Cleanup Crew Misnomer ??
 

I have had a number of reef tanks for a very long and have always been setback at the so called experts and their recommendation of 1snail and 1crab per gallon of water.

I have one 45 gallon tank with 4 crabs and 3 snails, and everything seems inplace.
My other ones have more but i still have wondered if there was every a reasoning for this other then retailers trying to make a forutne.
Considering a hermit crab is 5$ and a 90 gallon tank would require 90 thats 450$ in crabs, say the same for snails your looking at 900$ for a basic cleanup crew.
Your ideas?

that expert wouldn't happen to be a LFS sales person

1 per gallon, Ha! I would be in for over 6K just in clean-up crew, I have about a dozen hermits and maybe 2 doz asst snails, my tank looks good but I do not run an overly high bioload either.

Chances are it could be but almost every place on the internet that sells crabs recommends it, so im wondering how they got to decide what is the recommended amount and become the norm.
This site that is more informations say on averge 1 per 2 to 5 gallons
http://www.reefland.com/rho/0305/medprod3.php

That is news to me, I always panic when I don't see any more than 2 doz. in my 72 gal
and order more. Never actually put a price on it. Huh, now I know. Thanks

The reason you need all of the snails is they become food for the crabs. The crabs now well fed on snails ignore the algae they were supposed to control.

Tom R

HAHAHA, You can say that again. Oh so true!

That makes the most sense.

I always say start with less and add more as you need them.

I dont see why anyone would need that many. I've never believed in that rule... like... ten or fifteen... MAYBE 20... in a 75g is LOTS for hermits.... or for snails. I only have 3 snails in my 75 and I have 10 hermits, each different, and only kept because of their particular color pattern, not as cleanup crew.