucky or it could be because I keep a low bioload of fish and feed sparsely to keep nutrients down (along with weekly 1/3rd water changes).



But I was thinking about it yesterday. One of the very first reef aquariums that I ever saw was a 90 gallon filled with a wall of live rock that was covered in green hair algae. It had a big fat yellow tang and a clarki clownfish as the only two fish in the tank. I loved it! The way the hair algae swayed back and forth with the water current was mesmerizing. I still wonder even today why people don't want it? Obviously if it chokes out corals that is a major downside...but is there an upside to having it if you didn't have corals? Natural nutrient export which would make it beneficial to the aquarium? More like a nature ecosystem...

So would you say just go for hermit crabs in my tank, maybe an urchin?
Thank you for your time BTW.


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[j.falk]

So would you say just go for hermit crabs in my tank, maybe an urchin?
Thank you for your time BTW.


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I've always used dwarf blue leg hermit crabs (with several snails) for clean up crews in my tanks. The hermits do end up eating some of the snails over time but I put a lot more snails in the aquariums than hermits so I don't mind it.

I don't ever use urchins because I've seen them strip live rock.

 

[Uncle99]

I don’t use any crabs whatsoever as the will catch and kill anything they can including fish and they do I useless job cleaning algae. The Urchin will strip your rock and knock
Over corals.
Stick with snails, ninja astrea for green, Mexican turbo for red/brown and yes, the Nassau for the sand
Keep nutrient poor water and you will not have algae

 

[scattered]

I don't use any crabs whatsoever as the will catch and kill anything they can including fish and they do I useless job cleaning algae. The Urchin will strip your rock and knock
Over corals.
Stick with snails, ninja astrea for green, Mexican turbo for red/brown and yes, the Nassau for the sand
Keep nutrient poor water and you will not have algae

I do have a porcelain crab (filter feeder) but aside from that totally agree. Most all crabs are opportunistic omnivores.

I keep a conch along with the nass. for sand (plus I just love them)

 

[jlmawp]

I’m not sure hermits are going to be the answer to hair algae. Of all that I’ve had, they only ever pick it clean of floating food particles, but never eat the algae.

 

[hkgar]

How would algae be controlled with no snails? They always did a stellar job of keeping glass tidy on my nano tank. Would you recommend something to move the sand about a bit, conch or nassarius?
Thank you

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These guys

These guys too.

Do a Google search. All kinds of things can be found that way!

 

[gprdypoo04]

I've got a mix of hermits and snails and no problems. My tuxedo urchin doesn't strip anything.

 

[Uncle99]

All crabs eat snails
Urchins rasp to bare rock

 

[scattered]

All crabs eat snails
Urchins rasp to bare rock

QFT

I am not sure why it is so hard to get across to people. Anecdotal evidence aside crabs are NOT reef safe.


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[Uncle99]

Had one stalk and catch a clown in his claws from the belly alive, then walk around the tank with his prize, not overly big, size of a dime.

So I trapped him in a rock crevice and returned the favour.

What I have noticed is once every crab was removed 24 months ago, I still have every snail all corals extended, no mysterious overnight disappearances.

Crabs, especially at night, is like letting Jack the Ripper wander the tank.
Talk about stress!