Need clean up crew advise for my 72 gallon

[kiran523]

I need advise on what to get for my 72 gallon bowfront corner. Right now have:
1 Arrow Crab
10 Blue Leg Hermit
2 Emerald Crab
2 Red Mithrax Crab
1 Harlequin Serpent Starfish
1 Red Brittle Starfish
1 Lettuce Sea Slug (MIA)
5 Astrea Snails
5 Stocky Cerith Snail
5 Florida Cerith
2 Peppermint Shrimp

I am trying to decide what else to add

What I am trying to decide between right now are

Some type of sand sifting fish (LMB or something better looking)
more cerith
nassarius
Nerite
Crown or Horse conch
Decorator Crab (Just for fun)
Sally Lightfoot Crab
White Leg Hermit Crab
Brown-Stripe Hermit Crab

I am probably going to order from online. the cheapest place I've found is reefscavengers.com they are on eBay as well.

Your wisdom is appreciated

 

[arcteryx13]

I was told that the red leg, blue leg, and zebra hermits all target different types of algae and that to carry a variety of those would help, as far as hermit crabs go anyway. I made sure i got a variety of the hermits. I also read that the problem with overloading your tank with a clean up crew is that unless you supplement them, when they cure your algae problem they start to die off, thus causing an algae bloom due to excessive nutrients. So then you are back to square one. That is just what i have read and it makes sense, not sure if it is entirly true though.

 

[arcteryx13]

but i am refering to the algae clean up crew.

 

[TOYTEK]

LMB is not a sand sifter, look at some sand sifting gobies. I have an orange spotted diamond goby thats pretty cool to watch. Or you could go with a sand sifting star. Black Turbo Snails(not Mexicans) will eat cyano, if you put them on it, they don't seem to seek it out. I have a Sally Lightfoot also, its an attracitve crab, and eats that low growing turf type green algae.

 

[timrandlerv10]

DO NOT ADD THE DECORATOR!!!!

I CAN NOT SAY THIS LOUDLY ENOUGH!!!


If you really really want one, I will sell you mine for $100.

Thats $10 for each zoo morph (six), $10 for both macro algaes, $5 for the xenia, $5 for the GSP, $5 for the red mushroom, $10 for the red with blue stripes, $5 for the yellow sponge. Oh, and I'll through him in for free.

but yeah, its funny...well, it is the DAY AFTER anyway!

I would love to put mine in a nano!

 

[Tomoko Schum]

Hermit crabs love to eat snails for the taste of them not just for a new house. They seem to love cerith especially. I don't have any hermits in my 120, but I have no algae problem. My snails and herbivore fish take care of algae. Nassarius snails are a great asset for keeping sand surface turned over and clean. They are carrion eaters and love to eat left over food. A fighting conch is great for taking care of film algae and cyano (one is more than enough for 72G. Add two and they will starve to death in short order.)

Tomoko

 

[kiran523]

Thank guys, please keep it coming.

 

[Growurown]

afraid the Arrow crab will cause you nothing but trouble, they prey on small snails and crabs big time

 

[kiran523]

I bought a orange spotted diamond goby from aquarium imports. after 3 days all the sand in my tank is a pristine white. I'm still trying to decide on snails. I am also contemplating throwing all of my hermit crabs into my 29 gallon to prevent future snail genocide. I also heard that large emerald crabs (how large?) may start eating corals. I have one that has a 1 inch carpace and so far he picks only at rockwork to clean it.

 

[TOYTEK]

Is the Fighting Conch the only Conch that eats Cyano? I was considering adding a Conch to my 55, but not sure which one, or if it would survive long-term.