Let's talk about cleaning crews

andrewsk · #1 06-15-2006, 07:39 PM

Albert,

What is the Background color you use on that tank. I like it a lot. I was trying to decide between Black and Blue but the other Blues I have seen are to dark. This is still blue, but gives more of the illusion of depth than the darker ones.

Thanks

albert_dao · #2 06-15-2006, 07:41 PM

It's pure white. Much better than blue or black, IMO. Makes the tank look super bright and, according to guys on RC, is better at reflecting light than tinfoil.

TheReefGeek · #3 06-15-2006, 07:59 PM

Pure white, interesting idea.

What bulbs are the new picture taken under?

albert_dao · #4 06-15-2006, 08:33 PM

Two XM 10k's and one XM 20k. They're pretty appealing to look at, but I suspect I'd much rather have had the Pheonix 14k's.

Go Pheonix for being ever so descriptive with their bulb packaging...

TheReefGeek · #5 06-15-2006, 08:35 PM

I run XM 20Ks and love em. Much of a price difference to the Phoenix in the same watts?

albert_dao · #6 06-15-2006, 08:40 PM

I dunno, I sell them all for the same price. I suspect the price difference in wholesale is nickels and dimes.

See, the thing is, I had the bulbs there for that tank, but I didn't know which bulb was which. All these stupid metal halide bulbs come in the same generic white cardboard box with only serial numbers. That said, I went with the XM's since I could readily ID the kelvin temperature.

ANYWAY, let's not get sidetracked. I have a more objective question:

We've established that cleaning crews are, more or less, an optional part of a well planned set up. That in mind, what species does everyone have the best success with? How about total failures?

Here's a few of mine:

Good - Trochus snails, Cerith snails, and small conches.

Medium - most non-predatory brittle stars, sea hares.

Terrible - Astrea, Turbo, ALL HERMIT CRABS...

danny zubot · #7 06-15-2006, 08:55 PM

This is only specific to my tank, which has no filimentous algea or sandbed algae.

EDIT*

Excelent:

Pistols shrimp/goby combo-will collect any unsightly snail shells, keeps the underside of rockwork clear of detritus, sifts through all sand.

Good:
Blue and brown legged hermits-for rock cleaning abilities
Zebra/fighting conch- for sandbed cleaning
Cleaner shrimp- for cleaning corals of detritus

Medium:
Any snails- really only clean the glass in my tank.

Terrible:
Olive snail-keeps sandbed mixed but is only seen once every other month.
Turbo's- knock over frags and die more frequently that other snails.