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View Full Version : what's the right clean up crew for me?


javi78503
03/07/2015, 02:02 PM
I will be buying a CUC for my new 100 gallon tank 36x25x24 here within the next month but can't find a definitive answer on what's best for my tank. I read that for the most part the 1 snail/crab per gallon of water is a bit much so what would be the best set up for me?

I would like to include a black long spine urchin, a sand shifting starfish and a tiger tail cucumber if that mix is at all possible for a 100 gallon with a 2" deep sand bed and @ 75lbs of live rock. I'd like to include a pair of coral banded shrimp and a emerald green crab too. Aside from that how many of what crabs/snails should I get?

Thanks in advance!

Javi

Jeremiah_Conway
03/07/2015, 02:52 PM
I am going with 1 snail and one crab for every 5 gallons

SaltyReefer19
03/07/2015, 04:03 PM
I'd avoid the sandsifting starfish, cucumber and urchin at this point. They are best with mature established tanks with algae... Those guys will starve out quick. Look at reef clean up crew packages online , I'd suggest a nano package to start, if you purchase a package that fits your tank size, with a new tank...all your gonna get is a lot of dead snails and crabs cause there's not enough food present in the rocks and sand. You will save a lot of money purchasing a pack online, unless you got a lfs near you that is very cheap.

javi78503
03/07/2015, 09:31 PM
Great! Thanks for the info guys, I really appreciate it. I didnt want to buy the "recommended" size and then have dead livestock so I will def go with a much smaller pack and hold off on the big guys too

FraggledRock
03/07/2015, 09:32 PM
reafcleaners.com

don't be stingy with CUC..

the 2 CUC members per 5 gallons is wayy too little.

yeah stay away from urchins or stars yet. or ever.

SavingOurSeas
03/08/2015, 11:04 AM
happy for you that you have your 100 wet already.
my 93 custom acrylic has been dry for several years and counting.
good luck enjoy the journey!

Puffyluv
03/08/2015, 11:46 AM
There is no correct gallon per cleaner rule...it used to be actually 1-2 cleaners per gallon that was said, lol. Add them slowly as your tank needs them...do you want a tang in that 100 gallon? Maybe more than one? If so, skip the snails and hermits altogether. ;)

javi78503
03/08/2015, 12:04 PM
Only tang i would getting is a purple tang, however i would need to eventually get rid of it due to size constraints. Its not a rectangle and its not a cube, but right between the 2

FortuneFavours
03/08/2015, 12:26 PM
I made the mistake of getting a long spine urchin too early on and, unsurprisingly, it perished after a couple of months. The other thing to note about them (from what I've read) is that their hollow spines contain a toxin that can inflict quite a bit of pain if they get you! I wasn't told about their dietary requirements or the toxin when I purchased one from the LFS - the lesson being that I need to research first!

My CUC (300G tank, about 4 months old) consists of three fire shrimp, four cleaner shrimp, a tuxedo urchin (recent addition), a blue legged boxing shrimp, lots of red hermit crabs (probably about a dozen or so now), some blue legged hermits, three emerald crabs and lots of snails - astrea, nassarius and a couple of orange lipped conches (cyano problem!). I'm pretty sure I have other snails too which I've forgotten about.

I'd definitely steer clear of the starfish and cucumbers - I doubt they'd last long at all in a new tank. Apparently (again from what I've read) the starfish can die under the sand bed and decay, causing all sorts of trouble...

Puffyluv
03/08/2015, 12:31 PM
+1...never to a new tank. Wait for signs of algae first! :)

I would place a bet that one purple tang could clean a 100 gallon by herself...if she isn't overfed and added before it gets out of control. :)

javi78503
03/09/2015, 11:23 AM
Haha, maybe I forgot to mention I WILL be letting the tank cycle first guys and gals. I'm not into murder [emoji14]. So for now I'm definitely going to take the "start small and add as needed" approach. I will keep it to 1 fire shrimp, and possibly a mated pair of cbs. An emerald crab and then then @ 20 snails and 20 hermits. No turbos on the snails though, going for either astrea/cerith and about 5 nassarius (sp?)

dustinkimpel
03/09/2015, 11:54 AM
I know everyone loves crabs. But for the amount of snails they killed, not to mention I had a rouge one kill coral, pulled all my crabs out and gave them away.

Puffyluv
03/10/2015, 06:05 AM
Awesome, javi! :)

javi78503
03/10/2015, 01:03 PM
Awesome, javi! :)
Thanks!

And thanks again everyone for your awesome advice.

Hitch08
03/10/2015, 01:21 PM
I suppose this is yet another topic where different people have different views (albeit still correct).

But, I've read where people suggest that people stay away from crabs for the reason that Dustin stated above. Although that might have been directed to hermit crabs in particular.

In addition, I read where someone recommended to stay away from snails - they die a bit too often and create a mess.

Thoughts on snails?

Jeremiah_Conway
03/10/2015, 04:22 PM
Providing empty snail shells for crabs can help the murder rate but they will do what they want

javi78503
03/10/2015, 05:43 PM
Ive read the views on both and have decided that for my tank I will have both (as stated above). I see the reason for and against both and am going with what feels right for what im going for. I understand in the long run I may spend a bit more buying replacements and, honestly, thats ok. Also, yes I will be providing several empty shells for my hermit crabs to grow into

Puffyluv
03/11/2015, 03:52 AM
I understand in the long run I may spend a bit more buying replacements and, honestly, thats ok.

Aw. :( That's depressing. :(

bat21
03/11/2015, 07:28 AM
I love my hermit crabs. I don't think they do nearly as much "cleaning" as my snails and shrimp, but my wife and I find them very entertaining. They're always getting into shenanigans. Watching the constant shell trading is hilarious.

javi78503
03/11/2015, 05:21 PM
Aw. :( That's depressing. :(
I understand the consequences. However if I provide ample shell replacements and food (seaweed) when they may be low then my risk, I believe, is no greater than if I were to put a semi-reefsafe fish in a tank with corals when it's listed as "add with caution".

javi78503
03/11/2015, 05:22 PM
I love my hermit crabs. I don't think they do nearly as much "cleaning" as my snails and shrimp, but my wife and I find them very entertaining. They're always getting into shenanigans. Watching the constant shell trading is hilarious.
Yeah, I love me some hermit crabs too... I just can't pass them up

novadan67
03/13/2015, 04:21 PM
I like hermits as well. I don't see them so much as cleaners, but my pets. I like the action that they add and I haven't had much trouble with them killing too many snails. The scarlet hermits seem the most docile and probably the safest. In addition, I think they look the best. The blue leg and red leg hermits are more active, but also more likely to kill snails. I've weeded my hermit "gang" down to just scarlets.

BigCountry74
03/13/2015, 07:38 PM
i am going with 1 snail and one crab for every 5 gallons

x2

Puffyluv
03/13/2015, 07:51 PM
I understand the consequences. However if I provide ample shell replacements and food (seaweed) when they may be low then my risk, I believe, is no greater than if I were to put a semi-reefsafe fish in a tank with corals when it's listed as "add with caution".
Well...not exactly. You can tell if corals are being picked on, and interfere in time to save them...starvation is a whole 'nother matter. But, I don't put angels in reef tanks, either. ;)

That's great you plan to feed algae when the food supply gets low! :) However, it is probable without some stratigic planning your tang will gobble it all up before they can find it. Also...there can be algae everywhere in a tank...and you may still have hermits killing snails. I mean, hey...it is a mobile buffet, really...

Most aquarists get around this by using one or the other....or using snails big enough and hermits tiny enough that predation isn't possible. :)

Puffyluv
03/13/2015, 07:55 PM
I love my hermit crabs. I don't think they do nearly as much "cleaning" as my snails and shrimp, but my wife and I find them very entertaining. They're always getting into shenanigans. Watching the constant shell trading is hilarious.
Aw. Haven't had them all together long, huh? :( This is probably going to get a little disappointing to you in a few months or so...depending on species/size tank...

Your snails and shrimp don't eat the same thing...unless you mean nassarius snail...the snails (and hermits) eat algae, the shrimp eats meat. :)

nmotz
03/13/2015, 11:53 PM
Most aquarists get around this by using one or the other....or using snails big enough and hermits tiny enough that predation isn't possible. :)

I hear what you're saying, but I'm not sure you have sufficient evidence to substantiate the claim that "most" aquarists just choose one of snails or hermits. It's probably more accurate to say that some aquarists choose to get one or the other and some get both.

I get that you're trying to help him minimize losses due to predation in the tank but let's not forget the reality that sometimes the animals in our reef tanks like to prey on each other. That's the inevitable consequence of trying to sustain a reef environment, which is a VERY competitive environment indeed. In a large tank, I think the risk is reasonably small, and having both certainly adds character to the tank.

Puffyluv
03/14/2015, 05:58 AM
Our reefs do not have to be competitive environments unless we want them to be...okay, lol...how about most of the aquarists that come to my shop...but then, I almost threw a guy out a couple days ago for saying it would be fine if his anemone ate his clownfish....so maybe I have a reputation for not tolerating needless death, and that is why it seems like most to me...not sure!