Importance of a Proper Clean-up Crew

[Bajamike]

Speaking of which does anyone know a LFS with good prices on hermit crabs? I need a few (say 30) to supplement the troops, and my local LFS wants an arm and a leg. Or perhaps would someone in loveland want to pool an order to Reefcleaners.org to cut down on the shipping?

about fish (72nd & federal) does 25 for $20

 

[ReeferMatt]

That's not bad at all! Thanks!!

 

[Craigar]

For $5 I would get healthier stuff and go to elite there 10for $10

 

[Yaten13]

ER also give you a free handful of spare shells if you want, so that is always nice too if you have crabs.

 

[KhensuRa]

Anyone else not really use a clean up crew or don't see a use for one?

 

[that0neguy1126]

I love my CuC.

It's funny to watch them swarm the new frag that's just put into the tank that has just a tiny bit of algae on it.

 

[oatyfruitybar]

Would anyone say that it's better to have too many members for the CuC or too few? I've been thinking about getting more, but I also don't want to crowd the tank and get dead snails and hermits showing up...

 

[SteveT]

Would anyone say that it's better to have too many members for the CuC or too few? I've been thinking about getting more, but I also don't want to crowd the tank and get dead snails and hermits showing up...

I think it is a balance, two many could in theory have them competing for food and killing each other/starving. However I think If you as Honoreetamore mentioned get a good variety of species that would lower the chance of that happening

 

[Off The Deep End]

So I just completed my order from Reefcleaners. I'm a bit confused though. I had heard from MULTIPLE sources that John packs nearly twice the amount ordered into his packages. I heard Kris even mention he got a 40g quick crew that he thought would cover a 200g tank. Anyhow, I got enough for a comparable 150g quick crew, but in an email John said my order would probably be good for two 30g tanks!! UH OH...I have a 110g and a 225g for this order. Hopefully I didn't fall WAY short. I figured if everything I heard was correct and John overloads his orders, that ordering enough for a 150g quick crew would be good for close to 300g! NOT two 30g's.

Maybe he ment 230g's(two 30g's)? or maybe he missed a 0 and it was supposed to say two 300g's? Just a thought because John has always been more than fair

 

[ShelbyJK500]

Maybe he ment 230g's(two 30g's)? or maybe he missed a 0 and it was supposed to say two 300g's? Just a thought because John has always been more than fair

LOL...nope, he meant two 30g's. When I replied back telling him what tanks they were for he just said "should help at least." I bought nearly the equivalent of a 150g quick crew (without hermits) thinking it would cover close to 300g, based on what everyone has said. He hooked me up with about 10 more nassarius than I ordered. The dwarfs were too many to count. There probably were nearly double (200 or so I'm guessing)...but the bulk were VERY TINY and alot were almost microscopic. Anyhow, I just expected more of a clean up crew based on everything I'd heard. I ended up picking up 40 more different snails at the swap, and will still need much more when things get going. Just my input for now.

BTW...who was the gentleman selling CUC (the only other vendor other than Trish/Blue Diamond Aquatics)? I got some good sized nassarius from him and a marble sea star!

 

[Zooid]

To answer the question about hermits propagating......
I don't think your hermits are reproducing. They may spawn and hatch, but I believe you need a tremendous
amount of phytoplankton available to them in order to get them to settle out and that could take a lot of time.
They'd most likely be eaten by fish or corals or they'd end up as skimmate if you are using a protein skimmer.

I personally like a cleanup crew that self propagates so I don't have to repopulate them every few months. I use
stomatellas, columbellids, colonistas, and direct developing nassarius. I wish I had some ceriths that are known
to propagate in reef tanks. About the only cleanup crew I buy are cucumbers, urchins, emerald crabs, and if I can
find them, money cowries.

 

[Tajjo]

I once bought some kind of snails from Sherman tanks, that were labeled Vietnamese turbo snails, and let me tell you I have never seen snails devour so much algae. Anyway I'm yet to find those guys again.

 

[Denver aquarist]

Astraea Conehead Snail are my favorite, they clean non stop and seem to out live any other snails I have tried.

 

[ShelbyJK500]

I once bought some kind of snails from Sherman tanks, that were labeled Vietnamese turbo snails, and let me tell you I have never seen snails devour so much algae. Anyway I'm yet to find those guys again.

I have the same experience with urchins! Two small ones tore through a BAD green hair algae bloom in my 28g Nano (covered the entire back wall of the tank, 2-3" algae. 36 hours is all it took for two small urchins to completely wipe it out! I am a firm believer in them now...sad part is I can't have them in either of my big tanks because they're acrylic. I even put another small one in my big fuge for my main tanks...and it wiped out the red slime I had in there in less than 24 hours. The slime had completely covered the front and sides of the 65g fuge. Incredible little guys.

 

[Cake_Boss]

Well, time to start thinking about a CUC. What do you guys recommend for a 30g total tank volume? I will not do blue legged hermits again.

 

[bigsittingrock]

this is what I just put in on Tue. for my 29 bio cube. I also have 2-3 peppermint, 3 emeralds, serpent star and 10 nassarius.

Algae Control Critters Special

36 Turbo Snail {astrae}, 12 Med Blue Leg Hermits, 6 Scarlet Reef Hermits, 4 Emerald Crab, 6 Nerite Snails, 6 Cerith Snails and 2 Star Snail. Free Shipping & Box. You may purchase additional items along with this special and get free shipping & box for those items as well.

Price: $99.00

 

[bigsittingrock]

Whats with the blue legs? There great.

 

[Cake_Boss]

Whats with the blue legs? There great.

They eat the snails for their shells.