Reef Cleaning Package

[newreef25]

I have a question about selecting the proper "reef cleaning package" for my 55 gallon reef tank. I check out all these sights and they are all differet. i was wondering if anyone has any input on what kind of snail, crabs, shrimp or other cleaners are really good for the tank. I do have soft corals so im trying to keep them safe. Thanks for the help.

[Hormigaquatica]

Everyone has their own hard fast garaunteed to work rule, and everyone's is different ;)
Cleaner packages tend to overload the tank with cleaners- they give more than the tank can really keep alive. Depending on how much rock you have and the age of it and all, I would recommend a dozen or two blueleg hermits, and maybe a half dozen blackfoot trochus snails (I like those better than Astrea because they turn themselves over and seem to be more efficient cleaners). You may want to inclue a couple redleg hermits since theyre a little better at controling algae than the bluelegs, but the blues are good for detritus cleanup.

[garbled]

Personally I like trochus because I've had them breed numerous times in my tanks successfully. Never a whole lot of them, but every now and then I see 2 or three tiny snails running about.

[newreef25]

Hey guys thanks for the help i appreciate it

[easttn]

I'd avoid the crabs, they tend to eat the snails. If you have a lot of hair algae the only thing I ever found that would eat it are turbo snails. Don't get more than 2 for your size tank. Trochus are good for general cleaning, 100 would be good. If you have a sandbed nassurius are good sifters. Don't buy slugs, there is not enough to keep it alive long term, and the crap they spew upon death is not a good thing.

[wds21921]

Hermits and snails do not mix well as easttn said. What you'll find are a few hermits and a ton of empty shells especially in a smaller tank.
Crabs in general are predatory by nature. When they come upon a shell, regardless of the inhabitant, they will want to take that shell if only for a few days (at best). What this results in is a killed snail. The amount of material eaten by a crab is miniscule compared to what a snail will eat in the same time period.
I've tried tanks with all snails and a tank with all crabs and the snail tank was noticeably better and cleaner.
In the mixed tank I had over 150 snails with only 3 hermits in a 90 gallon reef. Within 3 months there were 20 snails and 5 hermits. The snail loss was not due to death either as I watched many of the hermits consistantly evicting the tenants physically. The only crab I didn't have problems with as far as killing snails was the mithrax crab, green emerald or bubble eating crab. The only problem with them is they don't seem to last very long.