best clenup crew

[ejrabekoff]

I have a 150g setup, and need a cleanup crew. I was thinking about getting

25 Nessarius snails
25 Mexican turbo snails
25 Astraea trubo snails
25 dwarf blue leg hermit crabs
25 emerald crabs
25 scarlet reef hermit crabs
2 peppermint shrimp.

Does this look good? Is there anything else that you would add? Would you get 1 peppermint shrimp, or 2, or 1 peppermint shrimp, and another cleaner shrimp? I know that margarita snails are good. Where do you find them?

[NCguy]

5 emerald crabs would be plenty...The rest looks fine.

[frank2926]

I am not a fan of clean up crews. they poop too
I really dont care for crabs. they will kill the snails for their shells.

[NCguy]

Thats why you put some bigger shells in the tank for them to move to when they need them.

[frank2926]

Originally posted by NCguy
Thats why you put some bigger shells in the tank for them to move to when they need them.

good idea, but I also think they just like to kill snails. I have seen them kill much smaller snails. Just because they can I think

[NCguy]

lol yeah they are kinda mean sometimes.

[kc9dre]

I think it depends on the snail, The Nass must taste bad cause I bough 3 over a year ago and now have 3 big ones and some little ones...lol

But the turbos was eater and I saw a big hermit sportin a new shell...

[capn_hylinur]

the hermits are biologically programmed to kill the snails---aka they are oportunistic meat eaters---eventually they will go through your snail population.
All my hermits now reside in the refugium

[gummi]

Originally posted by ejrabekoff
I have a 150g setup, and need a cleanup crew. I was thinking about getting

25 Nessarius snails
25 Mexican turbo snails
25 Astraea trubo snails
25 dwarf blue leg hermit crabs
25 emerald crabs
25 scarlet reef hermit crabs
2 peppermint shrimp.

Does this look good? Is there anything else that you would add? Would you get 1 peppermint shrimp, or 2, or 1 peppermint shrimp, and another cleaner shrimp? I know that margarita snails are good. Where do you find them?

My take is:
Nassarius snails are great. Great on the sandbed.
Mexican Turbo Snails: forget 'em. Big, clumsy, knock over rock, die easily.

Forget the hermit crabs. Their best function is eating detritus buildup on rocks but will kill your snails for their shells. Forget the hermit crabs and get more snails that will do 10X the work and clean your glass. hermits can never clean your glass.

Look for margarita snails if you can. Do a great job on glass, detritus, and are long lived.

Get some conchs for your sandbed. Do a good job of stirring things up and eating detritus. Usually a fighting conch needs 2' X 2' to have enough food to survive. I'm not convinced on this rule because my footprint is 48X18 and I have 4 conchs that have been alive and going strong for over 6 months now!

I wouldn't bother with the emerald crabs... they're cool but 25 is way too much. Also, I've found them to be tempermental and may kill your snails. If you do get them, get one with pink inner joints as they seem to behave more reef-safe.

Peppermint shrimp are small. 2 will get lost in your tank quickly. I'd buy more of them. Also, if you dont have any aiptasia don't bother. Get cleaner shrimp, blood shrimp, coral banded shrimp, or pisol shrimp. More colourful and interesting. And bigger.

Pistol shrimp are cool if they setup their burrow in the front of the tank. You should have a sand bed at least 3 or 4 inches, though.

[Sk8r]

Bristleworms.

[Neptune420]

I agree with everyone. Emerald crabs can get very large and aggressive, and hermits are known for killing snails. But it really comes down to what you like and want. If you keep plenty of empty shells then most of your snails will be ok. And as for the emerald crabs, I would just get 1 or two if you must. Check out ipsf.com for all sorts of micro invertabrates and beneficial organisms.