Clean up crew recomendations?

Crepusculum · #1 09/12/2006, 11:38 AM

My wife's FOWLR tank has a humu humu trigger and a volitan lionfish. She needs a good clean up crew for her sand bed which is looking pretty ugly. I wanted to know what people would recomend to keep her tank clean that wouldn't get eaten

DragonMorayEels · #2 09/12/2006, 12:37 PM

I'm guessing this is in your 50 gal tank? In either case I was about to suggest only snails and then seeing that you these two fish in a tank that they will both out grow.

fantastic4 · #3 09/12/2006, 04:41 PM

Brownbarred Goby (Amblygobius phalaena)
(large) and Petco's cheap giant red hermit crabs.

Note: The giant hermit crabs will eat certain corals, but you mentioned FOWLR.

The crabs will keep sand sifted, the Brownbarred Goby will do the rest.

You should be able to find this goby everywhere

Goby

Crepusculum · #4 09/12/2006, 10:35 PM

Thanks Fantastic4, just wanted to make sure that the crabs would be safe from being eaten. Either way I suppose that they are inexpensive enough. Thanks for the input they already do a fine job in my other tanks.

Crepusculum · #5 09/12/2006, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DragonMorayEels
I'm guessing this is in your 50 gal tank? In either case I was about to suggest only snails and then seeing that you these two fish in a tank that they will both out grow.

I'm not sure you followed through with a complete statement. You said you were about to suggest only snails. You also assumed that they were placed in a tank you consider too small; it seems you did not complete your suggestion. I'm looking for suggestions on a clean up crew based on the current fish in the tank; based on your experince in the hoddy I'm sure you might have a decent suggestion.

In addition I wanted to let you know that in reading the context of your signature the proper word you are looking for might be 'Patience' not patients.

DragonMorayEels · #6 09/12/2006, 11:00 PM

Quote:

'Patience' not patients

Thanks Dan on that correction. I not even took notice of it

LOL

I see however that you mention nothing on the tank size for if larger, I would suggested hermits with snail in which case if hungry, they would eat some of the snails.

But however, if your the two fish in a 50, they cannot remain in there forever.

Monkeyfish · #7 09/13/2006, 10:00 AM

Tiger cowries, large turbo snails and large hermit crabs are what I use in my 75 which currently has a juvenile humuhumu. The trigger will occasionally pick up the hermits or try and knock the snails off the rocks, but everyone has survived so far.

A Strombus conch will help out with the sand-bed as well.

ralphie16 · #8 09/13/2006, 03:29 PM

First, the trigger is not going to be getting along with the lionfish, that I can say for certain from experience. To start, read through every single word of Wet Web Media on Triggers. You will learn very good info.

Second, my picasso trigger has eaten every hermit and snail I put in the tank. It may take him a few weeks to find it since I have a big tank but eventually they will be found.

Basically, with you trigger in that tank, you will not be able to keep any inverts. They WILL eventually be sampled to death.

I like Triggers · #9 09/14/2006, 02:17 PM

I have added many inverts to my 80g FOWLR to keep things under control. My humu, who is pushing 5" or so now will take out any invert. I have had success for a couple months with turbos, and about 6 months with 2 very large hermits... I did add 3 or 4 small hermits about 6 months ago who have lasted to this day. i have a lot of rock in the tank so the inverts have a lot of hiding spots. In a couple spots my rock is so close to the glass that my fish can not get into the small caves there, and thats usually where my crabs live. I do have breeding snails in my tank as well, and everynight when i come home and pop the lights on to see whats going on, my front glass has to have at least 100 snails on it. They are small and my triggers dont even look at them