Cleanup crew recomendations...

T

trey85stang

[I have a 72g tank and I am looking to purchase a cleanup crew package online somewhere (reeftopia.com or saltwaterfish.com.)

Currently my tank is starting to be overrun with green algae on the glass, and green/brown algae is covering the rocks. Now.. to start with the tank had tap water only when I set it up and it has been cycled for 5 weeks with this water.

Tomorrow or Monday I will be doing about 40% water change with RO water or as soon as it is done (and another 20-30% the following weekned.) Next week i will be ordering a cleanup crew package for friday delivery.

currently I have in my tank, two silver damsels, 1 three stripe damsel (who will be moved to another tank as soon as I canth him) 1 small maroon clown, 16 RL & BL hermits, and 10 snails (small ones 2-3 different kinds.

The clean up crew package I am looking to order is the following...

* 36 Turbo Snails
* 10 Scarelet Reef Hermits
* 12 Medium Blue Leg Hermits
* 4 Emerald Crabs
* 6 Cerith Snails
* 6 Nerite Snails
* 2 Star Snails

and for good measure to get everything cleaned quickly (i hope)

* 4 Lettuce Nudi Branch

Does this all sound good for my tank?? Is there any of the above I should stay away from or anything I should add?

I really am just looking for something to keep the glass and rock clean (rock mainly)

Thanks]
 
[Whoa! That is a lot of cleaners!
Get an algae magnet for the glass, snails will never keep it all clean.
Skip the Nudi's, they will meet their fate in the powerheads/overflows much quicker than what their worth. They also dont consume brown algae.

36 turbos is waaay too many, cut that down to 10 tops.
I would skip the blue legs as well and order lots more cerith, and nerites. If you can find trochus, they are great snails too.

HTH!]
 
[For what it's worth, I like the blue legged hermits. Even if they don't do much for cleaning, I think they're "asthetically pleasing" in a tank.

In my current 10g, I have a couple of scarlets and a couple of blue legs. I plan to do both in the 90 once it's been set up for a couple of months.]
 
@Amanda wrote:
[Whoa! That is a lot of cleaners! Get an algae magnet for the glass said:
[I will look for a different package! thanks for the info...

Will the nudi branchs eat the green algea off of the rocks?? If they wont then I will not bother but if they might I think will try... I have about 90% green algea (hair algae i guess) and 10% diatoms.

im kinda sad about the magnet bit though... :( I have a bow front tank and the magnet would have to be sideways.. and ehh.. I'll just need to get one.. Do they work well?? All the ones I have seen have a big price tag 35 bucks or so (for the good size ones) I just have been skeptical.]
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[Trey, cleaning magnets can be very pricey but will last a long time. You can replace the pads as they are worn out.

If you happen to hear about a group buy for magnets, you can save some money. What thickness is your glass?]
 
[The magnets work really well IMO, im not sure about how well they make contact on bowfronts though. Surely there are some members here that can attest to that? The good ones are well their money as well IMO.
Make sure to order one that is proper for your glass thickness or acrylic depending on what your tank is made of.

The nudi's will munch some green algae and in all honesty I would love to have one! I dont have any algae for it to eat though and have had one find its way to the PH before, but #### they are some cool lookin critters.
Go ahead and order one and see how it does, four is overdoing it IMO. There are also other solutions. If you can get it trimmed down short, the turbos should take care of it.

The diatoms shouldnt be a concern, they will clear up in time on their own with good husbandry.
If you can find some stomatella snails, they are great too.]
 
[@Marc wrote:
Trey said:
I am unsure of the thickness, It is either 1/8 or a 1/4 though. I think I will look into one


one quick IB question.. How can I double quote??]



Edited By trey85stang on 1096859328
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@Amanda wrote:
[The magnets work really well IMO said:
[I have found a smaller package, that includes half of what is listed above along with a few shrimp...

I will get only 2 lettuce nudibranchs.. If they can get my rock clean then they are worth the money.. hopefully they will stay away from the PH ???]
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[in a 72 I would suggest:

20-30 Astrea Snails (for algae)
10-20 Nassarius (for food detritus - we all over feed, IE food = love)
10-20 Cerith (to stir up the sand and eat algaes that grow in and on it)
A Sand Sifting Goby (to clear out the corners, under and around the rocks)
A Blenny of some sort (YES they eat algae, and keep your powerhead intakes squeaky clean)

I like Peppermint Shrimp as opposed to Hermits because they do not eat my snails and perform just like hermits, as scavengers. Searching all over the rock crevices for bits of lost food in small holes. I removed all the hermits I could find in my reefs, and they still apppear here and there.

That is your ESSENTIAL clean up crew for an aquarium ECOSYSTEM.

You can always add more snails as you see fit. A Turbo or 10 never hurts, as do a Fighting Conch if you see cyanobacteria in a dead area recurring in your tank.

I used to have a store and talked to lots of peeps and have decided this is the direction <u>I</u> would go, and it works for me.

Of coarse I always have a good Magnavore Magnet stuck to the glass, because of all that pesky coralline algae.]
 
@FaithWarren wrote:
[in a 72 I would suggest: 20-30 Astrea Snails (for algae) 10-20 Nassarius (for food detritus - we all over feed said:
[Ok, there is a package similiary to all you have mentioned on saltwaterfish.com, I think I will be going with this setup :)

I forgot I have a scooter blenny already (how could I forget that little guy?? )]
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[Scooters are like Mandarins in the compacity that they are a decorative item that eats 'pods in your tank. You must have a nice established tank to provide the population of 'pods they require in their diet. It is believed there is also some liverock to gallonage ratio required to produce a population of 'pods sufficient to keep him healthy.

But then, sometimes they eat flake or brine, and survive in a tank.

(I am not saying that you should go out and buy one and hope it eats what you feed your other fish.)

By Blenny, in my post, I meant the myriad of blennies similar to the Bi-Color Blenny, and the Algae Blenny.]
 
@FaithWarren wrote:
[Scooters are like Mandarins in the compacity that they are a decorative item that eats 'pods in your tank. You must have a nice established tank to provide the population of 'pods they require in their diet. It is believed there is also some liverock to gallonage ratio required to produce a population of 'pods sufficient to keep him healthy. But then said:
[My wife bought this blenny.. I did not know they required an established tank :( Should I try feeding him some brine to see if he will eat it???

Currently he scours the rocks and is constantly spitting out sand ???]
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