Simply put, they're the undertakers of the tank, and the street-cleaners.
They're not in there to eat algae. Generally, they don't. If you have some flakes of food under a rock ledge, out of fishy reach, if you have a dead snail, or perish-forbid, a dead fish---gone before it can spike ammonia.
They function along with your sandbed bacteria to remove things that might produce ammonia: their poo is small, easily handled, easily broken down.
Things happen to them: you will need to replenish them from time to time: bristleworms (even the 12-inchers!) are a great freebie, since they reproduce and you don't have to buy them (if you do, they're about a dollar each)...ditto chestnut turbos and micro hermits (give those guys spare shells before they are driven to take one). Avoid margaritas (cold-water snails) and pointy ones, which fall over and die on the sand---they can't crawl on it and are too dim to know it. Avoid fleshy inverts like cucumbers and sea apples: these can mess your tank up. Urchins shove rock. Brittle stars are good; serpent stars can go after fish; and regular starfish---skip them: some are too delicate and others are problems. Stick to worms, snails and hermits, and if you have to rid yourself of algae, consider GFO, not snails...especially for tanks of any size. And remember, they do have to eat, so if you don't have much for them to do yet, be sure they're getting something: sinking pellet is good for them.
Hope that helps.
They're not in there to eat algae. Generally, they don't. If you have some flakes of food under a rock ledge, out of fishy reach, if you have a dead snail, or perish-forbid, a dead fish---gone before it can spike ammonia.
They function along with your sandbed bacteria to remove things that might produce ammonia: their poo is small, easily handled, easily broken down.
Things happen to them: you will need to replenish them from time to time: bristleworms (even the 12-inchers!) are a great freebie, since they reproduce and you don't have to buy them (if you do, they're about a dollar each)...ditto chestnut turbos and micro hermits (give those guys spare shells before they are driven to take one). Avoid margaritas (cold-water snails) and pointy ones, which fall over and die on the sand---they can't crawl on it and are too dim to know it. Avoid fleshy inverts like cucumbers and sea apples: these can mess your tank up. Urchins shove rock. Brittle stars are good; serpent stars can go after fish; and regular starfish---skip them: some are too delicate and others are problems. Stick to worms, snails and hermits, and if you have to rid yourself of algae, consider GFO, not snails...especially for tanks of any size. And remember, they do have to eat, so if you don't have much for them to do yet, be sure they're getting something: sinking pellet is good for them.
Hope that helps.
