Stocking a 25 gal
 

I would like some help with ideas for stocking my tank. It's 25 gal, I plan on adding about 20-25lbs of live rock and I also have a side cansiter filter. I don't plan on having corals.

What would be a good cleaner crew? 1 crab, 3 shrimp, 3 snails? What are good kinds of crabs/shrimp/snails to get? Also, is it better to go with an extra shrimp or snail instead of the crab or vice versa. I think the crabs are pretty neat and wouldn't mind having one in there though.

For fish I would really like to have a yellow clown goby and a green clown goby in there. I was wondering if you think with the cleaner crew in there would I be safe adding one to three other small fish? I would like possibly a firefish and a royal gramma, or something similar. Something colourful and non-aggressive that will be small.

Thanks

One hermit crab is OK. They are predators and will eat good stuff in your tank.
Do not get bumble bee snails as they are also predators. I would add one cleaner shrimp and one peppermint shrimp The cleaner to clean the fish and the peppermint to eat any aptaisia that gets into your tank.

You should acclimate all inverts using the drip method and do so for of 2 hours to be safe.

Why so down on hermits? They are by far the best CUC in my tank. I have a handful of small red legged hermits that get every pellet, mysis or other food that hits the sand or rock. I have NEVER seen my hermits do ANY harm to a coral.

small bluelegged hermits are great you could have a couple
Snails I would add later and lots to choose from nassarius, trochus, astrea
Crabs are cool maybe a small emerald
Not sure if the 2 gobies would get along but one would be okay
the firefish and gramma would be good
in one of my 25 I have a gramma and assessor
hope this helps a little

Why so down of hermits

1. They killl snails.
2. They are predators. They spend all day searching for tiny invertebrates
that breed in your tank and provide your coral with natural food.
3. They irritate some LPS causing them to remain fully retracted and recede.
4. Many reefers have observed some of them have a taste for some corals.

The idea of a reef eco system with a sandbed and live rock is to maintain a high level of critters in our tank that feed our fish and coral . Hermit crabs decimate them.

One or two are not going to do much harm but the "marketing concept" that you need a CUC (clean up crew) composed of so many snails and hermits is simply marketing and nothing else IMO,
Too many hermits cause the stated problems
Too many snails simply die of starvation and pollute the tank.

Snaz, I subscribe to the view of Dr. Shimek who wrote on the subject of CUC.
Don't get me wrong. a Hermit Crab is fun to watch.

I do really like to watch the hermit crabs, but don't want too many in there if they are going to be troublesome. I think the shrimp are really neat too, I would have a load of them if I could.

I have a feeling I'll be getting a bigger tank in a few years lol.

You will not have any problems with the hermits as it is a fowler set up even if you have softies it will be fine

Here is what J&L Suggests for 15-25 gallons:
12 - Blue Legged Hermits
3 - Red Scarlet Hermit
5 - Astrea Snails
5 - Margarita Snails
5 - Cerith Snails

And this for 5-10:
5 - Blue Legged Hermits
1 - Red Scarlet Hermit
3 - Astrea Snails
2 - Margarita Snails

I would like to add a couple shrimp as well, if I went with the 5-10 gallon package and 2-3 shrimp (1 or 2 cleaners, 1 peppermint) would that be too many?

Yes

I would wait to add the shrimp however
And do you have rock in yet? And has it cycled if not you need to let it cycle

No rock in it yet, was planning on adding these guys in after it's cycled. Just getting ahead, trying to plan. Keeps me excited and reminds me why I am spending all this money lol.

The crabs and snails and shrimp are just as neat as the fish!

he he, I know how it is

I am totally agreed with naesco. I am a newbie to SW too. I started my 10g with 3 hermits and they changed to bigger shells a couple of times already. With bigger shell, they are indeed a fleet of bulldozers knocking things down.
I have to set up a 3g tank just to accomodate them now. Yes, they are fun to watch but sooner or later you have to put them away.

What about the bluelegs though which stay small?

The blue legs hermit crabs will stay small, but if they get hungry enough, will eat snails. They are pretty cool to look at though. I would avoid the scarlett hermits. I have a couple in my 125 gallon tank, and they can be a pain, falling into LPS and damaging them, and killing snails and blue leg hermit crabs.
I would add various snails and shrimp instead. The shrimp I would hold off for a little while, but you could add a few snails right now. Make sure you acclimate them slowly, as others have posted. You could look at a brittle starfish as well after you've had your tank up and running for a little while. They are really neat as well. Just avoid the green ones, as they are fish killers.

More reading about crabs

http://www.chucksaddiction.com/hitchcrabs.html

Astrea snails have been not so great for me, the ones sold as "turbo" snails have died within 3-6 months and/or have been not very effective for clean up.
Nerites have been by far the best, for clean up and living a long time.