Can I go without a clean up crew?
 

200 gallon tank
Been running for about 2 months. Currently have 3 cleaner shrimp, a fire shrimp and a couple random snails.

What are the chances I can get away without any more cleanup crew?

As long as you blow rock off and gravel vac sand should be ok.

Although cuc works 24/7. Your matenience shcedule prob not

what are the chances that you can't? They do a lot of work!

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...Qs5iA_4I3fooxg

If you have live rock in there then the chances are you already have a clean up crew in the form of worms, pods, and mini brittle stars and snails are highly overrated for their ability to clean up any algae

I would say no, I only had a few snails & a couple hermit crabs in my 60 gal. Hair algea was getting stupid so I added 75+ asteria snails & there going to town cleaning things up nicely.

Add a couple of the ones that multiply quickly and you should be ok.
If you have a sand bed also add a few of the sand ones as well

The reason I'm asking is that I'd like to keep a trigger

There's a few triggers that are both reef safe with coral and inverts. Bluethroat and Crosshatch come to mind.

The effects of not having a proper CUC show up later in a tanks life, although adding a bunch at the start isn't wise either. I tend to add things like snails and urchins as time goes on and I notice the need for them.

what about things like hermit crabs? should i even bother?

I gave up on cleaning crews a couple years ago, enough tangs keep the algae in check..

I don't bother with hermit crabs, they seem to do more harm than good. Snails are a better option IMO. My personal favorite is the urchin.

I'm not really worried about algae. my achilles and black shoulder tang graze all day long.

but ill see how the next month or so goes. if the diatoms (i think) dont go away, ill start adding a cleanup crew