Clean up Crew - New Tank - Packages are crazy

[Calpoly2103]

Hi All,

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/choosing-cleanup-crew-critters.107/

So I just read the link above and starting some research on a clean up crew. After reading I was considering to get the following below for a 40Gal IM Fusion AIO. Then, I decided to go to reefcleaners.org and noticed their 40 gallon package had like 100 inverts of Snails, hermits !! This seems absolutely the exact opposite of what the article says (don't over do). Anyone have any thoughts? Anyone have a good place to purchase clean up crews? Any thoughts on my choices below?

Thanks all !

2x Nassarius
2x Nerites (maybe ?)
2x Astraea
2x Cerith
4x Trochus
2x Tectus Snails.

 

[Sod Buster]

Order a 1/3 of your gallons from reefcleaners.

 

[mattzang]

yeah 100s is no good. my lfs tried to tell me he had about 100 CUC members in his 10 gallon tank at home.. lol

that list you have looks good to me. i like conchs for sandbed maintenance. urchins put in work for algae. hermits and snails seem to do a good job with algae and detritus. i have a brittlestar, but i'm not sure what he really does. i've never seen him out, but i do see a leg poking out from time to time. i did recently add 3 bumblebee snails hoping the lore of them eating pyramidelid snails is true

 

[Sod Buster]

If you have sand, up your nassarius snails. They are the best sand stirrers, a 40 I'd have 10 of those for sure. They like algae wafers from hikari if food is scarce.

 

[absowry]

I'd skip astraes as well and just go with trochus. I have one out of five left. They can't flip themselves over when they invariably fall off something.

 

[SuncrestReef]

Just for reference, I have a Reefer XL 425 (88 gallon display tank) that's been running for 1 year. Here's an inventory of my CUC:

3 turbo snails
5 sand conchs
15 nassarius snails
10 astraea snails
10 trochus snails
10 hermit crabs
3 emerald crabs

I also have a diamond goby that does a lot of sand sifting, and a pistol shrimp that moves a lot of sand around.

Collectively, these guys do a great job keeping things clean.

 

[Calpoly2103]

Thanks for the input everyone. I guess reefcleaners is the way to go? I could buy from LFS but seems a lot pricier.

So sounds like more nessarius and more trochus snails is the consensus? What about those micro snails?

 

[Sod Buster]

The micros are good. They get into all tight spaces and reproduce fast. They only get up to a 1/2" long.

 

[Calpoly2103]

i think I will be ordering some from reefcleaners.org, unfortunately you can't get any trochus snails ! Anyone have any other credible sites which you can build your own clean up crew?