SoloChromis
New member
A lot of beginners find themselves asking "what clean up crew animals do I really need?", "What's *really* going to make a difference". I've been asked these sort of questions a million times working in stores, and many of them ended up insisting on buying, or had already added animals that *look* like they do... something, when in reality they are either entirely useless, or actually of detriment to the overall health of the system. Some of the animals I'm talking about are ...
Diamond & Sleeper Gobies - I can't tell you how many people would come in complaining about their "dirty" sand, and end up insisting on sticking with a sand sifting goby to solve their problem, because by the look of it, they are REALLY making a difference. All they do all day is run around like a mad man scooping mounds of sand into their mouth and spitting it out their gills, and this is a pitfall so many of us have fallen into in our earlier days. In reality these fish are actually obliterating the population of microfauna in your sand bed, essentially making your entire sand bed a waste sink. Most of us do pay more for "live" sand, and what these gobies are doing is wiping out our investment, while making a huge mess in the process. The saddest thing about this trend is that the gobies are really the one's who lose out in the situation, as the majority of them slowly waste away over time. Save your money and stick with watchmans (watchmen?) if you really like the elongated look of these gobies.
Green Brittle Stars - It boggles my mind that these monsters are still offered regularly, as it should be a widely known fact by now that this particular species has a habit of preying on fish! I'm not certain why exactly it is that these species has a longer rap sheet with this than other brittles, but it's best to just avoid them all together. The craziest thing about it is IME they actually cost MORE than the regular brown/black brittles, and I've even seem them labeled as "fancy" :facepalm: .
Arrow Crabs - They will wipe out a bristle worm population over a time, and they will also prey upon pods, which many hobbyists dedicate a lot of patience and effort into establishing in a tank. I've also seen them go after small fish, shrimp, and hermit crabs. Cool looking, yes, but won't do a thing for you and those of you that are counting the days until you can finally add the mandarin that got you into the hobby, forget about these guys entirely.
Coral Banded/Boxing Shrimp - Very similar to the arrow crabs in their usefulness to a tank... They eat bristle worms, pods, are territorial with other shrimp, and have been known for catching unsuspecting fish once they mature into large adults. They're also pretty stationary, so they're not going to be of much help with cleaning up excess waste (the scarlet cleaner and bloods are much better for this). That being said, the blue & zanzibar coral banded shrimp are pretty fantastic looking and will only reach a fraction of the maximum size of your average coral banded (Stenopus hispidus).
Bumblebee Snails, Olive Snails, Whelks - I grouped these together because you don't want any of them in your tank for the same reason. They're predatory, and will eat other snails, and not do you very much good in keeping the sand bed clean or algae at bay.
Blue Leg Hermit Crabs - As popular and readily available as they are, I can't warn you guys enough, stay away! IME they have always whittled their numbers down to 2-3, no matter the size of the tank. Every day it seemed like we'd have someone coming in to replenish their hermit population. For whatever reason they seem to be much more inclined to murder each other and their snail tankmates than the scarlet reefs. It's no argument for me anymore, I will only use the scarlet reef hermits, despite their higher price. They just seem to coexist with each other and other invertebrates much more peacefully than other species.
Sand Sifting Stars - Much like the gobies listed, these guys live off of the microfauna in your sand bed, not the waste. From what I've seen, they have almost always just kinda withered away after making your live sand bed sterile.
... Now onto praising the unsung heroes of the hobby... ladies and gentlemen give it up for...
Urchins (Pin Cushion, Tuxedos etc.) - Despite popular misconception, their *are* in fact reef-safe urchins out there. These guys are without a doubt the unchallenged champions when it comes to plowing through any given algae. That being said, they will nip at coralline here and there, especially once a lot of the nuisance algae starts to vanish, and if you're really uptight about things getting rearranged and carried around every once in a while (frags, small pieces of rock, hermits etc.), these may get on your nerves. Totally worth having IMO, very hardy and some of the most fascinating creatures you can keep in a tank.
Fighting Conchs - Ah, the urchins of the sand bed... They're outstandingly effective at keeping a sand bed oxygenated and free of waste buildup, and they'll do the job of 20 nassarius snails once they're full grown, but they *are* a bit bulky, so again, if you're uptight... suck it up and deal with it, because these guys are worth every dime :lolspin:
Serpent/Brittle Stars - "Is that an octopus in there?!" - anyone that has ever seen my tank for the first time. Very cool, very hardy, they come in a huge variety of colors and sizes (black & white, red, orange, pink, purple etc.), and there's no better option when it comes to cleaning out dead spots and keeping waste from building up within the rockwork (something many of us forget to consider).
Emerald Crabs - Not only are they cute, they're also the only invert I've seen that'll wipe out the PITA bubble algae so many of us struggle with. They're also much more active than hermits and therefore cover more ground.
Dwarf Cerith Snails - I praised these little guys for keeping my glass clean and getting in all the tiny little nooks & crannies where algae will build up, in places other animals can't reach. They're also very cheap and you can buy around 100 from Reef Cleaners for something like $5 and you'll definitely see a difference, despite their diminutive size.
Sea Cucumbers - Despite the stories of them dying and wiping out a whole tank, I have yet to meet anyone that this has happened to. They're fantastic when it comes to keeping a sand bed healthy and they're actually pretty cool (even though a lot of them look like turds
).
Bristle Worms - YES, bristle worms. Everyone's scared of them, but I promise they make up for their looks with their personality. Eh, maybe not so much personality, but their performance when it comes to waste management is outstanding and they breed like rabbits. Plus most of the time they're free, and you can't beat free :beer:
... So there it is, my definitive list of the not so helpful and the true legends when it comes to keeping our beloved boxes of water running efficiently longterm. Post any of you favorite CUC members below, with a tale of their humble, every day heroism :dance:
Diamond & Sleeper Gobies - I can't tell you how many people would come in complaining about their "dirty" sand, and end up insisting on sticking with a sand sifting goby to solve their problem, because by the look of it, they are REALLY making a difference. All they do all day is run around like a mad man scooping mounds of sand into their mouth and spitting it out their gills, and this is a pitfall so many of us have fallen into in our earlier days. In reality these fish are actually obliterating the population of microfauna in your sand bed, essentially making your entire sand bed a waste sink. Most of us do pay more for "live" sand, and what these gobies are doing is wiping out our investment, while making a huge mess in the process. The saddest thing about this trend is that the gobies are really the one's who lose out in the situation, as the majority of them slowly waste away over time. Save your money and stick with watchmans (watchmen?) if you really like the elongated look of these gobies.
Green Brittle Stars - It boggles my mind that these monsters are still offered regularly, as it should be a widely known fact by now that this particular species has a habit of preying on fish! I'm not certain why exactly it is that these species has a longer rap sheet with this than other brittles, but it's best to just avoid them all together. The craziest thing about it is IME they actually cost MORE than the regular brown/black brittles, and I've even seem them labeled as "fancy" :facepalm: .
Arrow Crabs - They will wipe out a bristle worm population over a time, and they will also prey upon pods, which many hobbyists dedicate a lot of patience and effort into establishing in a tank. I've also seen them go after small fish, shrimp, and hermit crabs. Cool looking, yes, but won't do a thing for you and those of you that are counting the days until you can finally add the mandarin that got you into the hobby, forget about these guys entirely.
Coral Banded/Boxing Shrimp - Very similar to the arrow crabs in their usefulness to a tank... They eat bristle worms, pods, are territorial with other shrimp, and have been known for catching unsuspecting fish once they mature into large adults. They're also pretty stationary, so they're not going to be of much help with cleaning up excess waste (the scarlet cleaner and bloods are much better for this). That being said, the blue & zanzibar coral banded shrimp are pretty fantastic looking and will only reach a fraction of the maximum size of your average coral banded (Stenopus hispidus).
Bumblebee Snails, Olive Snails, Whelks - I grouped these together because you don't want any of them in your tank for the same reason. They're predatory, and will eat other snails, and not do you very much good in keeping the sand bed clean or algae at bay.
Blue Leg Hermit Crabs - As popular and readily available as they are, I can't warn you guys enough, stay away! IME they have always whittled their numbers down to 2-3, no matter the size of the tank. Every day it seemed like we'd have someone coming in to replenish their hermit population. For whatever reason they seem to be much more inclined to murder each other and their snail tankmates than the scarlet reefs. It's no argument for me anymore, I will only use the scarlet reef hermits, despite their higher price. They just seem to coexist with each other and other invertebrates much more peacefully than other species.
Sand Sifting Stars - Much like the gobies listed, these guys live off of the microfauna in your sand bed, not the waste. From what I've seen, they have almost always just kinda withered away after making your live sand bed sterile.
... Now onto praising the unsung heroes of the hobby... ladies and gentlemen give it up for...
Urchins (Pin Cushion, Tuxedos etc.) - Despite popular misconception, their *are* in fact reef-safe urchins out there. These guys are without a doubt the unchallenged champions when it comes to plowing through any given algae. That being said, they will nip at coralline here and there, especially once a lot of the nuisance algae starts to vanish, and if you're really uptight about things getting rearranged and carried around every once in a while (frags, small pieces of rock, hermits etc.), these may get on your nerves. Totally worth having IMO, very hardy and some of the most fascinating creatures you can keep in a tank.
Fighting Conchs - Ah, the urchins of the sand bed... They're outstandingly effective at keeping a sand bed oxygenated and free of waste buildup, and they'll do the job of 20 nassarius snails once they're full grown, but they *are* a bit bulky, so again, if you're uptight... suck it up and deal with it, because these guys are worth every dime :lolspin:
Serpent/Brittle Stars - "Is that an octopus in there?!" - anyone that has ever seen my tank for the first time. Very cool, very hardy, they come in a huge variety of colors and sizes (black & white, red, orange, pink, purple etc.), and there's no better option when it comes to cleaning out dead spots and keeping waste from building up within the rockwork (something many of us forget to consider).
Emerald Crabs - Not only are they cute, they're also the only invert I've seen that'll wipe out the PITA bubble algae so many of us struggle with. They're also much more active than hermits and therefore cover more ground.
Dwarf Cerith Snails - I praised these little guys for keeping my glass clean and getting in all the tiny little nooks & crannies where algae will build up, in places other animals can't reach. They're also very cheap and you can buy around 100 from Reef Cleaners for something like $5 and you'll definitely see a difference, despite their diminutive size.
Sea Cucumbers - Despite the stories of them dying and wiping out a whole tank, I have yet to meet anyone that this has happened to. They're fantastic when it comes to keeping a sand bed healthy and they're actually pretty cool (even though a lot of them look like turds
).Bristle Worms - YES, bristle worms. Everyone's scared of them, but I promise they make up for their looks with their personality. Eh, maybe not so much personality, but their performance when it comes to waste management is outstanding and they breed like rabbits. Plus most of the time they're free, and you can't beat free :beer:
... So there it is, my definitive list of the not so helpful and the true legends when it comes to keeping our beloved boxes of water running efficiently longterm. Post any of you favorite CUC members below, with a tale of their humble, every day heroism :dance:
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