Help me Pick a Tank Refresh Cleanup Crew

[griss]

Reef Cleaners order with a $75 budget, which means I can order $75 in livestock with free priority mail shipping on certain items.

I know I want 2-3 Peppermint Shrimp. Would also like some hermits and assorted snails, maybe some unusual stuff.

Over the bagillion years I’ve been in the hobby, I tend to order the same tank cleaners every time…Ceriths, Astreas, Turbos, Trochus, various hermits, etc.

Would like some other opinions to not be a creature of habit. TIA for opinions.

 

[Reefing102]

A lot of the unique creatures I’ve found on Reef Cleaners unfortunately don’t qualify for the free shipping (I’m looking at you chitons) but I always like to get a tiger conch or two and limpets, the knobby creeper is pretty cool looking. Same with the money cowrie.

 

[griss]

A lot of the unique creatures I’ve found on Reef Cleaners unfortunately don’t qualify for the free shipping (I’m looking at you chitons) but I always like to get a tiger conch or two and limpets, the knobby creeper is pretty cool looking. Same with the money cowrie.

Yeah, I was looking at the Money Cowrie last night. I've got limpets thanks to the macros I got from @bradleym

I want the Peppermints as I've suddenly got a small Aiptaisia problem that sprung up out of nowhere

My current crew consists of 3-4 Turbos, 1 hermit crab, 2 Astreas, 1 Pencil Urchin, 1 Red Tuxedo Urchin, 1 Pincushion Urchin, Limpets and some bristleworms.

 

[bradleym]

Yeah, I was looking at the Money Cowrie last night. I've got limpets thanks to the macros I got from @bradleym

I want the Peppermints as I've suddenly got a small Aiptaisia problem that sprung up out of nowhere

My current crew consists of 3-4 Turbos, 1 hermit crab, 2 Astreas, 1 Pencil Urchin, 1 Red Tuxedo Urchin, 1 Pincushion Urchin, Limpets and some bristleworms.

I've seen chitons, limpets, mysid shrimp, spaghetti worms, several kinds of tiny snails... I'm trying to make sure my tank has a well-rounded ecosystem for maximum stability.

 

[griss]

I've seen chitons, limpets, mysid shrimp, spaghetti worms, several kinds of tiny snails... I'm trying to make sure my tank has a well-rounded ecosystem for maximum stability.

Oh, yeah. There were spaghetti worms in the macros too. My fuge is looking great thanks to you.

 

[griss]

I love watching urchins and conchs. The eels ate the conchs in the 180.

I need to do a refresh too.

My urchins are driving me nuts. They keep pickup up my frag plugs with Acro frags on them and carrying them around the tank and depositing them elsewhere. If I ever get my upgrade done, I'm going to set up a frag tank.

 

[griss]

They do move stuff around. Some stick things to themselves and some bulldoze. I still like them. Conchs bulldoze too. I don't do frag plugs anymore though.
How big is your tank @griss ? I have a very poor memory now, it is how it is.
I have an order in the cart and need to go find my phone. Probably in the car still from yesterdays outing.

@bradleym, Sea things can be acquired from you? I need a shot of mini life in my tanks. I think many many thing simply can't complete their life cycle in our tanks and eventually die out.

If I was near the sea, like PaulB I would have a 1000 gallons of things I caught myself. A chiller instead of 9 heaters. But alas I am landlocked in West Virginia.

I am wondering if my eels are going to make more. I don't think they can be sexed if I remember right. They have become friendly with each other though fully grown. The 180 upgrade was a necessity after all. Perhaps a bristle tooth tang, I tried once and got killer tang. Perhaps it's time to try again. The tangs decorate the 240s glass with 10,000 little kisses before I clean it. The 180 just has a few snail tracks. The eels eat any large snails or conchs.

It's only a 40 breeder. One of the smaller reef tanks I have ever had. I've got a 75 for an upgrade that will take place if I ever get around to moving a wall in the basement.

The tanks I've owned in chronological order (well the dates might not be exact as my memory is a little fuzzy):

• 1982 - 1990 55 gallon FW community tank and several 5 & 10 gallon Betta breeding tanks
• 1984 - 1990 200 gallon SW fish only (well actually, this was my parents tank when I was in high school and college but I did most of the maintenance).
• 1990 - 1991 30 gallon reef
• 1991 - 1992 58 gallon reef
• 1992 - 1999 15 gallon reef (downgraded after we moved into our first house)
• 1993 - 1999 55 gallon clown/BTA tank
• 1999 - 2004 200 gallon reef (my parents old tank)
• 2004 - 2005 300 gallon stock tank reef (we moved into a new house and I moved everything from the 200 to the stock tank in anticipation of a larger tank)
• 2005 - 2007 450 gallon reef (Kids were beginning to get heavily involved in sports and I helped coach most of their teams so I sold this tank due to the amount of maintenance time it took.)
• 2007 Bought a 250 from a friend who was getting out of the hobby. One day before I ordered the live rock for this tank, I was laid-off and sold the tank.
• 2007 - 2009 was the first since 1982 I was without a tank.
• 2009 - 2014 40 Breeder reef
• 2014 - 2017 92 gallon corner bowfront reef (This tank was a pain to light and perform maintenance on due to the shape).
• 2017 - present 40 Breeder reef

 

[griss]

I haven't had nearly that many. There was a time when a 40 breeder was my dream tank.
I would love to do a 10x4x30" and have the room to put it but I don't think it will happen.
A 240 was huge until my koran angel grew up.

I think keeping a few things well is a good endgame. I like happy snails as much as happy coral.
Having 4 feet of eels in a 6 foot tank is nice too. Fun to watch.

Yep, keeping things well, I completely agree.

I miss that old 200 gallon 7'x2'x2'. It was the most successful reef I've ever owned. It had a Jaubert/Bob Goemens (a friend of @Paul B) NNR/Plenum. The sump was a homemade plywood and resin 55 gallon. Had numerous skimmers on it over the years including Sanders, Oceanic #4 and finally a LifeReef. Lighting was (3) 250 watt Iwasaki 6500K MH, (2) 400 watt Radium 20K MH and (2) 6' VHO actinics on an IceCap Ballast. The MH's were powered by ballasts I assembled myself following an article Sanjay Joshi had published in one of the print magazines at the time.

When we moved to the current house I gave that tank back to my mother and she used it to grow newly hatched chicken and guinea hens. Several years back, she offered the tank back to me but the silicone was torn to hell, the glass was scratched up and her heat lamps had melted parts on the bracing.

 

[griss]

Placed my order today but they’re not shipping until 7/10 I assume due to the holiday/vacation.

Ordered the following:

15 assorted hermits
15 Dwarf Ceriths
5 Dwarf Trochus
20 hermit shells
12 FL Ceriths
1 Money Cowrie
3 Peppermint Shrimp
15 Nassarius

So, I got a mix of my usual cleaners and a couple things I haven’t had in the past.

 

[griss]

Really interested to get the Dwarf Trochus. The supposedly reproduce in the aquarium.

 

[Reefing102]

I have the dwarf trochus in my wife’s tank, haven’t seen them reproduce yet

 

[griss]

I have the dwarf trochus in my wife’s tank, haven’t seen them reproduce yet

Thanks Shane. I’ve never had them before and decided based on that. Honestly, even if they don’t reproduce they’re something I’ve never had before. So, as long as they eat algae I’m good.

 

[Reefing102]

They’ve been great with algae and no issues with going out of the water