Nano Clean-up Crew

[BigBen14]

Im ready to go ahead and order my clean-up crew now and trying to find out what I need.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/build_your_own_kit.cfm?id=1

I can make my own here so wondering what is the best for my tank...

Few notes:

Has to be coral safe and fish safe

Something that can't knock over rocks

already have a coral banded shirmp

[sbaddley]

Im ready to go ahead and order my clean-up crew now and trying to find out what I need.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/build_your_own_kit.cfm?id=1

I can make my own here so wondering what is the best for my tank...

Few notes:

Has to be coral safe and fish safe

Something that can't knock over rocks

already have a coral banded shirmp

Stay away from Turbo Snails. Mine loves to knock over everying it can.

[BigBen14]

Alright I will take that to note :)

[Sugar Magnolia]

What size tank is this?

[BigBen14]

lol sorry forgot the major note

Its a 29 gallon biocube with about 30 pound of LR. The shape of the tank is square

[BigBen14]

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=420+2791+1368&pcatid=1368

IS that what I need?

[Rick55555]

Others will likely disagree with me, but I think that size clean up crew may be overdoing it. I'm not a fan of a large clean up crew. I've come to see it as a waste of money.

If it were me, I would purchase (something like) the following:

1 x Mexican Turbo snail
5 x Cerith snails
5 x Nassarius Snails


Rick

[BigBen14]

Hmmm

That seems alright to me, any others have thoughts?

[sbaddley]

I would suggest a couple blue-legged crabs and a red-legged crab.

[amutti]

In my 29g I have the following:
2x red mithrax crabs (introduced 8-10 months after the tank was up and running, the eat bubble algae, hair algae and bits of left over food)
5-6x Stocky Ceriths (stir the sand a bit and eat algae and some slime)
3-4x Astraea Snails (Devour hair algae)
3-4x Super Tongan Nassarius Snails (live in the sand and come up to scavenge bits of left over food -- VERY HEARTY -- best/safest sand-sifter invert IMHO)
3-4x Trochus Snails (glass film algae eater)
a few Nerite Snails
1x Zebra Turbo Snail (eats any kind of algae)
3x Scarlet Hermits
4x blue legged hermits

I really don't agree with buying a huge CUC and introducing it to the tank all at once. It's a much better idea to buy a few at a time from a LFS or as an add-on to a coral purchase. I really feel adding one of these large packages is a big shock to the tank and a PIA to add to the tank. ALL these inverts should be drip acclimated . . that can take a half day to do right with 12+ bags of livestock.

[BigBen14]

My LFS doesnt sell CUC so Im gonna have to get it online, but I see what you mean by creating a huge shock to tank. Im gonna wait a month and probally some snails with some fish and then go ahead later and get the rest

[Sinful Aquatics]

When I started off my nano I bought 10 hermit crabs, 5 nassarius snails, 5 margarita snails and a cleaner shrimp

Hope you get a nice set of CUC

[Kemmer]

My LFS doesnt sell CUC so Im gonna have to get it online, but I see what you mean by creating a huge shock to tank. Im gonna wait a month and probally some snails with some fish and then go ahead later and get the rest

That really shocks me about your LFS not selling CUC.

In my 28 gal I have like...

8 or so Nerite
6 or so Cerith
2 Trochus
1 Fighting Conch

I'm not a huge fan of hermits, myself. But I'd agree with most of what has been posted above about how much to add at a time.

~Kem

[ToadSprocket]

How does the lfs keep their tanks clean w/out CuC would be my first question.

Everyone has their preferences as to snails and hermits / no hermits, any of the combos you've seen here so far I'm sure will be a good starting point for you and then you can customize based on what you see within your own tank.

[BigBen14]

Well My LFS is a very very small store. very few saltwater fish mainly freshwater. I know she has snails but dont think they sell them.

Im getting a rough draft of my order now ill post it here before anything :)

Side note how do youll feel about emerald crabs...Love them but do they tend to eat coral even when fed ?

[BigBen14]

OK Here is my order so far

Cerith Snail - 4
Astraea Conehead Snail - 4
Super Tongan Nassarius Snail - 2
Banded Trochus Snail - 2
Nassarius Snail - 4
Bumble Bee Snail - 1
Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab -2
Dwarf Red Tip Hermit Crab -2
Dwarf Zebra Hermit Crab -2
Electric Blue Hermit Crab -1
Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab-2

How does that look?

Btw if you could please respon quickly so I can get it by tomorrow

[amutti]

Electric Blue Hermit Crab are aggressive toward other crabs when they get larger.

Bumble Bee Snails are carnivores and will eat other things if meaty waste is unavailable.

[ToadSprocket]

I personally stick with blue legs, cerith, astraea and nassarius.

[BigBen14]

I kinda wanted a variety of different thing I think the bumblebee should be fine since it will have the fish waste...right?


took off the electric blue


also Thought about getting a urchin...

[Kemmer]

I have a Purple Short Spine Pincushion Urchin, (not in my nano, in my 72bow). It's an absolute BEAST as a member of my CUC. It has eaten any and all "pest algaes" I've dealt with in that tank. They move much quicker and consume much more food than the other members of my CUC.

Additionally, I know they'll tear through coralline as well; so if you like coralline then perhaps you might want to stay away from them.

~Kem

[BigBen14]

Im gonna wait on the urchin since the smallest is a little bit more. Dont think I could have a 8 in urchin in my tank

[Faerl]

Nassarius Snail and turbo snails are your friend. Yes, the turbo's are little mini bulldozers and drive me nuts everytime they knock something over but that just means you need to keep your things extremely stable. They do a good job of that glass though.

[JellyTheory]

What did you end up with?

[SirusX1721]

What is your current livestock listing? Could help on determining clean-up crew size and need.

[BigBen14]

Here is the Full Livestock List

3 Blue/Green Chromis
1 Blue Sapphire Damsel
1 Coral Banded Shrimp
4 Cerith Snail - Mexico
4 Astraea Conehead Snail
2 Super Tongan Nassarius Snail
2 Banded Trochus Snail
4 Nassarius Snail, Eastern Pacific
1 Bumblebee Snail
2 Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab
2 Dwarf Red Tip Hermit Crab
2 Dwarf Zebra Hermit Crab
2 Turbo Snail
1 Heteroxenia Polyp Coral


Im going to get a pair of false clown and finish some more coral.

[M_v_P]

Why not add a small Ophiolepis Superba (sorry I'm not from the USA so I don't know all the english common names) to your CUC?

It's something different then all the snails and hermits and a very, very good cleaner (although you won't see it much).

[BigBen14]

Hmm Ive thought about the brittle starfish, Ill probally get on futher in the future. But I am still thinking on it

Though I still keep wanting a urchin kinda bad though lol

Can a urchin hurt mushroom coral?

[mb167204]

save yourself alot of money and order from reefcleaners.org. They are so cheap and are such a good business. you can ever email them off their website and tell them your set up and they will give you suggestions that are specific for you.
just search their name on here and you will see nothing but good things from them.
good luck

[reefWW96]

never get red mithrax crabs, I actually watched mine rip the polyps out of my turbinaria cup coral. so stay away from them!