Clean-up Crew

V

v320

Just interested to see what you guys have in your tanks as far as clean up crew goes...

What do those who have many years of experience recommend?

Here is my list...

39 Gal
* 2 scarlet crabs
* ~3 electric blue crabs
* 2 emeralds
* ~6 nassarius snails
* ~5 astraea snails (1 in the fuge)
* ~3 turbo snails (1 in the fuge)
* 2 skunk cleaner shrimp
* 2 peppermint shrimp
(4 fish - bicolor blenny, gramma, osc. clown, & a chalk bass)

10 Gal
*1 electric blue crab
*1 scarlet crab
*1 emerald crab
*2 nassarius
*1 astraea
*1 turbo
*1 peppermint shrimp
(3 fish - neon goby, red headed goby, & a barber shop goby)
 
Not necessarily what I recommend, just what works for me, but:

150 gallon reef

Few remaining Astrea snails (Guessing 20 or so left from last GB I particiapated in a year+ ago)
100's of the IPSF Strombus Grazer snails (That aren't really strombus sp. at all, but I always forget their proper name)
3 or so Emarald Mithrax crabs
ZERO hermit crabs
7 large serpent stars (NOT green ones!!!)
3 Cleaner shrimp (Although I really don't consider them part of my clean-up crew, but I can see how they could be considered as such.)
3 cucumbers
Whole mess of small feather dusters (I consider 'em cleaners, since they strain the water for food particles.)

I'm sure I'm forgetting some critters, but that's the basics at least...
 
I have a 37 gal w/a hob fuge. I have about 11 assorted hermits and 4 or 5 snails, but what I wanted to caution you about is the turbo. In my opinion 3 turbos are too many for a tank of that size. I have only one and about once a week I feed him some seaweed that I tie to a piece of rubble. I lost one turbo before probably due to lack of food. Just wanted to let you know my experience.
 
Hrmm..

In the 175, I have:
-50-60 blue leg / red leg / unknown hermits
-3 scarlet hermits
-3 'super tongan' nasarrius
-2-3 astrea
-3 cerith
-1 ORA queen conch
-2 brittle stars
-1 serpent star
-2 tiger tail cukes (started out as one, but split)
-30-40 euplica versicolor (aka IPSF strombus grazers)
-3 peppermint shrimp
-3 cleaner shrimp
-2 emerald mithrax crabs

In the 45g corner tank I have:
-10-12 blue legged hermits
-2 'super tongan' nasarrius
-2 cerith
-1 ORA queen conch
-1 peppermint shrimp
-1 brittle star
-40-50 euplica versicolor
-2 tiger tail cukes (this also started as a single who split)
 
Thanks for the info Julie...

I will keep that in mind. I just happen to of opened a new pack of nori today. I will make a point to put some where the snails can get at them easily. When I first set up my tank, the LFS insisted I use turbos. I'm glad I didn't get more than I did.

How many nassarius do you have, if any?!

Oh, and I didn't mention it above, but my fuge is a HOB as well.

How long have you had yours? Do you have a lot of pods yet? I've hand mine for about 2 months now, and I originally had a few large visible pods, but then they disappeared for some reason (hmmm - I did have some brown coloring on my cheato and ended up cutting some of it off – not sure if that caused it). A few days ago I finally started seeing some tiny ones here and there... not very many though.
 
Serk, and Ashlar...

I noticed that you both have IPSF Strombus Grazer snails, are these especially useful? Should I look into getting some?

Do you know where I can get some cerith snails in the Arlington area?
 
V320 - The best thing about these guys is that they'll breed in our tanks and reproduce like crazy... I started with 8 of 'em 5 or so years ago, have given literally hundreds of 'em away, and still have hundreds of 'em...
 
Lol, anybody who's gotten macro from Serk likely has em now. They breed in your tank quite easily. If they were any larger, they'd almost be a pest.
 
I have 2 large nassarius. I love those guys, I had more but I replaced my sand when I moved the tank so I lost some. Some of the coolest crabs I have are left handed something or other that I got from Frank. They must breed in our tanks because I have a baby.

I've had my tank since Feb of 06. I have amphipods for sure but I've never see copepods. I originally bought some chaeto from a guy over the internet (befrore I knew of DFWM Society), and it came loaded with stuff.

I had a problem with cyano in my fuge due to circulation. The fuge came w/ a maxi-jet 900 I believe, I upgraded to a Maxi-jet 1200, still wasn't enough so I modded it alittle by drilling holes in the front cap and that helped. But every day I stir the chaeto alittle. These smaller fuges really need good circulation.
Hope this helps.
Forgot this too. I only leave the nori in for about half a day or less, otherwise it tears apart and becomes a mess.
 
In my 140 right now...

10-20 Tiger Trochus (Blackfoot)
4-6 Indo Trochus (White foot)
2 Brittle stars
30-40 nassarius
1 cuke (hawaiian)
1 large conch
4 pepps
1 cleaner
4 limpets (keyhole)
many stombus

plenty of bristle worms and pods of course.

In my 29..

1 bristle star
1 cleaner
2 trochus
1 hitchhiker crab (will go into sump soon)

pods and worms..
 
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