Cleanup Crew Pref.
- Thread starter zy112
- Start date
slakker
Member
I was just thinking to ask the same question...
I have left handed, blue legged and scarlet hermits, 3 fighting conchs, 5 bumble-bee snails and some turbos... all in a new 75 gallon...
They're dong a pretty good job, but the brown algae is growing pretty quick...
What else would be good to add?
I have left handed, blue legged and scarlet hermits, 3 fighting conchs, 5 bumble-bee snails and some turbos... all in a new 75 gallon...
They're dong a pretty good job, but the brown algae is growing pretty quick...
What else would be good to add?
A mixture of specimens should make up the cleaning crew for diversity. I have heard one unit of CUC per gallon. Which is certainly reasonable. The CUC can consist of any of the following:
Blue legged hermits
Scarlet hermits
Various snails
Porcelain crabs
Emerald crabs
Tigertail cucumbers
Shrimps
Star fishes
Certain Sea urchins
Bristleworms
IMO it is best to add the CUC as they are needed. Throwing 50 CUC specimens in a newly set up 50 gallon tank will most likely cause some starvation due to lack of resources.
Blue legged hermits
Scarlet hermits
Various snails
Porcelain crabs
Emerald crabs
Tigertail cucumbers
Shrimps
Star fishes
Certain Sea urchins
Bristleworms
IMO it is best to add the CUC as they are needed. Throwing 50 CUC specimens in a newly set up 50 gallon tank will most likely cause some starvation due to lack of resources.
burning2nd
Well-Known Member
Blue legged hermit.
cerith snails..... eh 6-7?
toruchus snail 4-5?
one really big brittle star but he gets spot few every few months
one bummble bee snail
and a few nassaus snails
stavation happens probly to all reefers at one point or another.
i know i saw a drop off in numbers still it was stable... keep in mind this is in a 40g setup... also i have about 5 snails in the sump also
keep an eye for the "request flip over" flag.. that snails often fly
cerith snails..... eh 6-7?
toruchus snail 4-5?
one really big brittle star but he gets spot few every few months
one bummble bee snail
and a few nassaus snails
stavation happens probly to all reefers at one point or another.
i know i saw a drop off in numbers still it was stable... keep in mind this is in a 40g setup... also i have about 5 snails in the sump also
keep an eye for the "request flip over" flag.. that snails often fly
framerguy
Well-Known Member
A few words on bumble bee snails... they are carnivorous and will kill and eat all other snails that they can.
I lean towards snail heavy CUC's. I like Nassarius or Cerith for sand stirring cleanup duties. For algae reduction I like Trochus or Astrea snails, Seahares and small Mithrax crabs (once they age they become carnivorous, get them out when they start on corals). Yellow cucumbers are the only ones I would consider as they are the least likely to cause tank wipeout. The scarlet legged crab (with yellow eye stalks) is also the only hermit I would consider as they are the least likely to kill and eat snails. Tuxedo urchins are probably the best urchin to choose because they are "less likely" to bulldoze and knock things over. Saying that, I have a small rock boring urchin that doesn't cause too much trouble. I personally like the small red serpent stars. I find them less likely to prey on fish. They clean in places where many other animals can't reach. Don't forget shrimp. They are THIEVES!!, but IMO have a place in the system. Fire shrimp have been IME less likely to be as bold about thievery. Peppermint shrimp are probably the most beneficial IMO. I have three skunk cleaners that I battle every time I feed the sun coral. We usually end in a tie. They steal a little, but not too much, so we're both happy. Scott mentioned porcelain crabs and they are just danged cute! Beautiful little buggers and a gem to have in the tank.
Starfish ... well, they can be difficult. Forget linckias, they need to stay in the ocean until we understand their diet better. Fromias may be a better candidate but not by much. Starfish are difficult to feed and need EXTREMELY long and careful acclimation and are extremely sensitive to chemistry changes. They are best left to a very well established, large tank owned by an advanced aquarist. (I'm not saying that you aren't one, if you are then get a starfish, but you're asking this question so...)
So, snails (a variety)-about 1 per 3 gallons. Sea hare, 1 per 30 - 50 gallons. Mithrax- 1 per 10 gallons. Red serpent- 1 per 10-20 gallons. Shrimp-1 per 10 gallons. cucumber- 1 per 50-100 gallons. Scarlet hermits- 1 per 5-10 gallons. Porcelain crab- 1 or 2.
My cleanup crew in my DT 75= 10 nassarius, 6 trochus, 1 nerite, 5 mithrax, 2 seahares, 2 red serpents, 3 skunk cleaner, 1 fireshrimp, 2 peppermints, 6 volunteer stomatella snails.
CUC in the 55 fuge: 6 scarlets, 6 blue legs, 2 serpents, 6 bumblebee snails
HTH!
I lean towards snail heavy CUC's. I like Nassarius or Cerith for sand stirring cleanup duties. For algae reduction I like Trochus or Astrea snails, Seahares and small Mithrax crabs (once they age they become carnivorous, get them out when they start on corals). Yellow cucumbers are the only ones I would consider as they are the least likely to cause tank wipeout. The scarlet legged crab (with yellow eye stalks) is also the only hermit I would consider as they are the least likely to kill and eat snails. Tuxedo urchins are probably the best urchin to choose because they are "less likely" to bulldoze and knock things over. Saying that, I have a small rock boring urchin that doesn't cause too much trouble. I personally like the small red serpent stars. I find them less likely to prey on fish. They clean in places where many other animals can't reach. Don't forget shrimp. They are THIEVES!!, but IMO have a place in the system. Fire shrimp have been IME less likely to be as bold about thievery. Peppermint shrimp are probably the most beneficial IMO. I have three skunk cleaners that I battle every time I feed the sun coral. We usually end in a tie. They steal a little, but not too much, so we're both happy. Scott mentioned porcelain crabs and they are just danged cute! Beautiful little buggers and a gem to have in the tank.
Starfish ... well, they can be difficult. Forget linckias, they need to stay in the ocean until we understand their diet better. Fromias may be a better candidate but not by much. Starfish are difficult to feed and need EXTREMELY long and careful acclimation and are extremely sensitive to chemistry changes. They are best left to a very well established, large tank owned by an advanced aquarist. (I'm not saying that you aren't one, if you are then get a starfish, but you're asking this question so...)
So, snails (a variety)-about 1 per 3 gallons. Sea hare, 1 per 30 - 50 gallons. Mithrax- 1 per 10 gallons. Red serpent- 1 per 10-20 gallons. Shrimp-1 per 10 gallons. cucumber- 1 per 50-100 gallons. Scarlet hermits- 1 per 5-10 gallons. Porcelain crab- 1 or 2.
My cleanup crew in my DT 75= 10 nassarius, 6 trochus, 1 nerite, 5 mithrax, 2 seahares, 2 red serpents, 3 skunk cleaner, 1 fireshrimp, 2 peppermints, 6 volunteer stomatella snails.
CUC in the 55 fuge: 6 scarlets, 6 blue legs, 2 serpents, 6 bumblebee snails
HTH!
Last edited:
burning2nd
Well-Known Member
brown bob... was in the tank b4 there was water in it...
he made if from the start 2 now...
charlesr1958
Active Member
As for algae control, I prefer to remain with snails and a single scopas tang, although I do get in other snails as hitch hikers, I only purposely add true reef species. Don't forget, that a great many of the hitch hiking worms and other inverts also make up a large part of a "clean up" crew as well. Am not a fan of hermit crabs though, they cause as much trouble as help.
This is not all encompassing, but its a start...
Reef aquarium clean up crew
Chuck
This is not all encompassing, but its a start...
Reef aquarium clean up crew
Chuck
rmlevasseur
Active Member
Greast article Chuck, thank you
burning2nd
Well-Known Member
sea slugs FTW
My CUC is built around four species of snails: Asterea, Trochus, Cerith, and Nerite. Because I have a sandbed I also have Nassarius snails. IMO, steer clear of Buble Bee, Turbo and Margarita. I also keep a small grouping of peppermint shrimp--Lysmata wurdemanni (just be sure they really are pepps if it's a reef tank and not Rhynchocinetes durbanensis, R. uritai or L. californica). I also have a Black Longspine Urchin (Diadema setosum), a couple other cleaner shrimp, and a sand-sifting starfish or two (Astropecten polycanthus). While I don't currently have a cuc, I do like them in tanks with DSBs. Here are some article that might be useful to someone on various CUC species:
Best Snails for the Saltwater Tank
Four Snails Species for the Marine Aquarium Clean-Up Crew
Questionable Clean-Up Crew Snails
Some Clean-Up Crew Snails to Maybe Avoid in your Saltwater Tank
Peppermint Shrimp Imposters
Lysmata wurdemanni is the Real Aiptasia-Eater for the Reef Tank
Black Longspine Urchin
An Algae-Eating Machine for the Marine Aquarium
Sea Cucumbers for the Marine Tank
Friend or Foe for the Saltwater Aquarium
Best Snails for the Saltwater Tank
Four Snails Species for the Marine Aquarium Clean-Up Crew
Questionable Clean-Up Crew Snails
Some Clean-Up Crew Snails to Maybe Avoid in your Saltwater Tank
Peppermint Shrimp Imposters
Lysmata wurdemanni is the Real Aiptasia-Eater for the Reef Tank
Black Longspine Urchin
An Algae-Eating Machine for the Marine Aquarium
Sea Cucumbers for the Marine Tank
Friend or Foe for the Saltwater Aquarium