Clean Up Crew's

[thegyft07]

What is the best combination of critters for a clean up crew in a 55 gal tank? and are they compatible with a Star fish?

 

[charlesr1958]

A great many of the creatures that hitch hike in on/in live rock and sand along with a number of herbivores (snails and fish).

The Reef Aquarium Clean up Crew

Chuck

 

[thegyft07]

I would liketo get a ton od nerite snails? are they carnivorous? and do they turn themselves over Or do I have to do it?

If so.... What snail can I get that WILL NOT EAT MEAT and clean the glass as well? I'm nor worried about the sand in the tank.

 

[Dizzle63]

I also have a 55 gallon. I have tried having a larger crew, but over time, you learn that smaller is usually better. In my tank, I have a very small but diverse clean-up crew. It includes:

1 dwarf zebra hermit Calcinus laevimanus
1 emerald crab Mithrax sculptus
6 scarlet reef hermits Paguristes cadenati
6 red-legged hermits Clibanarius sp.
1 tiger tail cucumber Holothuria sp.
6 cerith snails Cerithium sp.
5 astrea snails Astraea tecta
5 tongan nassarius snails Nassarius distortus
1 pacific nerite snail Nerita sp
1 fighting conch Strombus spp.
2 zebra turbo anails Turbo spp.


Almost everything I have has been in the tank for over 2 years. The rocks are free of algae and the sand is bright white. The glass does get small amounts of algae, but this can easily be cleaned with a magfloat

 

[Xaphian]

In my old 55, I had:

25 electric blue hermits
1 cucumber
1 medusa worm
10 nassarius snails
3 emerald crabs
2 moon snails (I was told this is what they were by my lfs, but I'm pretty sure they were cowries)
1 blue linkia star
and about 20 turbo snails..

I know it's a lot, but i loved my critters. i watched them more than the fish

 

[ReefKeeperRob]

Dizzle63 - I've read some of the Clibanarius hermits have an appetite for coralline. One species I know is Clibanarius Digueti. I've read that there is another one but Digueti is the most common (see link).

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hangar/6279/RaiseCementRock.html

I'm in the process of building a crew and also need to grow a lot of coralline so I'm try to get the best of both worlds.