Balancing clean up crew
- Thread starter Travis Stewart
- Start date
- Tagged users None
shaggydoo
Active Member
Wait until there is lots of algae and throw in about 1 snail per gallon and 1 hermit per 2-3 gallons. I start will really small hermits because they are obnoxious when they get too big. Then I pick up another 10-20 snails every few months or so (in a 60g).
OP
OP
Travis Stewart
Valuable Member
So you don’t recommend adding before algae?? I didn’t want to get algae to start with...lol
Daniel@R2R
Living the Reef Life
Good question! Bumping for more input.
I generally try to be sure I've got some that will work on the glass, rocks, and substrate. That usually has me with a mix of nassarius, ceriths (and dwarf ceriths to hit those hard-to-reach spots), nerites, and trochus snails. I'll also throw in a turbo or 2 depending on tank size. I also don't add CUC until there's a bit of an algae bloom...snails gotta eat!
I do also add a few hermits, but that's mostly bc my kids like them.
I generally try to be sure I've got some that will work on the glass, rocks, and substrate. That usually has me with a mix of nassarius, ceriths (and dwarf ceriths to hit those hard-to-reach spots), nerites, and trochus snails. I'll also throw in a turbo or 2 depending on tank size. I also don't add CUC until there's a bit of an algae bloom...snails gotta eat!
I do also add a few hermits, but that's mostly bc my kids like them.
Daniel@R2R
Living the Reef Life
Yes. Gotta monitor numbers somewhat to be sure they're adequate for the job.
Bruce Burnett
Valuable Member
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2015
- Messages
- 1,296
- Reaction score
- 983
I don't have a cleanup crew. I run bare bottom. Don't have an algae problem so I don't bother. I guess since I do have some asterina stars have a bit of a clean up crew.
RobertP
Active Member
My algae blenny eats far more than his weight in algae. Little guy ate GHA like it was nectar. Now he looks at me wondering why I dont grow more.
My urchin ate some algae but now he just carries snails on his back.
I started with half of what everyone says and after about a year there are less than a quarter of the snails left. I catch them in the overflows often because its the only place algae can grow with my blenny on the job. He is a little machine!
My urchin ate some algae but now he just carries snails on his back.
I started with half of what everyone says and after about a year there are less than a quarter of the snails left. I catch them in the overflows often because its the only place algae can grow with my blenny on the job. He is a little machine!
Forsaken77
Valuable Member
I HATE snails. Well, the very small ones and the ones that come out of the water.
Those small buggers have jammed up pumps more times than I could count. I found them inside the lok-line nozzles blocking water flow to where I had to take the nozzle off to get it out. I just gathered them up and threw them in the backyard. I also think they brought a type of parasite into my tank that rode in on it, but can't prove it.
The ones that come out of the water, and therefore out of the tank, are a real pain. Not only do they leave a slime trail OUTSIDE your tank, but end up dead in places you would never think. One of mine used to travel back and forth between the tank and sump, until he found his way into the return pump and cracked a piece of the propeller. He went out back as well.
I also had an Abalone. My tank couldn't grow algae fast enough for it, so I had to hand feed it sheets of algae. The dumps that thing took totally negated any good he was doing. But he didn't go out back because he was cool with a personality. So now he lives in a reef with 5 other Abalones with a friend that's trying to breed them.
Cowrie snails are pretty cool.
Those small buggers have jammed up pumps more times than I could count. I found them inside the lok-line nozzles blocking water flow to where I had to take the nozzle off to get it out. I just gathered them up and threw them in the backyard. I also think they brought a type of parasite into my tank that rode in on it, but can't prove it.
The ones that come out of the water, and therefore out of the tank, are a real pain. Not only do they leave a slime trail OUTSIDE your tank, but end up dead in places you would never think. One of mine used to travel back and forth between the tank and sump, until he found his way into the return pump and cracked a piece of the propeller. He went out back as well.
I also had an Abalone. My tank couldn't grow algae fast enough for it, so I had to hand feed it sheets of algae. The dumps that thing took totally negated any good he was doing. But he didn't go out back because he was cool with a personality. So now he lives in a reef with 5 other Abalones with a friend that's trying to breed them.
Cowrie snails are pretty cool.
Don't add until you need them. Hermits WILL eat the snails, when they want bigger shells (so add extra shells, or expect some natural selection).
I added multiple cleanup crews over the years, with various formulas, and finally just let them settle down.
Sweet spot for my 120 was 2-3 turbos, 10-12 astreas, just a couple of ceriths (bare bottom) and one short spine urchin.
There are probably 2 red leg hermits, and 2 blue left (out of hundred plus added over 2-3 years)
I preferred snails over hermits - snails aren't carnivores
Granted - that was BEFORE switching to Triton method (I'm still looking for algae in the display tank).
If you have sand, you'll probably want a bunch of nassarius or ceriths, or even a conch.
I never had sea stars - so can't comment on them.
Agree that SMALL snails are a PITA, but hermits are little peckers too.
I added multiple cleanup crews over the years, with various formulas, and finally just let them settle down.
Sweet spot for my 120 was 2-3 turbos, 10-12 astreas, just a couple of ceriths (bare bottom) and one short spine urchin.
There are probably 2 red leg hermits, and 2 blue left (out of hundred plus added over 2-3 years)
I preferred snails over hermits - snails aren't carnivores
Granted - that was BEFORE switching to Triton method (I'm still looking for algae in the display tank).
If you have sand, you'll probably want a bunch of nassarius or ceriths, or even a conch.
I never had sea stars - so can't comment on them.
Agree that SMALL snails are a PITA, but hermits are little peckers too.
RobertP
Active Member
I agree on the hermits. I think 2-3 are cool but that crap about adding 50 for a 100 gallon tank is wrong. They will run out of food and eat your snails and each other...then what was the point.
My conch sits still for days on end. Would have sworn it was dead after it was in one spot for a week then it moved to another spot.
Oh and I have a sand sifting goby...NEVER NEVER NEVER get one. While watching them sift sand was funny for the first hour, they dump sand all over the tank and on every coral you care about!
My conch sits still for days on end. Would have sworn it was dead after it was in one spot for a week then it moved to another spot.
Oh and I have a sand sifting goby...NEVER NEVER NEVER get one. While watching them sift sand was funny for the first hour, they dump sand all over the tank and on every coral you care about!
When I had a large algae breakout I bought 6 large turbo snails which did an amazing job at getting the majority of it. However, in small crevices where they can't fit you need smaller snails. I just ordered some Dwarf ceriths, Florida ceriths and Nerite snails from John. I'm hoping they'll get into those tight spots. I have some crabs but tend to lean more towards snails as my CUC.
kY_Wildcat23
Community Member
I have a BioCube 29 and I think that I've finally found the right mix for my tank but it took a little bit to figure it out. I currently have 3 Trochus Snails, 1 Astrea Snail, 1 Nassarius Snail, 2 Emerald Crabs, and 2 Blue Leg Hermit Crabs. I definitely dislike the hermits the most. Originally I had 4 hermits along with 3 Nassarius, 2 Turbo and 3 Astrea. It was just too much and I was left with the 1 remaining Nassarius and Astrea snails and no Turbos. I only have 2 remaining hermits left and those guys got big. I can't 100% prove they took out ALL the snails and other hermits, but I have my suspicions. Mainly it boiled down to not having enough food for everyone, plus as the hermits grew they wanted the bigger shells. I would avoid hermits or minimize their presence. I later went with the Emerald Crabs since they don't need the shells.
OP
OP
Travis Stewart
Valuable Member
I’ll stick with my watchman he’s messy enough with the pistol!
OP
OP
Travis Stewart
Valuable Member
I hate emarld crabs!!! Lol
Ferrell
Valuable Member
I wish mine would just come out more often. He stay under the rock work on the bare tank bottom. I feel like I have to shoot some food under there every couple of days so he stays alive
My thoughts, real simple... Mexican Red Leg Hermits. A team, adding them to the tank will ensure the rock is picked so well, you see every pore in the rock. IMO this allows the rock to have more potential for bacteria, which in turn allows for break down of nutrients. They simply break stuff down, along side of a great skimmer. Depending on sand bed or not would determine my next additions to clean things up. With sand, my belief is that you can expand in this arena, which to me make more sense, from an eco-system approach. Either way, I have come to believe that this becomes the single most important aspect of a thriving reef. Just my opinion, but many underscore the importance of these cleaners. Cheers
