joe_ayres
Community Member
Hi people how are you all just wondered what would make up a good clean up crew for a 125 litre reef tank I've got a couple of blue legged hermits and a couple of turbo snails what else thanks guys
Clean up crew help
- Thread starter joe_ayres
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AllSignsPointToFish
"No Longer The Guy Without FaceBook"
Scarlet legged hermits, a brittle star, and maybe some Nassarius snails if you can find them.
AllSignsPointToFish
"No Longer The Guy Without FaceBook"
Other folks like emerald crabs, astraea snails, some conchs and the like. The makeup depends on what you have in your tank and how it is set up.
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
They may bump into and move stuff around, but not as much as the larger snails. I have a much smaller tank, but I like emeralds because most of the ones I get have a taste for GHA and help keep it and bubble algae under control. Never had problems with emeralds bothering other things. In fact, when they shed, it's typically when I lose them to something else in the tank.
Lionfish Lair
Renee
My emerald was a pain. I would feed the corals and the next thing ya know, he would throw down his algae sheet and come running. It was like they were his personal dinner plates. Not that he really hurt them. Don't buy one of those packages with gobs and gobs of snails. I was looking at the packages myself this week, as I too am about to stock my 210g tank with a CUC. Also consider what food you have in the tank and not necessarily what you might have in the future. Like if you got a critter than mainly ate bubble algae, what would he eat if you never had bubble algae, you know what I mean? If you don't have hair algae, but buy a large turbo that does, he will starve before you get some..... if you ever do.
I'm ordering
I like certain hermits, but I put only 1 hermit per tank. In my opinion, there is no such thing as a reef safe hermit. There are safer choices, but none are to be trusted. And with the right variety of snails, you will never need a hermit. How can you trust anything that lives in a cerith, astraea or trochus shell? They are omnivores. I know some are listed as herbivores on many sites... I don't know what to say besides these sites are mistaken. The ones I like are:
Scarlet Hermit (Paguristes cadenanti)
This hermit is frequently seen for sale and tends to be a little more expensive. Eats all kinds of algae, but remember he is an omnivore.
Left-handed Hermit (Calcinus laerimanus)
Often referred to as micro hermits, Hawaiian reef crab and Dwarf zebra hermit. They don't grow as large as the others, although it has been reported by some, that they can indeed get quite large.
Blue-legged Hermit (Clibanarius tricolor)
They really like the greens but have been known to steal an astraea shell or two.
HTH
I'm ordering
- Ceriths, as they are awesome generalized grazers. Sometimes they are under the sand, sometimes they are on the glass/rock.
- Astraea tecta (Common astraea), are a great variety consumers as well, but you have to turn them over daily, as I'm sure you know. If you have hermits, you don't want many astraeas. I'm not into feeding my hermits a $2 snail.
- Nassarius, I'm only getting a couple. When there's food poured in the tank, these guys pop up and swarm. They'll can steal from your corals as well.
- A couple Bumble Bee snails (Engina sp). They do NOTHING for you CUC, as they are whelks and will eat stuff in your sandbed. They are beautiful snails, so I get them to look at, not for any purpose of a CUC. I have no idea why they are still offered in clean up packages. I JUST lost one I had for over 10 years.
- Nerites, I like what they call the Pacific variety, the other being the Caribbean. I find the Pacifics much longer lived and the Caribbeans all climbed out of my tank. Nerites DO do that, but I never had much trouble with the smooth variety. These are some of my favorite snails and I have a 10 year old one.
- Turbo castanea (often orange or brown) are the only turbos I recommend as a preventative. They will eat filamentous algae like large turbos, but do not need the large amount required. I find these to be very hardy.
- Astraea phoebia (Spiny Star), I love the look of these. They are astraeas, so can be found on their backs and require flipping.
- Tectus fenestratus (Turban snail), awesome awesome snails. Eat lots, are hardy.
- Trochus sp (Banded trochus). Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. They are on the top of my list as well.
- Large turbos
- Abalones
- Cowries
- Conchs
I like certain hermits, but I put only 1 hermit per tank. In my opinion, there is no such thing as a reef safe hermit. There are safer choices, but none are to be trusted. And with the right variety of snails, you will never need a hermit. How can you trust anything that lives in a cerith, astraea or trochus shell? They are omnivores. I know some are listed as herbivores on many sites... I don't know what to say besides these sites are mistaken. The ones I like are:
Scarlet Hermit (Paguristes cadenanti)
This hermit is frequently seen for sale and tends to be a little more expensive. Eats all kinds of algae, but remember he is an omnivore.
Left-handed Hermit (Calcinus laerimanus)
Often referred to as micro hermits, Hawaiian reef crab and Dwarf zebra hermit. They don't grow as large as the others, although it has been reported by some, that they can indeed get quite large.
Blue-legged Hermit (Clibanarius tricolor)
They really like the greens but have been known to steal an astraea shell or two.
HTH
Last edited:
human
Active Member
If you can find someone that has any Stomatella snails pick up a couple. IMO they are one of the best algae eaters for a reef, they won't knock coral over, you'll rarely see them, and they'll breed in your tank.
Lionfish Lair
Renee
Yes, they are the BOMB!
