Crabless clean up crew possible?

[bfortune76]

What's everyone's thoughts about a hermit crab free clean up crew? What could be used to replace the hermit crabs and what would be the downside? Are there any non hermit type crabs that make a suitable replacement?

 

[hkgar]

There are snails that eat detritus but I am not sure of decaying flesh, i.e., that fish that died but to never be seen again.

 

[Potsy]

I don't have any hermit crabs in my bare bottom 50 gallon. I keep 17 trochus snails along with an emerald crab I added a week ago to take care of some bubble algae (bubble algae is now 99% gone and I've resorted to hand feeding it spirulina flakes). A lot of the detritus ends up in the sock and I only have 4 small fish and one tomini tang that I give numerous small feedings so there isn't much waste.

 

[Bent]

I banished my hermits to the sump as punishment for not ever eating any algae.

I am now #teamsnail.

 

[SoloGarth]

My cleanup crew is just "strombus grazers" and mini stars from IPSF. I have just one crab. A scarlet hermit that is nearing 8 years old. He doesn't do much cleanup but has an honored place anyway as one of my first SW animals.

 

[swhobbie1]

I have some Nassarius. They made a meal of a wrasse that died in my tank - no evidence of the fish in like 2 hours. they stay under the stand and then come out as soon as they smell food or frozen reef frenzy

 

[johnike]

Conchs and cucumbers make a great additions to a crabless crew.

 

[SoloGarth]

I prefer not to have anything that will knock over my corals or Aquascape. Because of this all clean up crew I keep are small.

 

[Waters40]

Due to my Tusk, my CUC is strictly urchins and large cowries. I also have a Coral Banded Shrimp which he fortunately leaves alone.

 

[bfortune76]

Lots of good info thanks.

 

[snorvich]

I banished my hermits to the sump as punishment for not ever eating any algae.

I am now #teamsnail.

Yes! i am also #teamsnail

 

[CStrickland]

#teamsnail.

#teamsnail4life
I love that this is a thing!

But my wrasse is treating them like a buffet
I'm digging my fuzzy chitons from reefcleaners.org and my new urchin. The limpets don't seem to do much. I want to try an abalone soon.

Nassarius snails eat dead stuff, it's gross. They poke their little snorkel into the dead snails shell and suck out the flesh like a meat smoothie

 

[Bent]

#teamsnail4life
I love that this is a thing!

But my wrasse is treating them like a buffet
I'm digging my fuzzy chitons from reefcleaners.org and my new urchin. The limpets don't seem to do much. I want to try an abalone soon.

Nassarius snails eat dead stuff, it's gross. They poke their little snorkel into the dead snails shell and suck out the flesh like a meat smoothie

Lol you are the originator.

Why are you ditching the chiltons and urchins?

 

[CStrickland]

Haha
I mean digging like I enjoy them. The urchin is a maniac, always being weird in diff parts of the tank, and decorating herself in amusing ways. The chitons are like little aqua-Roomba dinosaurs, you don't see them moving really but they leave big clean paths behind them.

 

[Bent]

Oh ok cool.

Both my pincushions enjoy picking up the snails. I can hear the snails saying "dangit, here we go again."

 

[Sapelo]

I want to join the club! #teamsnail

Crabs ate my snails in my old 90 gallon. No more! They can live in the sump or not at all.

 

[bfortune76]

Crabless clean up crew possible?

So reefcleaners has what looks like a snail only 75 gallon crew For $55. Anything else recommended? maybe some shrimp or starfish? I am probably a month away before I can put in my cleanup crew. Just doing the research.

My wife is terrified of hermits. I think you all made her day.

 

[CStrickland]

Brittle stars are cool, the other kinds are not so easy to keep.
Reefcleaners sends a lot of critters, I ordered for half my tank size and felt like it was just about right. I aim for a snail per 2-3 gallons

 

[davocean]

Nothing but snails here as well, bristle worms will eventually come as well on their own usually, I don't feel need for much anything else.

 

[wpeterson]

You can definitely go all snail clean up crew. Our tank has been all-snail up until a month ago, when we added an emerald crab for some bubble algae.

- Nassarius - detrivores
- Trochus - algae grazers
- ceriths - algae, cyano eaters