Cleaner Shrimp Order
 

Alright people, 30 and 40 dollars for these is outrageous. The price for MO cleaner shrimps from J&L is $15.95 if we order 4 or more. Much better! So far we have the following interested parties:

Tony: 2
Bob: 1 (and a Royal Gramma)
Jonathan: 2
Alan: 1 (and a couple Nassarius snails)

Anyone else want something, and are we urgent for this? Conceivably we could get them this weekend, I would think.

Alan

I'm not really urgent on it but if we want to do it this weekend then that's OK too .... except I'm not sure I have time to organize it though, would someone else want to front it (i.e., basically, be the one to make the drive to the airport?)

I could do that Tony. I need some cleaner shrimp... right??

I have one more question. On the JL website under reef guardian they say you need like 1 of this kind of snail per 1.5 gallon and 1 green hermit per 1.5 gallons and 1 reg legged what ever per 5 gallons and like 100 other snails ... is this true?

I am not in a hurray but one can never pas up a deal.

No it's not completely true.
In my 90g i have maybe 15 hermets and
40 or so diffrent types of snail and my tank is at a good balance.
There is also 1000's of those little helmet snails as i call them but they grow on their own.

I would prefer to say it is totally untrue. You can have whatever you want for cleanup crew, I do NOT recommend hermits of any kind. Hermits tend to kill snails so they can use their shells. It is generally preferred to get snails only. And I have no problem to run out to the airport this weekend.

Ross, Jon's numbers sound reasonable - but be careful of the advice from their website, "When is it safe to add snails and crab to my aquarium?" I waited about a month before putting in about 30 snails and 6 scarlet hermits. They all did fine.

If your tank is ready and you want to be the contact and pick-up person, I think it's just a matter of identifying yourself as such to someone at J&L, and the rest of us squaring up our own orders to ship together. But you're right, the prices are good.

Maybe we could divvy up at Bob's again this time - that seems to work well. Or even your own house, if you dare...

Alan :D

Oh good. So for a start then I thing I should buy (this is where someone jumps in)

bye 10 hermits (only get scarlet legged hermits) then 10 certh and 10 astrea snails.. the hermits are pretty tuff but makesure your water is faily deicent befor adding snails.. I had a hitch hiker hermit survive my "off the scale nitrate" week when i first started cycling my tank.

Steve

You do want some sand stirring snails like Nassarius, or Cerith, or Margarita. Some Astreas will be fine too, and Bah Humbug to hermits (from my experience) If you do insist on getting some, you need some empty shells in the tank so that hopefully they leave your snails alone.

I am also a fan of Hermets.
The scarlet ones would cause any trouble I also have blue's as well and have had them for over a year now and they do not bug my snails at all.

well I was thinking....I can get the live rock and sand going in my tank this weekend. I really think it should cycle for a few weeks before I start adding critters. If we were to wait say a week or so, I could add them to my establishing refugium and then introduce them to my tank. Is it possible to say wait like a ...weekish?

I am not in a real hurry, I've waited 1 year and 5 month's to get a pair of cleaner shrimp so waiting another week wont kill me. :D

Ross, how long has your refugium been cycling, and what size is it? What are your ammonia/nitrite/nitrate readings? (Same questions for your main tank.)

I don't know if your tank is quite ready, and rushing it is universally viewed as a bad idea. I don't want to throw water on your fire, but it's no point sacrificing animals to impatience (although many of us may have at some point).

But - if your refugium is near-to-ready then perhaps you could start with a batch now, and then order again when your main tank comes online. It's a 180 in't it? You'll need quite a number of cleanup crew.

It's a thought... and as for scarlet reef hermits, I'm a big fan. They clean rocks, sand, debris, dead and dying animals, dead coral tissue, slime algae, you name it. I also really like the Astrea snails - they do a good job on rocks and glass too. Nassarius are fun to watch in the sand, but are too small to do much, really. I'm hoping for good things from this fighting conch. You'll probably need two... eventually.

Keep in mind also, if you get a few at first they can get ahead of the algae growth curve and keep it in check for the inevitable cycles/blooms you'll get in a new tank. If you buy too many off the bat, they might not have enough food in a new system. (Hence my "buy in batches" advice.)

HTH,

Alan :D

Just to add my bit, I also have scarlet hemits and they're absolutely fine. Mine never look twice at snails and have been with me for 2+years. Blue legged on the other hand are murderous little ba*****ds that kill snails just for fun!!!

I'm perfectly OK to wait a week.... actually maybe works a little better for me.

I guess it is time to reflect on the original reason that Nassarius snails were recommended. Their main purpose is to stir the sandbed, NOT as cleanup crew. They spend most of their time BURIED, thus they stir up the sanbed, and keep it from cementing. They are very good at cleaning up dead fish. I have had several fish die (as far as I know, because there were no bodies on the floor), It appears the snails ate them up, as I have never seen them again. There now appears to be evidence Scarlet Reef Hermits are OK. I have never had them, so I will not pass judgment. Other hermits I have had were horrors. The LSOH's at one time sold Margarita Snails, and what he called Margarita crabs. I soon found out why they were called by that name. They had all stolen Margarita Snail shells, and used them to live in. :D

Sounds good Tony, let's take this week to decide exactly what we want and coordinate towards the weekend? Ross, you still up for contact person? :wink:

(As for sand stirrers, doesn't every creature in that bed take a hand in turning over each and every particle? Didn't Shimek say that the entire mass would be turned over once every so many days, if you had the requisite worms, pods, bugs etc.?)

Alan

Quite true, but how do you know if you have the required quantity of critters :?: :?: :?: , hence the addition of other critters like snails, conches etc.

If Ross cannot be the pickup person, I will do it. I have looked at J&L's site, and did not see Royal Gramas. So at this point in time only a Cleaner Shrimp is called for.

Bob, check under "Dottybacks" for a "Royal Gramma - Brazil" at $21.95.

Alan

Thanks, I of course looked under Basslets, as a Grama is not a Dottyback. Picked up a Grama, also Brazil from the LSOH's tonight at $29.95., and if you read this Ross and Evan, Daniel says the lights we have are horrible quality. That makes me happy, because anything he does not sell is bad quality according to him, so we should be fine. :D :D :D

I too am interested in getting two Cleaner Shrimp. I'd be inclined to hold off on any orders from J&L Aqu. until December as last year for sure and I believe the previous year as well, free shipping was the December special. I'm holding off on bulb replacement to see if they repeat that offer. I'm unsure if that would apply to livestock.
...my two bits on the "predatory habits" of Hermit Crabs: If an ample supply of empty shell are available, would they not go for the "easy aquisition". I've combined snails and crabs and never witnessed any "hostile take-overs..."

Great idea Doug. Actually December is only ... what, six days away?

In the meantime, it might be a good idea to find out if their shrimp are bigger than snack size. :shock:

ExACTly....

I'll send J&L an email and find out if you can specify the size of the shrimp you get.

I know I'm an Edmontonian, but can I get in on the order. I think Jonathan would probably hold my order of shrimp in his sump for me right? I will be down this weekend and can coordinate with you guys. I will be down for Christmas too to be with family. Now that I have my Mantis Shrimp out, I can start getting a cleanup crew back which would include cleaner shrimp and snails etc....

Thanks..

Des

For sure I dont Mind holding the shrimp in my sump for ya dez.
I will coordinate the order with ya when I see you this weekend.

I just came from J&L and they have no cleaners instock at this time. If you guys like I can check the size when they get their order on Friday or Saturday.

Jeff

Well if this is correct, and we can get any shipping deal applied to our order, then that might be OK. I don't recall if the shipping special applied to livestock or not?? At any rate I've got to get something this week; next week all my money will be ravaged by that pack of Yeti from the TV commercial.

Christmas fast approaches... :D

Alan

Please check the cleaner shrimp part II. Apparently they are getting in a new order...and there might be some bigger ones :lol:

J&L's cleaners are at the ideal size this shipment. Not to young or old with most about 2 inches. They have about 3 doz that I could see.

Jeff