Cleaning Crew

[J-Money]

I'm going to start looking for a cleaning crew for my tank in a week or so and thought i'd do a little homework. I'm thinking of getting:
3 Queen Conchs
a dozen or so bumble bee snails
1 sand sifting tiger star fish
Maybe a mated pair of Golden Coral Banded Shrimp
40 Blue Leg Hermit Crabs
Maybe a Chocolate Chip Star
5 Esmerald Green Crabs
10-20 NASSARIOUS SNAILS

Is that enough? What am I lacking? I don't want to get any cucumbers cuz I don't want it getting harrassed and killing everything in the tank.
When the tank is done cycling I plan on having in there 1 fuzzy dwarf lion, 1 dwarf zebra lion, 1 niger trigger, and maybe 1 more animal if it will fit. Something like either a chesnut moray if I can ever find one or a small tang

 

[Great Lakes]

I would skip the conchs and emeralds at first and go with a few more bluelegs and about 30-40 more astrea snails. JMO

GL

 

[Navarre]

3 Queen Conchs
a dozen or so bumble bee snails
1 sand sifting tiger star fish
Maybe a mated pair of Golden Coral Banded Shrimp
40 Blue Leg Hermit Crabs
Maybe a Chocolate Chip Star
5 Esmerald Green Crabs
10-20 NASSARIOUS SNAILS


Everything else is ok.. maybe the emerald crabs could wait a while but perhaps get 1 or so.
Some astrea snails are advantageous as Greatlegs has mentioned.
A Normal cleaning shrimp is a good scavenger too.


Conch's, sandsifter star etc are not advised just yet.. You will need a far more mature system before these can go into the sand. If you are opperating a DSB also then forget these as they will wiope the sand out of living organisms )
Coral banded shrimps.. I assume you mean a boxing shrimp? Not good in tanks with small fish or other small inverts as they will eat them

Im also pretty sure that a chocolate ship starfish is not reef safe although i could be mistaken

 

[J-Money]

Thanks for the info guys. That's why i gotta do my homework . My sand is only about an inch deep...so no DSB to worry about. I figured I would need a star or two to help move around the sand. Will the crabs and snails do enough while I wait for my system to mature?

 

[Navarre]

the sand will look poor for a while whilst it matures.. it will go through a diatom stage and most likely a cyano stage.. this is normal. once this is finished you should check the tank for pod life. if you see an abundance of pods then try just a single star in there.

 

[J-Money]

How's this sound for a starting off cleaning crew package (I'll add a star later if I need to)? Oh and...uhhh...is it overkill?
100 Turbo Snails
10 Scarlet Reef Hermits
36 Nassarius Snails
24 Cerith Snails
4 Emerald Crabs
and 4 Peppermint Shrimp


or



100 Turbo Snail
100 Sm Blueleg Hermit with 48 colorful transition shells added at no charge
48 Nassarius Snail
12 Cerith Snail
and 2 Emerald Crabs

 

[ostrow]

100 Turbo Snails
10 Scarlet Reef Hermits
36 Nassarius Snails
24 Cerith Snails
4 Emerald Crabs
and 4 Peppermint Shrimp


or



100 Turbo Snail
100 Sm Blueleg Hermit with 48 colorful transition shells added at no charge
48 Nassarius Snail
12 Cerith Snail
and 2 Emerald Crabs

First, NO Bumblebee Snails. They are predators, as are all in their species class. Unless you want the rest of your snails eaten, not to mention pods and worms, avoid the bumblebee. You mentioned them in the initial post so that is why I mention it.

100 Turbo snails, depending on what species you mean, is also way out of line. If you read Dr. Ron Shimek's research, you will know that many of these species are cool water animals so be sure to buy tropical, and second that only one per 10-15G max is advised. So 10-15. But for snails I'd go Trochus. They last longer, do a better job of cleaning. 20 or so, or a few more and fewer of the turbo/astreas.

Re: the nassarius, you'll see lots of death most likely with that many. Starvation. Half as many at most is advisable. 20 or so.

The ceriths will do great. 20-30.

I'd go fighting conch instead of queen conch myself, though in a 1" sandbed I dunno if that'll work. I dunno if either will work.

Drop the bluelegs and get a bunch of the scarlets. I wish I had and am switching myself now. You could do well with 20 of those guys. Bluelegs will eat your snails.

And get maybe 3 emerald crabs, though I seem to be the one who can't keep htem alive most others have great success with them.

I recommend reading Shimek's articles on snails before buying.

 

[J-Money]

Thanks, where would I find this article?

 

[ostrow]

http/reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rs/index.htm
And browse his website.

 

[J-Money]

couldn't wait any longer. I was at my LFS getting ghost shrimp for my freshwater tank and I got 2 scarlet leg hermits and 2 turbo snails. I know it's not much, but i'm stoked they are finally in there lol. The little snail is still latched onto the big one's back so he has to drag him all around on the rock i put them on. I put one crab on a rock and he hasn't really moved, sooooo much diatoms and algae. I put another one on the sand bed and he's just gone around in a circle eating everything I might just have to get a few more tomorrow, but I have to wait till sunday night to order the whole crew online. I guess I don't have to wait, but it wouldn't be sent till monday anyway

 

[J-Money]

Oh yeah, will i need to get empty shells later for the crabs?