Hello everyone! I just wanted to share a few of my favorites for a clean up crew. I've been making and growing live rock in my 2300 gallon system for a few years now and have been using a few tried and true hard working species for the clean up crew in the rock system, as well as my reef system. These species are not anything spectacular of of great beauty, as many tropical species, but they are much harder working and and tougher than anything I've seen in my time in this hobby.
Since I live within easy driving distance to the jersey shore and Barnegat Bay, I collect these species from March through December. They are hardy at all salinities from 1.005 - 1.028sg and water temps from the low 40'S to up into the mid 80's. The first is the marine snail commonly called the Mud Dog Whelk or Eastern Mud Snail (llyassoma obsoleta). These snails eat everything and sift through and under the sandbed, including under the rock. they eat algae off the glass, rocks and substrate. The eat decaying food, slime and hair algae and even diatoms. The the tank is fed they mysteriously come out of nowhere from under the sandbed and rocks to feed. They are nearly bulletproof and of the 1000's I use in my tanks, I rarely ever see a dead one or empty shell. I can't say any of this for any other snail I've ever used.
The next "janitor" I use heavily is a shrimp commonly called a shore shrimp (Palaemonetes carolinus). They breed well and pick up anything the snails don't. They look similar to grass shrimp but with no markings or color and reach a length under 2". These shrimp do very well in groups and have far more character than any other shimp I've kept. They also eat detritus and most any algae they can get ahold of. They do seem to enjoy taking refuge in anemones as well. Another shrimp I use is commonly called a sand shrimp (Crangon septemspinosa), which more closely resembles a prawn. I've also witnessed both of these shrimp species cleaning many of the fish in their tanks, although they are not known as cleaners.
None of these snails or shrimp have ever harmed any coral, fish, or anything else in any of my tanks. I do keep one small (3-4") Oyster Toadfish (Opsanus tau) in each tank to keep shrimp levels in check. While they do grow large, this Toadfish grows VERY slowly and has never bothered anything in the tanks. Once they are used to their new homes, they readily accept pieces of shrimp, clam and worms from a feeding stick.
Since I live within easy driving distance to the jersey shore and Barnegat Bay, I collect these species from March through December. They are hardy at all salinities from 1.005 - 1.028sg and water temps from the low 40'S to up into the mid 80's. The first is the marine snail commonly called the Mud Dog Whelk or Eastern Mud Snail (llyassoma obsoleta). These snails eat everything and sift through and under the sandbed, including under the rock. they eat algae off the glass, rocks and substrate. The eat decaying food, slime and hair algae and even diatoms. The the tank is fed they mysteriously come out of nowhere from under the sandbed and rocks to feed. They are nearly bulletproof and of the 1000's I use in my tanks, I rarely ever see a dead one or empty shell. I can't say any of this for any other snail I've ever used.
The next "janitor" I use heavily is a shrimp commonly called a shore shrimp (Palaemonetes carolinus). They breed well and pick up anything the snails don't. They look similar to grass shrimp but with no markings or color and reach a length under 2". These shrimp do very well in groups and have far more character than any other shimp I've kept. They also eat detritus and most any algae they can get ahold of. They do seem to enjoy taking refuge in anemones as well. Another shrimp I use is commonly called a sand shrimp (Crangon septemspinosa), which more closely resembles a prawn. I've also witnessed both of these shrimp species cleaning many of the fish in their tanks, although they are not known as cleaners.
None of these snails or shrimp have ever harmed any coral, fish, or anything else in any of my tanks. I do keep one small (3-4") Oyster Toadfish (Opsanus tau) in each tank to keep shrimp levels in check. While they do grow large, this Toadfish grows VERY slowly and has never bothered anything in the tanks. Once they are used to their new homes, they readily accept pieces of shrimp, clam and worms from a feeding stick.
