Clean up crew, how many per gallon?

[Mandelstam]

I heard Marc at Melev's say that you should get roughly 1 per gallon. For a 100g tank, 100 strong clean up crew.

What's your opinions on this? Would that be true even for smaller tanks?

I understand that it has a lot to do with what kind of crew we are talking about.

As a real world example, I'm eventually going to set up a 60g. What would be a good number to aim for and what ratio between snails/crabs/shrimp etc? And I'm talking now of a general maintenance cleaning crew, not something put in to manage an outbreak of algae or something.

 

[andrewkw]

I would say a lot depends on your tank. Hard to have an actual rule. Every tank is different and every point in a tanks life is also different.

In my 112 gallon tank I have 1 turbo snail and maybe 8-10 other snails. I do have 1000s of astrena starfish and such large numbers of them take care of some of the micro algae that more snails would otherwise eat. I also don't see them during the day much but there are several stometellas in my tank as well. I probably could use a few more snails but I'd say 15-25 would be more then enough and I'm not desperate to add more any more then that and I suspect they would starve.

 

[Mandelstam]

I would say a lot depends on your tank. Hard to have an actual rule. Every tank is different and every point in a tanks life is also different.

In my 112 gallon tank I have 1 turbo snail and maybe 8-10 other snails. I do have 1000s of astrena starfish and such large numbers of them take care of some of the micro algae that more snails would otherwise eat. I also don't see them during the day much but there are several stometellas in my tank as well. I probably could use a few more snails but I'd say 15-25 would be more then enough and I'm not desperate to add more any more then that and I suspect they would starve.

Appreciate your feedback!
I take it that you don't really consider your Asterina to be a pest?

 

[andrewkw]

No they are free cleanup crew who can actually sustain a population. Some snails will reproduce in an aquarium and pretty much all will spawn at one time or another but the astrena starfish actually reproduce enough to maintain their population. Besides the obvious of adding a predator to remove them if I really wanted them gone I could add more snails to out compete them for food but then I'd need more and more snails. I am not in any way saying astrena starfish make a better cleanup crew member then any of the commonly available snails but I have them, I don't have an algae problem so I don't feel the need to constantly mess with it. I will eventually add a few more snails which will probably lower their numbers but I'm not going to try and wipe them out. For you to have coral eating astrena starfish you actually have to lose coral or they obviously aren't eating coral.

 

[Reef 450]

I recommend start slow and build. Also the type of fish u have in there make a big difference. This video may help. Also read the discussion.

 

[ArowanaLover1902]

I have a 29 gallon biocube, I have about 3-5 hermits and maybe 9 snails. I don't even utilize all of the crew the entire time, usually I keep my huge turbo snail in the refugium so he doesn't knock over corals, but I'm having a bit of an algae problem so he's out and about (I give advice while having a problem with cleaning, but it worked for a long time and I don't think it's their fault). I'd say about 1 cleaner (hermit or snail) per 3 gallons and one specialized cleaner (ex: mithrax) per 20 gallons, anything else is too much and cleaners aren't very effective anyway. The best "clean up crew" is water and filter media changes.

 

[bigdrew]

Posting on a very old thread, but I have only had 5 hermits since I setup my 64 gallon. 3 of the hermits are a dark red/brownish and are getting huge. Glad my brother some leftover giant turbo snail shells, as these monster hermits all outgrew their shells.

I don’t have a single snail.

I always thought I needed a large CUC, but for whatever reason, I simply haven’t made mine any bigger over the past 8 months since I started my tank.Granted, I’ve never seen hermits grow this fast and get this large!

 

[Billldg]

1 per 10 gal of each, for me its trochus, nassarius, and cerith snails

 

[mistergray]

1 per 10 gal of each, for me its trochus, nassarius, and cerith snails

I have a 32 gallon tank w/ 2 baby clowns, 3 small hermit crabs and 1 emerald crab. Would that means I would only need 3 snails or 9 snails total? I just noticed you said of each.

 

[Billldg]

I have a 32 gallon tank w/ 2 baby clowns, 3 small hermit crabs and 1 emerald crab. Would that means I would only need 3 snails or 9 snails total? I just noticed you said of each.

You could probably go 4, or even 5 of each, but you will eventually see them start to die off as food becomes more scarce. I have noticed, and seen first hand, that the recommendation of BRS and others, 1 per 10 gal of each is what you will eventually end up with for the most part.

I went with those 3 because they all serve a purpose. Trochus hit the glass and rocks, the Cerith get the rock and sand, and the Nassarius get the sand and substrate.

 

[mistergray]

You could probably go 4, or even 5 of each, but you will eventually see them start to die off as food becomes more scarce. I have noticed, and seen first hand, that the recommendation of BRS and others, 1 per 10 gal of each is what you will eventually end up with for the most part.

Thanks a bunch!

 

[Billldg]

Thanks a bunch!

I added to that post, the Trochus, Cerith, and Nassarius all serve a purpose. Trochus hit the glass and rock, Cerith hit the glass, rock and sand. The Nassarius hit the the most important, the sand bed, and end up turning the sand bed over.

 

[mistergray]

I added to that post, the Trochus, Cerith, and Nassarius all serve a purpose. Trochus hit the glass and rock, Cerith hit the glass, rock and sand. The Nassarius hit the the most important, the sand bed, and end up turning the sand bed over.

I asked one of the websites that sell cuc and this was the response for my 32 gallon:

30 Dwarf Ceriths - tiny cleaners, for the tight spots the others can't reach
6 Nassarius vibex
12 Florida Ceriths
3 Trochus Snails
11 Astraeas

That is exponentially more than I expected to them to say.

 

[DDenny]

I will say the dwarf Cerith are tiny. I should have ordered more than 4 for my 4 gallon. I also have three astraea snails that seem to be lazy but maybe they work at night better. Never liked hermits but maybe I need to get a few to help out. Thinking of getting a few more astraea's and more cerith snails.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Snails are garbage imo.
If i needed them i would add some. The ceriths are good for small spots but so are the tiny hermits.
I like crabs. Stars. Serpents. And urchins. Shrimp too.
D

 

[Billldg]

I asked one of the websites that sell cuc and this was the response for my 32 gallon:

30 Dwarf Ceriths - tiny cleaners, for the tight spots the others can't reach
6 Nassarius vibex
12 Florida Ceriths
3 Trochus Snails
11 Astraeas

That is exponentially more than I expected to them to say.

I am currently upgrading to 225 gal tank. Most cleaner snail shops would say I need a couple hundred of each, LOL!!! I plan on going with 30-40 trochus snails, of which I already have a bunch, 15 Tonga Nassarius, 30 Nassarius Vibex, and some sort of Cerith, not sure which one yet, and 10 Money Crowies. The crowies are just because they are cool looking.

I will loose a few because they don't always transport and adapt to tank life easily. Trochus are the worst, thus the reason I am glad I have 20 plus, as they are 2nd generation tank trochus snails.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

I had a deer crowrie eat a whole colony of zoas. Little punk! Lol.
Conches are eh as well.
D

 

[nanonøkk]

i have 80 snails in my 20 gal waterbox so it depends on the tank i guess

 

[mistergray]

I am currently upgrading to 225 gal tank. Most cleaner snail shops would say I need a couple hundred of each, LOL!!! I plan on going with 30-40 trochus snails, of which I already have a bunch, 15 Tonga Nassarius, 30 Nassarius Vibex, and some sort of Cerith, not sure which one yet, and 10 Money Crowies. The crowies are just because they are cool looking.

I will loose a few because they don't always transport and adapt to tank life easily. Trochus are the worst, thus the reason I am glad I have 20 plus, as they are 2nd generation tank trochus snails.

Jeeeeez, I can’t begin to imagine a 225 gallon tank in my home. Surely it’s on the first floor! Sounds awesome to look at though!

Do they only recommend so many because they’re trying to make money?

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Prob part of it.
They dont see your tank. Family of 6-8 at kfc gets the 20pc meal reccomendation! Lol
D