Opinions wanted on best clean up crew

[stlouisguy]

I have heard pros and cons for everything in cleanup crews. I like emerald crabs but people say to keep them out. I know urchins are good but i hear they scratch acylic. Snails are a given, but which ones? Some people say they have horseshoe crabs, which I have never seen.

Input very welcome

 

[frenchie]

i like nassarus(good sand stirrers) and astrea snail, plus i keep 2 queen conchs, 2 caribbean conchs, and 2 tongan fighting conchs, and abalones are the best at cleaning glass, hermit crabs do good job but kill off snail population for there shells. i keep 2 sally light foot crabs there good cleaners, conchs good for eating cyano bacteria(redslime) plus brown diatom algae on sand bed. I like emerald crabs cause there good for bubble algae. Urchins can hurt coral from spines knock stuff over alot also.

 

[zt444a]

Ditto on the Conch, as I have since learned. Snails for sand stirring. I'd also make sure you have plenty of critters that live in the sand bed, like spaghetti worms... plenty of microstars too.

I just ordered myself a sand bed recharge kit from someone online. He seems nice, communicates well, and is cheaper the Inland Aquatics, etc. I will let you know how the sand critters turn out.

 

[Chelsey]

I recommend nassarius, astreas, and ceriths. I have had bad experiences with sally lightfoot and emerald crabs, the SL killed and ate some fish and my emerald crab cut off my zoos like a lawnmower would grass! I will not have hermits in my new system because they are the equivalent of bulldozers and they're not worth the trouble, IMO. I would recommend a few peppermint shrimp too. Another cleanup crew member to consider would be a neon goby...it's been proven that they help pick parasites off of fish.

 

[zt444a]

I'd not do the Peppermint shrimp myself, unless you have an aiptasia problem. They are some pretty voracious eaters of everything else, some of which might also be beneficial, i.e spaghetti worms, some bristle worms... you name it and they will try and eat it.

I agree on not so many hermits... I am not replacing any of mine that die off, and I occassionally toss one down to the sump as well.

 

[stlouisguy]

My hermits are going into the sump, they know stuff over too easily. I like seeing the crabs in the tank but again, may not be worth the trouble.

Also going to take my serpent and brittle stars and put them in the sump. I think they have a taste for fish

What is best at cleaning up the diathom that forms on the LR?

 

[frenchie]

cleaner wrasse are good fish

 

[frenchie]

atrea snails and conchs

 

[griss]

www.ipsf.com

 

[Nanook]

I would get a couple kits from both www.ipsf.com and www.inlandaquatics.com

The Hawaiian Trochus Grazers that Gerald sells are very long-lived and active snails. I also like Cerith, Queen Conch for a larger tank like yours and some cukes to keep the sand turned over. I am not a fan of Nassarius snails because they die too fast and leave a lot of shells in the tank.

I also like the Hawaiian Strombus Grazers because they reproduce readily in the tank as do the Stomatella snails. Anything than can reproduce itself in the tank is a big plus.

In a large tank, some hermits are not going to make a big impact on the microfauna, IMO. Put what you want in there in the end.

 

[Dert42]

conch = good
blue leg hermits = good, but i guess mine aren't getting enough to eat or something. they've started to attack each other.

 

[jeffo65]

conchs eat like no tomorrow. The only thing that I think eats off my sandbed. My cucumber just stays all curled up on a rock and I don't ever see it eat anything.....hmm. But it is alive when I touch it. :lol:

 

[zrs6v4]

I have cerith and nessarius in my setup and I'm looking for more. anyone know where to get them cheaper than 2 bux a piece?