Help with 90G reef cleaning crew.

[jwavec]

I am obviously new to reef tanks and need some help/guidance in trying to determine the type and number of things(snails, shrimp,blennies, starfish etc.) I need to put in my tank to help with maintainence. Specific snails, shrimp etc. would be greatly appreciated. When I started looking at snails available for my cleaning crew, I was blown away at the number of choices. Thanks

 

[Dholmblad]

I always went with 100 snails, 100 blue legs. But I stopped getting hermits because they would kill all the snails.

 

[rustybucket145]

I stopped getting hermits because they would kill all the snails

Because they were starving... you would eat a snail too if you were starving.

Start slow. Get a variety of about 20 snails and 20 hermits. As the tank ages and you start to see more algae add hermits and snails by 10 counts until you get a nice balanced mix.

I'll also state that it's best to start with the smallest hermit crabs that you can find. I really like the blue leggs. Often you can get them smaller than half an inch.

 

[ionredline0260]

Best clean up crew ever.

And I really mean it, my magfloat does more to my 29G then any of my 15 snails. If I could do it all over again I'm not so sure I'd even get snails. Nassrius snails are cool because they stir your sand and eat other stuff that hits the bottom. Personally I like my hermits better because they really vacuum over the rocks for food and other stuff.

 

[fishyz]

I've always read that hermits aren't good to add to your tank, is that true?

 

[lat0403]

My snails clean my rocks better than the hermits. I'd get way more snails than hermits.

 

[sunfish11]

I like a good mix of hermits and snails. Hermits are fun to watch and they clean up algea, uneaten, food, and corpses.

Lisa

 

[Dholmblad]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9606664#post9606664 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rustybucket145
Because they were starving... you would eat a snail too if you were starving.

Start slow. Get a variety of about 20 snails and 20 hermits. As the tank ages and you start to see more algae add hermits and snails by 10 counts until you get a nice balanced mix.

I'll also state that it's best to start with the smallest hermit crabs that you can find. I really like the blue leggs. Often you can get them smaller than half an inch.

yeah right... the blue legs didnt even do their job. Rocks could always use some more grazing.

 

[Dholmblad]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9606664#post9606664 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rustybucket145
Because they were starving... you would eat a snail too if you were starving.

Start slow. Get a variety of about 20 snails and 20 hermits. As the tank ages and you start to see more algae add hermits and snails by 10 counts until you get a nice balanced mix.

I'll also state that it's best to start with the smallest hermit crabs that you can find. I really like the blue leggs. Often you can get them smaller than half an inch.

yeah right... the blue legs didnt even do their job. Rocks could always use some more grazing.