Clean up crew

[agame2021]

So I have a 140 gallon with a 30 gallon sump and a 15 gallon top off tank. I have about 100-150 lbs of live rock. I do not have sand in but just found out I have to move the tank (when I move it I will make RO/DI water change because I wasn’t able to start the tank with it.)
Once it’s move I will put the sand in(rn it’s in a trash can waiting to be rinsed and put into the tank).

so that being said, what type of a clean up crew should I get? I have 1 snail that came with the tank. Other than that I have no idea where to start. I want a pair of clowns and a fire fish goby to start. Past that I have no plan other than I want some corals.

 

[Aboynamedsous2]

One snail or hermit crab for every 2 gallons is a rule of thumb. My personal favorites are nerites and Mexican turbo snails those would eat your algae. As far as detrus eaters Blue leg hermit crabs do good ( they won’t grow bigger than an inch so you would need a lot for a tank that size) and fighting conchs which are my personal favorite. If your think about adding shrimp I would get a skunk cleaner I would be careful with other types of shrimp and crabs because not all are reef safe.

 

[Sharkbait19]

One snail or hermit crab for every 2 gallons is a rule of thumb. My personal favorites are nerites and Mexican turbo snails those would eat your algae. As far as detrus eaters Blue leg hermit crabs do good ( they won’t grow bigger than an inch so you would need a lot for a tank that size) and fighting conchs which are my personal favorite. If your think about adding shrimp I would get a skunk cleaner I would be careful with other types of shrimp and crabs because not all are reef safe.

Agreed.
Just to add:
Astrea and trochus are also good algae snails.
Nassarius snails are good for sandbed cleaning.
Emerald crabs are good algae eaters but are known to occasionally bother corals.
Brittle/serpent stars are very good cleaners.
Your tank could probably hold some of the smaller starfish.
Urchins for algae.
Pistol shrimp are wonderful for stirring sandbed and will form a symbiosis with shrimpgobies where they defend a burrow together.

 

[agame2021]

One snail or hermit crab for every 2 gallons is a rule of thumb. My personal favorites are nerites and Mexican turbo snails those would eat your algae. As far as detrus eaters Blue leg hermit crabs do good ( they won’t grow bigger than an inch so you would need a lot for a tank that size) and fighting conchs which are my personal favorite. If your think about adding shrimp I would get a skunk cleaner I would be careful with other types of shrimp and crabs because not all are reef safe.

Dang it I wanted an emerald crab! That was the only thing I had picked out so far. Well I guess that is that… so I would need like 70 snails?! Lol that is nuts!!!

 

[agame2021]

Agreed.
Just to add:
Astrea and trochus are also good algae snails.
Nassarius snails are good for sandbed cleaning.
Emerald crabs are good algae eaters but are known to occasionally bother corals.
Brittle/serpent stars are very good cleaners.
Your tank could probably hold some of the smaller starfish.
Urchins for algae.
Pistol shrimp are wonderful for stirring sandbed and will form a symbiosis with shrimpgobies where they defend a burrow together.

So if I got an urchin and star fish do they clean up stuff more then snails and crabs? Would I have any problems with corals? Because I have only found starfish they say are not reef safe… are there pretty reef safe starfish?
Should I get a fish to eat algae and stuff?

 

[Sharkbait19]

So if I got an urchin and star fish do they clean up stuff more then snails and crabs? Would I have any problems with corals? Because I have only found starfish they say are not reef safe… are there pretty reef safe starfish?
Should I get a fish to eat algae and stuff?

Best thing to have in a cuc is diversity, best to have snails, shrimp, urchins, crabs, etc.
There aren’t too many algae eating fish besides tangs, mollies, and some blennies.
Emerald crab would be safe, more of a nuisance than a problem.
Starfish safety is species dependent. I believe sand sifters are safe.

 

[cloak]

Elbow grease.

The best CUC is you... Hermit crabs, snails etc are just pets. GL.

 

[sp1187]

worms: bristle and spaghetti
snails: mex turbo, trochus, nassarius, astraea, tiger or strawberry conch
crabs: tiny hermits blue legs and red legs
fish: fox face, tail spot blenny, tomini tang

urchins will pick stuff up and carry it around.

i had issues with the emerald crabs i tried.

 

[agame2021]

If I get a fox face in a couple of months would I need a whole bunch of snails and crabs? Because I hear they eat so much you need to supplement because there will never be enough?

what about an emperor angelfish? Someone told me they eat a ton (I know later I would need a bigger tank for one of those).

 

[Aboynamedsous2]

Dang it I wanted an emerald crab! That was the only thing I had picked out so far. Well I guess that is that… so I would need like 70 snails?! Lol that is nuts!!!

You could get an emerald crab I would just watch it carefully.

 

[Jekyl]

So I have a 140 gallon with a 30 gallon sump and a 15 gallon top off tank. I have about 100-150 lbs of live rock. I do not have sand in but just found out I have to move the tank (when I move it I will make RO/DI water change because I wasn’t able to start the tank with it.)
Once it’s move I will put the sand in(rn it’s in a trash can waiting to be rinsed and put into the tank).

so that being said, what type of a clean up crew should I get? I have 1 snail that came with the tank. Other than that I have no idea where to start. I want a pair of clowns and a fire fish goby to start. Past that I have no plan other than I want some corals.

Go to reefcleaners.org and get the 75gallon cleaner package. It's all you'll need for now. Waayyyy cheaper than the LFS

 

[Frostblitz20]

Throw in 2 Fighting conchs into the mix as well for sandshifting they also do a really good job of cleaning the sand.

 

[Aboynamedsous2]

So I have a 140 gallon with a 30 gallon sump and a 15 gallon top off tank. I have about 100-150 lbs of live rock. I do not have sand in but just found out I have to move the tank (when I move it I will make RO/DI water change because I wasn’t able to start the tank with it.)
Once it’s move I will put the sand in(rn it’s in a trash can waiting to be rinsed and put into the tank).

so that being said, what type of a clean up crew should I get? I have 1 snail that came with the tank. Other than that I have no idea where to start. I want a pair of clowns and a fire fish goby to start. Past that I have no plan other than I want some corals.

Throw in 2 Fighting conchs into the mix as well for sandshifting they also do a really good job of cleaning the sand.

 

[Ramdude4G]

So I have a 140 gallon with a 30 gallon sump and a 15 gallon top off tank. I have about 100-150 lbs of live rock. I do not have sand in but just found out I have to move the tank (when I move it I will make RO/DI water change because I wasn’t able to start the tank with it.)
Once it’s move I will put the sand in(rn it’s in a trash can waiting to be rinsed and put into the tank).

so that being said, what type of a clean up crew should I get? I have 1 snail that came with the tank. Other than that I have no idea where to start. I want a pair of clowns and a fire fish goby to start. Past that I have no plan other than I want some corals.

Wait on the clean up crew till you get a couple fish and start feeding the tank. Your snails will
die if there is no algae to eat and same for the shrimp with nothing to scavenge. I’d wait till the tank is cycled and you start hitting the ugly stage or till you start to see algae growth on the rocks or parts of the tank glass or seams.

 

[agame2021]

Wait on the clean up crew till you get a couple fish and start feeding the tank. Your snails will
die if there is no algae to eat and same for the shrimp with nothing to scavenge. I’d wait till the tank is cycled and you start hitting the ugly stage or till you start to see algae growth on the rocks or parts of the tank glass or seams.

Well it is pretty ugly rn. I got all sorts of different color algae rn my main is red. I got a lot of green and brown too… but I have fish ordered and am thinking I will QT them for a bit then see where everything is at once the DT has had some more time. I might have to move it from where it’s at and that might make me have to restart…

 

[Ramdude4G]

Well it is pretty ugly rn. I got all sorts of different color algae rn my main is red. I got a lot of green and brown too… but I have fish ordered and am thinking I will QT them for a bit then see where everything is at once the DT has had some more time. I might have to move it from where it’s at and that might make me have to restart…

Oh ok. Sounded kinda like it was a clean new environmen. I have a 75 gallon tank and have 10 trocha snails. Or however it’s spelled. Lol. One fire shrimp and 10 of the small snails. Dont get those small ones. They can’t flip themselves over. My blonde naso nips at them for algae and flips them over and I’m constantly flipping them back upright. Turbos are good as well.

 

[agame2021]

Oh ok. Sounded kinda like it was a clean new environmen. I have a 75 gallon tank and have 10 trocha snails. Or however it’s spelled. Lol. One fire shrimp and 10 of the small snails. Dont get those small ones. They can’t flip themselves over. My blonde naso nips at them for algae and flips them over and I’m constantly flipping them back upright. Turbos are good as well.

Lol nope it was running for a long time before me and I got a plug and play system from a guy who had it running for almost 5 years.
The rock has sat about 2 months with nothing in the tank yet