what is everyone using for a clean up crew? I have a 210g with about 30 Astraea snails, 2 Halloween Hermit Crabs and a Banded Coral Shrimp
what would you add or stay away from?
Thanks
what would you add or stay away from?
Thanks
SPS and clean up crew?
- Thread starter richierich2000
- Start date
Crazy fish eye
New member
I would add a couple emerald crabs.
cool what else
do Nassiruss snails do ok with out sand?
wdt2000
Member
No.
I use small blue leg hermits as my main clean up crew. You can order them in bulk from dirt cheap.
is it better to order all that I need at once or do small orders over time? just don't want to loose most of them.
I have
30 Astraea snails
2 Halloween Hermit Crabs
1 Banded Coral Shrimp
want to add
1 sally lightfoot
25 assorted hermits
3 Emerald Crabs
100 Nassarius Snails
1 red serpent star
what do you think?
I have
30 Astraea snails
2 Halloween Hermit Crabs
1 Banded Coral Shrimp
want to add
1 sally lightfoot
25 assorted hermits
3 Emerald Crabs
100 Nassarius Snails
1 red serpent star
what do you think?
This is hilarious. You DO NOT need 100 nass snails in a 1000g tank, let alone a 210g. I have 2 emeralds, to control a few spots of bubble algae. I have zero hermits, and a mix of about 15 astrea, turbo, trochus and cerith snails. Along with a conch and 2 nass snails. Your much better off to just control your water than throw a million snails and hermits at the problem you just grew. Just my opinion, but good lord how much could any one tank need to be cleaned up?
Keep in mind the nutrients your clean up crew eats are still in the tank, they just got turned into poop instead of pellets or algae. You will have to skim, water change or remove macro to actually get the nutrients out of the tank. If you want a tank full of hermits and snails by all means create one, but you don't need to in order to have a nice sps tank.
Keep in mind the nutrients your clean up crew eats are still in the tank, they just got turned into poop instead of pellets or algae. You will have to skim, water change or remove macro to actually get the nutrients out of the tank. If you want a tank full of hermits and snails by all means create one, but you don't need to in order to have a nice sps tank.
I like to use the black footed banded trochus snails only. They do not climb corals and can flip themselves over. I also never have to buy snails because they breed well in my tanks. I bought 30 for a 150 gallon and have probably 40 snails now. I pluck some to clean my nanos.
This is why I have this tread going.. and would love to hear from people that have been there do that
I do not have very much algae in my tank. would like something to eat extra food and such.
RynosReef
New member
I agree with rmalone to an extent. I wouldnt put 100 nasarius snails in a 200g. That's a little extreme. Nassarius are great at keeping a sandbed up as they constantly burrow in it and are great bottom scavengers. Depending on how deep your sand bed is and how many other bottom dwellers you get 25 might be adequate. I also recommend emerald crabs. They're good scavengers and fun to watch. I actually find my clean up crew to be one of the most interesting parts of my tank. I have a fuzzy racer snail which is one fast cool looking snail. It eats seaweed from my hand. I have a red sand sifting cucumber that's split into 3 now. Also very cool to watch. And my favorite is my red serpent that also eats out of my hand.
My clean up crew in my 75g consists of approximately 15 astrea snails, 15 assorted red or blue hermits, a red serpent star, a fuzzy racer snail, 3 cucumbers, 2 green emeralds and 1 red emerald crab, a coral banded shrimp, a cleaner shrimp and a peppermint shrimp. And I've got little starfish that came with the rock all over the tank keeping rocks and glass clean.
My advice is 25 or so nass snails plus some other bottom cleaners like starfish or cucumbers, a peppermint shrimp if you ever worry for aptasia, a cleaner shrimp for overall scavaging, 3-5 emeralds and maybe 25 to 50 blue and or red hermits. Maybe some more snails as well but base how many on their size. And remember that a lot of clean up crew packages online sell way too many critters for the recommended tank and many starve to death. Start small and if a prob arises fix it. But don't if it ain't broke ya know. But have fun with it and get some cool stuff. They're are a lot of cool inverts out there.
My clean up crew in my 75g consists of approximately 15 astrea snails, 15 assorted red or blue hermits, a red serpent star, a fuzzy racer snail, 3 cucumbers, 2 green emeralds and 1 red emerald crab, a coral banded shrimp, a cleaner shrimp and a peppermint shrimp. And I've got little starfish that came with the rock all over the tank keeping rocks and glass clean.
My advice is 25 or so nass snails plus some other bottom cleaners like starfish or cucumbers, a peppermint shrimp if you ever worry for aptasia, a cleaner shrimp for overall scavaging, 3-5 emeralds and maybe 25 to 50 blue and or red hermits. Maybe some more snails as well but base how many on their size. And remember that a lot of clean up crew packages online sell way too many critters for the recommended tank and many starve to death. Start small and if a prob arises fix it. But don't if it ain't broke ya know. But have fun with it and get some cool stuff. They're are a lot of cool inverts out there.
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
c'mon you experienced SPS reefkeepers!
c'mon you experienced SPS reefkeepers!
what do you say?
IMO if you need 100 Nassarius in a 200 gallon SPS aquarium you are DEFINITELY doing something wrong!
c'mon you experienced SPS reefkeepers!
what do you say?
IMO if you need 100 Nassarius in a 200 gallon SPS aquarium you are DEFINITELY doing something wrong!
javajaws
Premium Member
I think snails are highly overrated. They'll never clean your glass fully, they can die, they make an uncluttered tank look cluttered, and they just move nutrients from one form factor to another (while adding their own to the mix!).
For sand you are better off with a goby. Maybe throw in a fighting conch. For rocks? Get a fish that grazes instead. You're better off cleaning the glass yourself. Throw in some crabs/shrimp/starfish and you're good to go.
For sand you are better off with a goby. Maybe throw in a fighting conch. For rocks? Get a fish that grazes instead. You're better off cleaning the glass yourself. Throw in some crabs/shrimp/starfish and you're good to go.
Go to http://reefcleaners.org/ and tell them what you have and they will tell what else you can put in there oand how many.
No. If you don't have sand, don't get any nassarius snails. I personally don't like astreas because they can't right themselves when they land upside down. I have banded trochus (my favorite), cerith, nerite and nassarius. I have maybe 15-20 trochus and cerith, and half as many nerite and nassarius in my 120. You don't need a hundred of each like some stores suggest. Mexican turbos are good if you ever have a problem with hair algae. I also have a serpent star, a cleaner shrimp, a few scarlet reef hermits and a fighting conch to help stir up the sand. You may want to rethink the sally lightfoot. They're pretty cool looking (IMO), and mine was constantly picking algae off of the rocks. I got nervous after reading that they become aggressive when they get bigger, and may go after smaller fish. Wound up getting rid of him.
