Clean Up Crew Help

[Robert Roswell]

I am wanting to update my cleanup crew for my 50 gallon reef. Any ideas?

 

[BestMomEver]

I’m done, for the most part, with hermits of any type. After a while, they started eating my snails.

I like fighting conchs and nessarius for sand cleaning. Turbos are underrated. They can be a little destructive in a tank with frags as the can knock them down but now that my SPS are encrusted, I have no problems. They actually stay on the glass for the most part. Astreas are great for glass cleaning too. I also like limpets.

Urchins are ok but keep them away from power cords. Stay away from nudibranchs (short lived, IME). I have a few emerald crabs and they do a good job.

Got to reefcleaners and take a look.

 

[lolgranny]

I’m done, for the most part, with hermits of any type. After a while, they started eating my snails.

I like fighting conchs and nessarius for sand cleaning. Turbos are underrated. They can be a little destructive in a tank with frags as the can knock them down but now that my SPS are encrusted, I have no problems. They actually stay on the glass for the most part. Astreas are great for glass cleaning too. I also like limpets.

Urchins are ok but keep them away from power cords. Stay away from nudibranchs (short lived, IME). I have a few emerald crabs and they do a good job.

Got to reefcleaners and take a look.

I don’t keep hermits in my tanks either, with that said you’ll need to replenish snails over the years anyways. There is ALWAYS dieoff.

I like urchins, they are good cleaners, a great conversation piece, and a total pain in the butt if you have loose frags / coral. They WILL move them.

I keep asters/ creith/ margarita / turbo/ and one more that I blame these beers on forgetting. They are small, round shell, and do not flip themselves over.

 

[BestMomEver]

I don’t keep hermits in my tanks either, with that said you’ll need to replenish snails over the years anyways. There is ALWAYS dieoff.

I like urchins, they are good cleaners, a great conversation piece, and a total pain in the *** if you have loose frags / coral. They WILL move them.

I keep asters/ creith/ margarita / turbo/ and one more that I blame these beers on forgetting. They are small, round shell, and do not flip themselves over.

Hehe...I have the same problem with vino!

 

[Robert Roswell]

I’m done, for the most part, with hermits of any type. After a while, they started eating my snails.

I like fighting conchs and nessarius for sand cleaning. Turbos are underrated. They can be a little destructive in a tank with frags as the can knock them down but now that my SPS are encrusted, I have no problems. They actually stay on the glass for the most part. Astreas are great for glass cleaning too. I also like limpets.

Urchins are ok but keep them away from power cords. Stay away from nudibranchs (short lived, IME). I have a few emerald crabs and they do a good job.

Got to reefcleaners and take a look.

Does this sound like a good crew
10 x Dwarf Cerith

5 x Florida Cerith

10 x Nassarius Vibex

10 x Nerite Snail

 

[Rabe]

Does this sound like a good crew
10 x Dwarf Cerith

5 x Florida Cerith

10 x Nassarius Vibex

10 x Nerite Snail

I would cut down the quantity to 5 x per species.

I would throw in:

1 x Emerald Crab - great for bubble algae, and some other algae
1 x Peppermint Shrimp - great for aptesia
5x Trochus snails - algae monsters

Some people don't like hermit crabs, me I love them. In my experience, as long as there is food for them - they won't eat snails. So, I would make sure to feed them before my tank had enough for them to eat. These editions, will eat other foods as well.

 

[RELLIK-REEF]

Hello, I have over 100 blue and red leg hermits, over 100 different cerith snails, 15 turbo snails, 2 peppermint shrimp, 2 pistol shrimp, 3 emerald crabs 2 porcelain crabs, 1 pom pom crab, and dont count out a tang they love eating algae, we have 1 scopas, and 1 hippo, and a ton of astria starfish that only come out when the lights are dimming down. I'll post a picture when they show up. I only have to clean my glass about once or twice a month. These are in our 200gallon reef system.

 

[RELLIK-REEF]

Hello, I have over 100 blue and red leg hermits, over 100 different cerith snails, 15 turbo snails, 2 peppermint shrimp, 2 pistol shrimp, 3 emerald crabs 2 porcelain crabs, 1 pom pom crab, and dont count out a tang they love eating algae, we have 1 scopas, and 1 hippo, and a ton of astria starfish that only come out when the lights are dimming down. I'll post a picture when they show up. I only have to clean my glass about once or twice a month. These are in our 200gallon reef system.

While the T5s are on.

 

[lolgranny]

Does this sound like a good crew
10 x Dwarf Cerith

5 x Florida Cerith

10 x Nassarius Vibex

10 x Nerite Snail

Seems like a good CUC, I would add a 1 or 2 turbo and a few astrea as well.

 

[Super Fly]

Does this sound like a good crew
10 x Dwarf Cerith

5 x Florida Cerith

10 x Nassarius Vibex

10 x Nerite Snail

Your qty seems sufficient but IME Cerith snails weren't hardy and often died off. I have Trochus (reproducing in tank) and Nassarius (the large Tonga ones) together with red legged hermits. The red legged hermits do not eat snails. One hassle with Trochus is that they cannot right themselves if tipped over and u have to help them or they'll die but these guys r voracious algae eaters.

 

[RichReef]

After having just about everything possible I would only use …

4x Nassarius snails (be positive you don't get whelks)
10x Banded trochus snails (they reproduce)
3x Sally lightfoots. They are the stars of my rock cleaners. Nothing else is in the same league. Yeah they lunge. But lunging to keep your spot and attacking are far from the same thing.
2x Fighting conches.

I can't say enough about the SLFs. Love, love, love them.