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  #1  
Old 09/27/2006, 09:29 PM
dcombs44 dcombs44 is offline
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Cleanup Crew

I tested my water about 4 days ago, and I had a 0 reading for NO2, NO3, and NH3/NH4. I'm starting to get a few patches of green hair and some brownish algae.

I would like to introduce the cleanup crew to my tank, but I wasn't quite sure if the system was ready for them, and I also wasn't sure what some of the better options to have for a reef were.

In my last reef I had a fire shrimp, various hermits, a trochus snail or two, a pencil urchin, serpant star, margarita snails and some nerite snails.

I was considering some nassarius snails this round to take care of the sand bed, but wasn't sure about the overall opinion on these snails. I was also wondering if I can mix and match shrimp in a 55 gallon.. I loved my fire shrimp, who didn't survive the babysitting at the LFS, but I was considering some cleaners and peppermints as well. I have some aptasia.

Advice please.
  #2  
Old 10/03/2006, 08:19 PM
budsnbuds budsnbuds is offline
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For what its worth, I have a Fire (Cleaner) Shrimp and a Peppermint Shrimp in my 20gallon and have no problems with them fighting, they just ignore each other.

How long has the tank been cycling for? the cycle may not be completely finished.

I have been doing some reading and have found out that peppermints are not completely reef safe. I am thinking of getting rid of mine and getting a few of these guys - Berghia Nudibranchs .

They are completely reef safe and a natural predator to aipastia. Have read from some people that they do a better job than peppermints (my peppermint ignores my aipastia totally).

I would reccamend mostly snails with a few hermits possibly. Try to find some Jumbo Nassurius Snails, they do a really well job on the sand bed.

HTH
  #3  
Old 10/03/2006, 08:45 PM
dcombs44 dcombs44 is offline
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The tank has cycled for about 3 weeks, but the rock was totally cured for the most part, and about half of the rock was from my old tank that was three years old. That made for a relatively small cycle. All water params are looking good, and I actually have some stray mushrooms from my old rock that are now thriving. They are actually bigger than they were in my old tank. Why do you say no hermits? I've never heard that before. I went with 10 scarlet red leg hermits. The least aggressive and most reef safe hermit. 6 nassarius snails for the sand bed, 6 margaritas for the rocks and glass, a pair of peppermints and a fire/blood shrimp. I've had peppermints in the past and never saw any aptasia in my tank nore had any problems with them picking at corals so until they prove me wrong, I'll try them again. Thanks for the advice, but this post has been up forever. Too late for me to consider it before ordering, so I did the majority of research on my own.
  #4  
Old 10/03/2006, 08:47 PM
dcombs44 dcombs44 is offline
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and by the way, I think you may be talking about camel shrimp that are not reef safe. They are very similar and sometimes confused with peppermints. They are not reef safe.
  #5  
Old 10/04/2006, 06:56 PM
llewoh05 llewoh05 is offline
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i kinda beg to differ about the camel shrimp. ive had 2 in the past year or so and neither have caused any problems with my corals. they do like to graze in the zoos and anthelia but i haven't ever seen them attempt to destroy them.
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  #6  
Old 10/05/2006, 07:05 AM
dcombs44 dcombs44 is offline
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I was just making the statement that peppermints are reef safe and camels are the ones that have been known to pick on corals. They are in the "reef safe, with caution" category. Sometimes they will, sometimes they won't
  #7  
Old 10/05/2006, 09:15 AM
badbu68 badbu68 is offline
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I wouldn't put camels or peps in with cleaners though, they might attack the cleaners.
  #8  
Old 10/05/2006, 10:10 AM
dcombs44 dcombs44 is offline
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I only plan to have 2 pepps. and a fire in a 55 gallon, and I always thought pepps. were peaceful with almost all marine life, except the occasional aptasia attack.
  #9  
Old 10/05/2006, 10:37 AM
RobynT RobynT is offline
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I have to say that my shrimp are my favs in my tank. I have 2 cleaners, 2 peps and I fire shrimp. They all have their own "territory" in my 90 gallon and don't bother one another. I have never noticed any problems with my corals regarding the shrimp, none of them bother them. I love the fire's coloring the best but he doesn't show himself most of the time. The cleaners are definately the most personable. All of them will take food by hand. Really cool animals!
  #10  
Old 10/05/2006, 11:14 AM
dcombs44 dcombs44 is offline
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I had a fire shrimp that was close to 2" long. I had him for over 2 years and he was huge. He would actually crawl into my hand and take food from me. Unfortunately, he died mysteriously recently while i was upgrading tanks. He was being babysat by the LFS and disappeared. There was no body, but he was in the same tank as my serpent star, so the only thing anybody can figure is that it got hungry one night, and with the lack of cover in the lfs tank, there was no place for the shrimp to hide. I trust the word of the owner as well that there was no carcas, he's a good friend of mine.
  #11  
Old 10/05/2006, 05:24 PM
Gluestick Gluestick is offline
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I would stay away from the Margaritas. They require cool temps than what your corals will like. Trochus do a better job, anyway. nassarius are awesome, do a great job and they are fun to watch.
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  #12  
Old 10/05/2006, 07:11 PM
dcombs44 dcombs44 is offline
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I had 10 margaritas in my 29 gallon that ran about 81 or 82 at all times. The snails were in there for almost 3 years and I never lost one. I had read after the fact that they were cooler temp snails, but I never had any trouble with them. I did have a trochus that was the best snail ever though. I had three of them, but 2 died. The 3rd one was a machine, I'll give you that.
 

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