Choosing a cleaner package

[vanguard]

Dr. Ron,

I'm new to reefing and I need some advice. I've spent just about every free moment over the last two months planning for my reef tank. So far, I have most of the hardware in place. I aspire to add water in just a few weeks.

Can you give me some advice regarding a cleaner package? I've read conflicting views on stars, cucumbers, astrea snails, etc.

I've narrowed my choices to these three packages.

Cleaning Crew Package 1

10 Scarlet Reef Hermits
20 Turbo / Margarita Snails (mix determined by availability)
30 Red Leg / Left-Handed Hermits (mix determined by availability)

Cleaning Crew Package 2

5-Scarlet Reef Hermit Crabs
7-Left-Handed Hermit Crabs
7-Blue Leg Hermit Crabs (Pg 381)
25-Margarita Snails
10-Astrea Snails
1 Cucumber

Cleaning Crew Package 3

1 Abalone
2 Mithrax Crabs
2 Impatiens Cucumbers
1 Black Hawaiian Brittle Star
1 Red or Black Banded Serpent Star
1 Red Fromia/Orange Knobby Star (either depending on availability)
10 Burrowing Cerith Snails


Here are some tank specs that you may find useful:


75 Gallon
29 Gallon sump
4 4' VHO lights (will add MH someday when wallet recovers)
All of the livestock isn't decided yet. I'll be adding ~6 reef safe fish and mostly soft corals. However, the coral preference is subject to change.


Vangaurd

PS Hopefully all of this VB bulleting will make this easy for you to review. I spent a fair amount of time on it. :)

[rshimek]

Originally posted by vanguard
I've read conflicting views on stars, cucumbers, astrea snails, etc.

I've narrowed my choices to these three packages.
...

Cleaning Crew Package 3

1 Abalone
2 Mithrax Crabs
2 Impatiens Cucumbers
1 Black Hawaiian Brittle Star
1 Red or Black Banded Serpent Star
1 Red Fromia/Orange Knobby Star (either depending on availability)
10 Burrowing Cerith Snails


I would go more with this than the others. I think hermit crabs really have no place in a reef tank except as decoration (1 or 2 only).

However, I think you could probably mix and match to get a better package. Abalone are GREAT, but they do need carefull acclimation. It will probably be nocturnally active and only on the glass. I am "iffy" on Mithrax if you don't have bubble algae. I think urchins are better all purpose herbivores.

Let your sand bed get set up for a few weeks before adding the ceriths and cukes. You might wish to consider about 5-10 Nassarius snails. Fromia species are often preferential predators on sponges, and may require it for long term health. Do you have the appropriate food.
You might consider, as well, the mini-stars available at http://www.ipsf.com. They take a while (6 mo to a year) to reproduce to build a useful population, but once established are excellent scavengers.

Hopefully all of this VB bulleting will make this easy for you to review. I spent a fair amount of time on it. :)

It was great. Quite thoughtful. Thanks!! :D

Hope this helps.