Clean up crew

[viowyn]

Since I had started keeping reefs it now seems there is now some controversy with the size of the clean up crew. I'm hearing people in other threads saying that for 40 gallon reefs they are keeping 2 snails and 10 hermits. What's the deal? Under this "new standard" what would a clean up crew be for a 46 gallon?

 

[gsxunv04]

banded trochus snails, no hermits, a few conchs, couple urchins, and a starfish. maybe a cleaner shrimp or pep's if you have aiptaisia

 

[viowyn]

how many trochus you suggest?

 

[viowyn]

I shocked that new clean up crews suggest urchins. Aren't urchins usually bull dozers to corals?

 

[luke33]

I'd go with 10nassarius snails, 10 astreas and a cucumber. Definately don't mix and match snails and hermits, like mentioned above. Urchins are cool, but in a 40g may become a bulldozer.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

I would do:

7-10 Astrea
7-10 Cerith
5 Scarlet Reef Hermits
4-5 Nassarius
1 urchin

If you want you can throw in a few other kinds of misc algae eating snails like nerite etc.

Stay away from the longspine urchins, they get too big. Urchins can be bulldozers, but everything should be glued down anyway, right? Urchins are the ultimate algae eaters.

Also, you should have no problems with the SCARLET hermits. They are a little more expensive but I have never had a single problem with them.

I think the tank is too small for a conch or a cucumber.

 

[viowyn]

Well since my tank has been around for quite sometime the clean up crew had been added long ago. In a 46 I started with 5 Astrea, 5 Turbo, 15 Nassarius, and 10 red leg hermits.

I was just curious about other peoples opinions since I have been hearing for 40 gallons 2 snails and 10 hermits. Seemed crazy to me.

My numbers have dwindled off over time though due to normal events so it probably wouldn't hurt to rejuvenate with an urchin or so. What urchins do you all suggest? Black spine? Pencil?

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

Really any urchin other than longspines should be good. Some people have reported pencils eating corals, but that has not been my experience. Tuxedo or pincushions are great.

I have a pink pincushion, blue tuxedo, black rock-boring, and pencil in my 90. Sometimes I move them around throughout different tanks (fuge, FO, QT, etc).

 

[roxy]

In my opinion the best thing you can do is go for some diversity. I do choose to have both snails and crabs and try to limit any loss with the addition of plenty of empty shells. I'm also a big fan of anything that digs down into the sand bed.

 

[viowyn]

Thanks for the input all.

 

[eshagha]

My feeling is the more the merrier.