Asking again ?

[Ronny#66]

Is there a rule of thumb on clean up crew crabs/snails per gallon like ther is so called inch of fish per gallon?? Thanks for sugestion as buying a book but I'm an over the road truck driver and don't have time to read . I sleep when I stop. only home 2-3 days a week find it much easier to come here with my ??'s . Not trying to be rude just the way it is. Not much time to do anything. 8 years i retire . Then will do what I want .

Thanks:

[Capt_Cully]

personally, i can't recall seeing any "rules" like that. the more I do read though, "rules" are becoming a thing of the past, within reason. most suppliers try to sell clean up crew packages, but, like I said, personally, I think some of them are overkill.

For a 25 gal, I'd have a couple of astrea snails to clean rock and glass, and some nassirus to sift the sand. one or two emerald crabs will pick at your rock helping with algae. you could add a scarlet hermit crab or something to mix it up.

anyway, just my 2 cents. go to a site like marine depot live and check out the functions of different inverts. look at their clean up crews and customise your own.

[Ronny#66]

Thanks for your 2 cents money well invested

[Piscator]

No real rule of thumb. Every system is different. I would think you could start with a half dozen of maybe 2-3 different varieties of snails. Like 6 nassarius, 6 ceriths, 6 Astraea. See how they do, and build up from there if needed. IME I always lose a few, depending on where I got them, and how hardy they are, so I buy a few exta. They need to be acclimated slowly too.

Personally I skip the crabs. They are cool to watch...but they are predators at heart...and tend to make snacks outta snails.

Best wishes,