Need Some Help On Clean Up Crew..

[N1z]

Ok im getting paid on the 20th and was considering a t5 luminaire... but then i thought sooner or later im gunna get a 100gallon when i move next so whats the point.. but anways i need to buy a clean up crew for a 52 gallon

so far ive got 1 turbo snail and a electric blue hermit lol!

Can you guide me to what i should order and how many to get a good number of cleaners to do most jobs but also mainly if possible eat cyano or just make it struggle to grow.

cheers

 

[sukie]

Get more!!!

But add gradually . . . like maybe 20hermits and 10 snails. . . .

 

[SkiFletch]

Not a hermit fan myself, I'd put in 10 nassarius, 10 trochus, and 10 cerith snails

 

[Chac]

What about Conch's, excellant Cleaners

 

[Riley]

I would try to stay away from Blue legged Hermits too. They tend to kill snails and steal there shells.

-Riley

 

[N1z]

but dont conches eat corals?? or something like that.. ok i wont are scarlets ok?

 

[SkiFletch]

Scarlets are far less aggressive and probably OK in smaller numbers.

 

[N1z]

Ok ive decided to get...

6 turbo snails as its a pack of them
10 Cerith Snail
10-15 Nassarius snails??
10 scarlet hermits
And later on ill get a brittle starfish

What do you think??

 

[ASD]

Sounds good,

There is a general guide - 1 snail or crab per gallon of water.

 

[N1z]

COOL, well i did know that just double checking its decent enough lol.

 

[ostrow]

Do you have a deep sand bed?

If so I'd get a fighting conch too.

On the nassarius, make sure you get the nassarius vibex and NOT obsolettas. If possible, get the tongan (sometimes called jumbo) nassarius.

If by "turbo" you mean astraea, you are throwing away your money. They'll be dead within 3 months. If you mean Mexican turbo that is better but not by much. Half will die within weeks and the rest within 6 months. Spend the money and get trochus snails!

I'd always go more trochus and cerith and ditch the hermits, but the scarlets will likely leave the snails alone.

 

[N1z]

great ok then i wont, ive got one atm in my tank but he came with my LR but any1 know any good uk sites to buy them from and more exact ones that stock them..? as usually the lfs is a rip off when it comes to clean up crews

 

[Chac]

Coral Farm

UDA

Tropical Aquatics

STM

There are also some ebay shops, some are good others are eh well ..... not

 

[newtomarine]

Hi guys,

Just reading your threads, do you have to climatise the clean up crew before putting them into the tank like you would with fish or just chuck em in (Not literally)

 

[Chac]

They need to be acclimitised just as all other livestock do

I normally float the sealed bag for 30 mins then (using the Drip method) I slowly acclimise the inverts for about 1 - 2 hours

Starfish need to be acclimitised for longer periods of time, some say 6 hours so 12 depending on the species