I'm confused about "clean up crews"

[Dmsick]

My tank is moving through the cycle nicely and I'll hopefully be adding some livestock soon. I've been reading about adding a clean up crew and have looked at reef cleaners as well as some others. It seems some people are pretty hot on them and others maybe not as much. When I see pics of some of these beautiful show tanks full of vibrant corals and fish, I don't usually see a massive herd of snails and crabs running around the tank. Are the snails just used to get the tank through the new tank phase or do some people not use them at all?

 

[Potatohead]

This is a good video


A lot of the CC are nocturnal. I don't like to add too many, my tank is 70g and I have maybe four or five hermits and about 12-15 snails, combination of Nassarius, Cerith and Trochus.

 

[GatorGuys]

The 'clean-up' crew is used to help keep detritus under control. Detritus is the leftover fish-food, fish poo, and other organic material that builds-up in the tank. This helps keep your nutrients under control. If the nutrients are not in control, algae-blooms, bacterial blooms, and spikes in Ammonia can occur.

I find it amazing how well the clean-up crew hides! I have a really tough time finding even half of my snails at a time since they hide in the liverock, behind powerheads, and some burrow in the sand!

I recommend always having a clean-up crew of some kind. They really do a lot of work for you!

 

[Sunny Goold]

This is a great article. https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/choosing-cleanup-crew-critters.107/

 

[Reeferdood]

Opinions will vary here but I feel they are a beneficial addition. They are not mandatory but a fair amount of people use them to keep rockwork and sand beds cleaner.
Snails can grow big and are strong, they can move rockwork if you don't stack it carefully. Hermits can go after some corals too so keep an eye on them, I still use a CUC and likely always will.

 

[cracker]

If your tank is new, start out with just a few at first. depending on tank size start with 5 maybe 10 Do You see any algae or such for them to eat?
If you have an LFS this would be a good place to buy a few at a time . How big & how old is the tank?
Also the obligatory pic request .

 

[Greybeard]

Choose carefully, young padawan.

I'm not much on hermits. In my experience, they mostly kill snails for their shells. Opportunistic, at best.

Snails, on the other hand, I love... but be picky about it. A dozen huge Mexican turbo snails may very well NOT be what you want. They're bulldozers... running over and pushing stuff around constantly. If you've got sand Nassarius are _very_ beneficial, but not necessarily in the quantities that vendors try and push off as 'standard' clean up crew. I've got about 10 in my 150 gallon system. Magarita, cerith, nerite... a handful of each. I've got two tiger conchs, as well... and two small emerald crabs.

Don't leave fish out of your clean up crew plans, either. A tang or rabbitfish will probably eat more algae every day than every snail you've got. I've got an orange spotted rabbitfish and a scopas tang. Both are excellent additions to my clean up crew. I've also got a bi-color goatfish. Does as good a job turning over the surface layer of the sand bed as anything I've ever seen.

In any case, buying a huge CUC SPECIAL is unlikely to lead anywhere you want to go. Pick carefully, and add slowly... as needed. Putting a hundred hungry algae eaters into a new tank that doesn't have much in the way of algae growing in it leads to massive die off. What is the point of that?

 

[mcarroll]

It seems some people are pretty hot on them and others maybe not as much. When I see pics of some of these beautiful show tanks full of vibrant corals and fish, I don't usually see a massive herd of snails and crabs running around the tank.

It's hard to tell the whole truth in a picture, so keep that in mind.

It's a reef tank, not a CUC tank, so keep that in mind.

You're the #1 CUC, so keep that in mind.

Algae will grow and you don't wanna be the one and only one responsible for picking it.

That's where CUC comes in. Herbivore snails mainly – the rest are just supporting cast.

You do the major cleanings, such as removing blooms – which hopefully as time progresses will be more strategic avoidance and less hands-in-tank work.

The snails keep your work intact. (Too small to handle big material....just algae nubbins.)

 

[cracker]

Well said GreyBeard. Particularly the hermit/crab part.

 

[Greybeard]

Well said GreyBeard. Particularly the hermit/crab part.
If I may change the subject just this once. Grey Beard How big has your orange spot gotten? If I'm not mistaken You have a 180?

Not to usurp the thread... but I have a 140 gallon display. 60" x 30" x 18". 'Spot' was maybe 2" when I got him, 9 months or so back. He's quickly approaching 5" now. He's an eating machine. I may one day have to pull him, if he outgrows the tank. I was aware of the possibility when I got him. If I do, well, I'll trade him to the LFS for another baby one! Man, I love that fish!

Back to the original subject, talk about a member of the clean up crew My orange spot rabbit spends virtually every minute of every day picking what little algae is growing in my tank. I picked up some valonia from a frag plug, and he even eats that. Far more active browser than my scopas tang, which is not growing nearly as fast as the rabbitfish is. Absolutely loves nori sheets and gracilaria macro out of my ref. Had some of whatever algae species IPSF is selling as 'yellow tang heaven' at one point, and he'd attack me while I was trying to put that on my algae clip. Unfortunately, it was out grown in my refugeum by the gracilaria and chaetomorpha, and I don't have any of it left.

 

[Dmsick]

This is a great article. https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/choosing-cleanup-crew-critters.107/

Fantastic article. Thanks so much for the link!

 

[Dmsick]

This is a good video


A lot of the CC are nocturnal. I don't like to add too many, my tank is 70g and I have maybe four or five hermits and about 12-15 snails, combination of Nassarius, Cerith and Trochus.

Great post and nice video. I found it very helpful. I’ve watched so many BRS videos but somehow missed this one.

 

[mcarroll]

Not to usurp the thread...

Greybeard the Usurper

 

[Dmsick]

Thanks all for the responses. This has been super helpful. When looking at the various vendors I was finding it hard to believe that I needed 100+ snails for my new tank. I’ll plan to start with smaller numbers and work my way up as needed. And @Greybeard, I always appreciate a Star Wars reference!!

 

[NY_Caveman]

Thanks all for the responses. This has been super helpful. When looking at the various vendors I was finding it hard to believe that I needed 100+ snails for my new tank. I’ll plan to start with smaller numbers and work my way up as needed. And @Greybeard, I always appreciate a Star Wars reference!!

Right on. Start small and as algae grows, add more as needed. FWIW, I plan on adding 6-7 Cerith and Trochus snails (EDIT: probably 4-5 Cerith and 2 Trochus) to my new 45 gallon bare bottom setup and 4-5 red legged hermit crabs. I would add Nassarius snails if I had sand as well. Here is a decent chart (bottom of the article) of what different snails typically eat and if they can flip themselves over:

https://joejaworski.wordpress.com/2013/10/03/whats-the-best-snail-for-a-reef-tank/

 

[Rich Cooper]

CUC is mainly a detritus removal and disposal. The standard stuff you don't see with the eye and what you can't remove by hand or with some equipment your CUC will help with that. It's kind of the opposite of "be seen but not heard" sayings. It's more of a "be heard but not seen".

 

[cracker]

Greybeard the Usurper

I started this . I take full responsibility ! I jacked this thread & asked Greybeard about his Orange SpotRabbit fish. I want one of these fish ! Then I realized it wasn't cool so I deleted it. Now he's stuck out there with no reference . My apologies to You Sir !
Now back to the subject at hand !

 

[Dmsick]

Right on. Start small and as algae grows, add more as needed. FWIW, I plan on adding 6-7 Cerith and Trochus snails (EDIT: probably 4-5 Cerith and 2 Trochus) to my new 45 gallon bare bottom setup and 4-5 red legged hermit crabs. I would add Nassarius snails if I had sand as well. Here is a decent chart (bottom of the article) of what different snails typically eat and if they can flip themselves over:

https://joejaworski.wordpress.com/2013/10/03/whats-the-best-snail-for-a-reef-tank/

Great link. Thank you! My tank is a 100g. I'm thinking to start with 10 ceriths, 3 nassarius, 3 nerites and 3 astraea. I'll see how it goes from there.

 

[Zeal]

If you buy your CUC from your LFS ask if they can give you empty shells to prevent the hermits from fighting over bigger shells and killing snails for their shells. I have maybe 30 or so empty laying around my tank

 

[Dmsick]

If you buy your CUC from your LFS ask if they can give you empty shells to prevent the hermits from fighting over bigger shells and killing snails for their shells. I have maybe 30 or so empty laying around my tank

Great idea. Thanks!