Tell me about clean up crews

[euromomtx]

I have a bigger tank now and am getting excited about stocking it.
I've looked at clean up crews but the number of animals recommended just seems really excessive!
I feel like I'd really have to throw fistfuls of food in there just to keep the crabs and snails fed!
Do people really do well with that many clean up crew critters?
Or is it a way of online fish stores to unload a bunch of stuff on the unsuspecting tank owner?

I am really an animal lover so I couldn't just throw out the ones I don't need later on.

It's a 130 gallon tank. I want corals later on and I want small community fish.

What should I get as far as cleanup crew goes?

I have an Astrea snail and a Turbo snail and 3 Mexican Redlegs moving in from my old 30g.

 

[jhildebrand]

You're dead on with the usual "recommended" dose. Beware of suspect amounts. If your hermits don't have enough to eat you risk having your snails become their meals. Either way, you'll want extra shells so they aren't tempted to steal your snails' shells. I have maybe 15 hermits, 8 turbos, and one brittle star in a 260. According to some websites I should have 150 clean up critters. Sounds ridiculous to me.

 

[dreminon]

im going to hang on to this thread i was wondering the same thing

 

[Nomadic]

How about Detritivor "kits"? i havs a dsb as part of a Cryptic Refigium and i`m thinking on adding 2-3 kits from different vendors for diversification. Anyone know of any reputable vendors for this?