In need of guerilla clean up crew

[Capt_Cully]

It's been a looooong time since I've bought any crawling inverts. My current clean up crew consists of one gigantic turbo snail and ONE astrea snail.

I've been cleaning up my 40breeder in my basement, but no amount of waterchanges and siphoning can handle the detritus and problem algae.

Can anyone recommend a good mix of snails and or crabs (that can be trusted) for this little tank. Eventually they'll graduate to my big tank.

What are your faves and why? Thanks

 

[smogl00]

Blue leg hermits and giant turbos work best for me. I know some people don't like hermits because they run over corals, but in keeping 3 or 4 different kinds of them, it seems the blue leg ones are the most "careful" around my corals. It seems like they at least look before they leap. Someone at an LFS told me to have one per gallon, but that's way too many. I'm at 1 per 4 gallons and that works well

 

[smogl00]

I also have a couple of sexy shrimp that are always bouncing around mopping things up as well

 

[pimpinitup6969]

I just use turbos, astreas, and a conch

 

[dreaminmel]

I just use turbos, astreas, and a conch

Ditto. 5 gigantic turbos, 25ish astrea and a conch in my 125... for now. Does the 40 breeder have sand in it or is it BB?

 

[Capt_Cully]

its BB

 

[alphaferret]

conch/bluelegs/tiger cuke/stomatella(sp)

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I have one giant turbo, one emerald crab and I think there's still two small hermits in there somewhere. All in addition to the usual plethora of small cleanup critters like Stomatella, mini stars, bristleworms etc. (although lately my mini star population seems to be at an all time low. Maybe because I'm running so clean?)

 

[Capt_Cully]

(although lately my mini star population seems to be at an all time low. )

Maybe they tunneled out thru the bottom of your tank and that's why it leaks.....

 

[daveverdo]

I like trochus snails that can right themselves if they fall upside down. They do a good job cleaning and I don't have to keep a eye them. I also have some ceriths and hermits. I do have a red slime problem. None of them deal well with the red-slime if you have any red-slime you can skip the trochus.

Still looking for anything that will tackle the red-slime.

Dave

 

[daveverdo]

Maybe they tunneled out thru the bottom of your tank and that's why it leaks.....

Ouch! Using a wounded man for quick laugh, that's low.

But it is very funny

 

[Capt_Cully]

Dave, a Turbo snail or two might help with the red slime, although it may be something that's self limiting anyway. But that's a whole new thread..

 

[daveverdo]

Cully,

How about one of these.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

kewl pic! Is it Mark's or Scott's?

 

[daveverdo]

The pic is from this thread.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=14778866

Coming back to haunt Cully.

Dave

 

[Capt_Cully]

Been there done that. The only thing it cleaned out was my colon when I first saw it!