Recommended cleaner crew

Snufflupagus · #1 08-03-2009, 01:20 AM

Hey All,

This is my very first post, so bare with me. I'm just wondering if anyone has some suggestions to what would be the best clean up crew I could put in my 96gallon salt water tank. I know there are different types that do different things, but really all I'm looking for is a basic cleaning crew that would clean the glass for the most part, and keep things looking fairly clean without me having to go into the tank and clean it myself. Does anyong have any suggestions and how many of each invert I would need for a 96 gallon tank? Thanks.
Snuffy

brillo2723 · #2 08-03-2009, 01:35 AM

i have always used red and blue legged hermit crabs, margarita snails, cerith snails, turbo snails, bumble bee snails.
brillo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snufflupagus

Hey All,

This is my very first post, so bare with me. I'm just wondering if anyone has some suggestions to what would be the best clean up crew I could put in my 96gallon salt water tank. I know there are different types that do different things, but really all I'm looking for is a basic cleaning crew that would clean the glass for the most part, and keep things looking fairly clean without me having to go into the tank and clean it myself. Does anyong have any suggestions and how many of each invert I would need for a 96 gallon tank? Thanks.
Snuffy

Snufflupagus · #3 08-03-2009, 01:42 AM

Thank you. Appreciate it.

Aquattro · #4 08-03-2009, 02:09 AM

I find the blue-legged only have one purpose in life, and that is to kill snails and steal their shells. I won't use them any more. The scarlet hermits are good, and a few cleaner shrimp will help, for the glass, a magnet scraper is your best friend.
Snails won't keep your glass clean, they'll just create trails through any algae

naesco · #5 08-03-2009, 02:37 AM

I agree with Aquattro.
Also bumblebee snails are predators and will only eat the good life in your tank that provide food for your corals.
Snails will not clean the glass.
Do not buy the reef cleaner packs offered by some LFS as they contain the hermit crabs and snails you don't want and they sell you too many snails which starve and die. You do not need that many. Maybe 10 to do a clean up job.
Also snails require carefully acclimatization as they are sensitive to changing salinity so use the drip method to slowly adjust the water you buy them in to your tank water
Thanks for asking before you buy.
Wayne

bowkry · #6 08-03-2009, 02:45 AM

I allways stay away from crabs, I find in the end they are more of a pain then they are worth. (esp if you have any direct feed corals, sun corals lps ect, they seem to steel the food) And I found fighting conch's, and sand stars (dont add a sand star till your sand bed is totally mature) do a great job of keeping the sand mixed up. Sory and turbo snails, and the large strawberry ones are great.

Carmen · #7 08-03-2009, 03:25 AM

No one has mentioned nassarius snails yet. They are typically under the stand so help to keep the sand stirred up abit as well, they come out near feeding times and collect uneated food or scavenge. An important addition to cleanup crews in my opinion.

ElGuappo · #8 08-03-2009, 03:43 AM

Agreed. I love the nass snails. Be careful with bumble bee snails as they will eat your other snails. Mine ate full sized turbos. Plus I would recommend staying away from turbos anyway as they get huge and are very clumsy. They knock your corals around.

whatcaneyedo · #9 08-03-2009, 09:20 AM

I've read that Margarita snails are sub tropical and typically boil in most saltwater aquariums within a short time. Has anyone kept them long term?

My favorite clean up crew members are the ones that are free and reproduce on their own like stomatella snails and mini brittle stars.

Doug · #10 08-03-2009, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snufflupagus

Hey All,

This is my very first post, so bare with me. I'm just wondering if anyone has some suggestions to what would be the best clean up crew I could put in my 96gallon salt water tank. I know there are different types that do different things, but really all I'm looking for is a basic cleaning crew that would clean the glass for the most part, and keep things looking fairly clean without me having to go into the tank and clean it myself. Does anyong have any suggestions and how many of each invert I would need for a 96 gallon tank? Thanks.
Snuffy

I have some scarlets but more for the novelty that use. I would keep no other crabs. Like various turbo,s for helping with any algae on the rock but the others are correct in that they dont clean much else. A serpent star or two, depending on tank size, are pretty good scavengers.

For sandbed if using one, the snails Carmen mentioned are good and perhaps a Fighting Conch and something like a Tiger Tail cuc. Again all depending on load and age of tank & sand.

and

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