??? Dream Clean Up Crew ???

[esther]

Looking to buy our entire CUC for our 220g mixed reef tank. Thinking of adding a mated pair of clowns and the CUC right after we finishing cycling tank. Would love to get suggestions on what you guys would design as your dream CUC (with quantities). Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Bruce17]

Following
I was going to be asking the same question soon for my 200 gallon tank

 

[esther]

Following
I was going to be asking the same question soon for my 200 gallon tank

Congrats. What tank did you get?

 

[Bruce17]

Congrats. What tank did you get?

I got a custom acrylic one made.

 

[BloopFish]

I know you said quantities - but that really depends on how much fish you have, the bioload of the system, and how much macro and corals you have.
Personally for a DREAM clean up crew I'd get the most stuff as possible...
I personally believe in getting the most reef diversity possible. Different things will eat different things in different amounts, getting the most diversity makes your system more resilient and robust. In addition, I highly prefer species that breed because they can adjust to the needs of the tank, and who doesn't like free clean up crew members?
Here's a list for an example.
Trochus snails - hands down the best snails overall that you can readily buy. They're colorful, they eat so much more than astareas and other turban shaped snails, they can right themselves, and they can even breed
Strombus snails - amazing grazers that grow and shrink in population based on food supply
Various species of nerites... preferably ones that don't come out of the tank as often
Cerith snails (florida ceriths, speckled ceriths, dwarf ceriths... etc) they eat the stuff other snails will miss, they stir the sand bed and can get to places other snails can't because of their small size.
Turbo snails: Mexican turbo snails, chestnut turbo snails, zebra turbo snails and other species... their shear size makes them excellent cleaners... it's also a downside.
Chiton: Very cool looking and don't have the problems snails do with falling over once established. Eats very well!
Astarea snails: Honestly don't like them too much, but I'd add some just for diversity.
Pods: Important for eating algae too! They also serve as excellent fish food and can readily change in population size based on the food supply.
Micro brittle stars, other brittle stars: Active eaters... micro brittle stars can also breed readily and scavenge for food and detritus. Hard to get hands on.
Cleaner shrimp pair: Just ornamentally nice, they don't clean glass and rocks very well, but at least they clean fish lol.
Reef safe small conch: Just plain cool looking and stir the sand bed. They eat a lot too.
Dwarf planaxis: Small and can get to places other snails can't.
Periwinkle snails: May get out of the tank but their size is an advantage. They are also very hardy.
Limpets: Very cool, can even reproduce in tanks sometimes. They're teeth are very strong and can thus clean very well.
Ninja star astarea: Just plain cool looking, kind of like the other snails. I'd try to get both the Pacific and Atlantic species for added diversity.
Money cowrie: Most cowrie aren't reef safe, but to my knowledge these are. A very pretty addition, and nice biodiversity factor.
Nassarius snails: Sand stirrer and eats meat scraps - basically does half of a hermit crabs job without the sketchiness. I'd get multiple species of different sizes. Since we are talking "dream", I'd get rare species of basket snails that are gorgeous.
Worms: bristleworms... stuff like that are nice for the sand bed.
There's so many more I'd add, but this should be sufficient.

 

[esther]

I know you said quantities - but that really depends on how much fish you have, the bioload of the system, and how much macro and corals you have.
Personally for a DREAM clean up crew I'd get the most stuff as possible...
I personally believe in getting the most reef diversity possible. Different things will eat different things in different amounts, getting the most diversity makes your system more resilient and robust. In addition, I highly prefer species that breed because they can adjust to the needs of the tank, and who doesn't like free clean up crew members?
Here's a list for an example.
Trochus snails - hands down the best snails overall that you can readily buy. They're colorful, they eat so much more than astareas and other turban shaped snails, they can right themselves, and they can even breed
Strombus snails - amazing grazers that grow and shrink in population based on food supply
Various species of nerites... preferably ones that don't come out of the tank as often
Cerith snails (florida ceriths, speckled ceriths, dwarf ceriths... etc) they eat the stuff other snails will miss, they stir the sand bed and can get to places other snails can't because of their small size.
Turbo snails: Mexican turbo snails, chestnut turbo snails, zebra turbo snails and other species... their shear size makes them excellent cleaners... it's also a downside.
Chiton: Very cool looking and don't have the problems snails do with falling over once established. Eats very well!
Astarea snails: Honestly don't like them too much, but I'd add some just for diversity.
Pods: Important for eating algae too! They also serve as excellent fish food and can readily change in population size based on the food supply.
Micro brittle stars, other brittle stars: Active eaters... micro brittle stars can also breed readily and scavenge for food and detritus. Hard to get hands on.
Cleaner shrimp pair: Just ornamentally nice, they don't clean glass and rocks very well, but at least they clean fish lol.
Reef safe small conch: Just plain cool looking and stir the sand bed. They eat a lot too.
Dwarf planaxis: Small and can get to places other snails can't.
Periwinkle snails: May get out of the tank but their size is an advantage. They are also very hardy.
Limpets: Very cool, can even reproduce in tanks sometimes. They're teeth are very strong and can thus clean very well.
Ninja star astarea: Just plain cool looking, kind of like the other snails. I'd try to get both the Pacific and Atlantic species for added diversity.
Money cowrie: Most cowrie aren't reef safe, but to my knowledge these are. A very pretty addition, and nice biodiversity factor.
Nassarius snails: Sand stirrer and eats meat scraps - basically does half of a hermit crabs job without the sketchiness. I'd get multiple species of different sizes. Since we are talking "dream", I'd get rare species of basket snails that are gorgeous.
Worms: bristleworms... stuff like that are nice for the sand bed.
There's so many more I'd add, but this should be sufficient.

Thanks for the comprehensive reply! Super helpful.

 

[Dragon52]

The CUC wont have anything to clean up since the tank is just finished cycling. You'll want to wait 6mths or so before adding.
I'd go with
Nassarius snails
Astrea snails
Turbo snails
Cerith snails
Blue Leg Hermits
Red Leg Hermits
Trochus snails
Tiger Conchs

 

[esther]

The CUC wont have anything to clean up since the tank is just finished cycling. You'll want to wait 6mths or so before adding.
I'd go with
Nassarius snails
Astrea snails
Turbo snails
Cerith snails
Blue Leg Hermits
Red Leg Hermits
Trochus snails
Tiger Conchs

I'll be adding them as I add the fish in the tank. But great tip. People forget that without fish, there's no poop, therefore, nothing to clean!

 

[BloopFish]

The CUC wont have anything to clean up since the tank is just finished cycling. You'll want to wait 6mths or so before adding.
I'd go with
Nassarius snails
Astrea snails
Turbo snails
Cerith snails
Blue Leg Hermits
Red Leg Hermits
Trochus snails
Tiger Conchs

I recommend to slowly add clean up crew members as you need them... too much at once will just starve out. You also need to decide if you are in the anti crab department or not. Porcelain crabs don't count though! They aren't true crabs, but related to squat lobsters! I really like those, but they're not really a clean up crew member perse.

 

[esther]

I recommend to slowly add clean up crew members as you need them... too much at once will just starve out. You also need to decide if you are in the anti crab department or not. Porcelain crabs don't count though! They aren't true crabs, but related to squat lobsters! I really like those, but they're not really a clean up crew member perse.

I do love crabs. And shrimp too. Problem is I want all of the ocean critters in my tank. Pains of being an ocean lover.

 

[Dragon52]

I got a custom acrylic one made.

Who made your tank?

 

[Dragon52]

I'll be adding them as I add the fish in the tank. But great tip. People forget that without fish, there's no poop, therefore, nothing to clean!

I wouldn't start adding until you add maybe 3rd addition of fish & only a couple of CUC or they will starve. You need a build up of things for them to eat.

 

[BloopFish]

I do love crabs. And shrimp too. Problem is I want all of the ocean critters in my tank. Pains of being an ocean lover.

Just consider some of the snails the crabs are going to eat a blood sacrifice lol.
Choose your fish livestock wisely if you love crabs and shrimp, I wouldn't keep any that threaten them.
If you love shrimps... there are many types of cleaner shrimps... some very tiny ones that might just get gulped up by fish like feeder shrimps. You must also consider the fact that some try to kill other shrimps.
If you love crabs, I recommend getting a variety of porcelain crabs (they at least look like crabs lol) You could get red ones, blue ones, green ones and also the porcelain anemone crabs.
I personally think something slow and big like a halloween hermit crab is unlikely to eat snails.

 

[Bruce17]

Who made your tank?

Ocean aquaria did my tank, stand and fake coral/rock decor

 

[Phycodurus]

@BloopFish, great summary.

be aware that chitons & limpets are likely to cause microscratches on acrylic tanks (urchins too).

 

[esther]

@BloopFish, great summary.

be aware that chitons & limpets are likely to cause microscratches on acrylic tanks (urchins too).

Thanks! Great tip.

 

[Bpb]

For a 200-300 gallon range...4 pincushion urchins. Nothing more

 

[eschaton]

I think the best CUC creatures to use are those which will naturally expand in population to deal with the supply of detritus/algae. So I would personally pick the following - all of which reproduce in tanks:

Snails: Cerith, Collonista, Trochus, Stomatella, Strombus
Worms: Bristleworms, medusa worms, Spionids, spaghetti worms, etc
Pods: Amphipods, Copepods, Isopods, Mysis
Others: Asterina, micro-brittles, sponges, tunicates, etc

Everything I listed will reproduce in your tank, meaning populations will expand to deal with detritus. Just make sure not to introduce something like a wrasse which could decimate the population of worms and the like.

I'd personally avoid introducing snails that can't breed in tanks like turbos, astrea, nerites, or nassarius. I generally think that hermits, peppermint shrimp, and crabs are dubious inclusions to a CUC as well.

 

[Bpb]

I think the best CUC creatures to use are those which will naturally expand in population to deal with the supply of detritus/algae. So I would personally pick the following - all of which reproduce in tanks:

Snails: Cerith, Collonista, Trochus, Stomatella, Strombus
Worms: Bristleworms, medusa worms, Spionids, spaghetti worms, etc
Pods: Amphipods, Copepods, Isopods, Mysis
Others: Asterina, micro-brittles, sponges, tunicates, etc

Everything I listed will reproduce in your tank, meaning populations will expand to deal with detritus. Just make sure not to introduce something like a wrasse which could decimate the population of worms and the like.

I'd personally avoid introducing snails that can't breed in tanks like turbos, astrea, nerites, or nassarius. I generally think that hermits, peppermint shrimp, and crabs are dubious inclusions to a CUC as well.

I like that idea. Basically what you’ve described is essentially what I would consider to be a hitchhiker crew. Just about everything on that list isn’t usually purchased but makes their way in on rocks and frags.

My own tank has a healthy population of much of what you listed but they showed up in live rock on their own. Those are the only “CUC” I actually have. I don’t own any other snails, crabs, shrimp, or anything at all people purchase to put in the tank.

The ONLY cuc invert I believe has any real value would be certain types of urchin.

I maintain buying things like snails and crabs are a waste of money if you expect them to actually do anything. If someone likes how they look I can see the point but they’re all quite lousy as janitors

 

[eschaton]

I like that idea. Basically what you’ve described is essentially what I would consider to be a hitchhiker crew. Just about everything on that list isn’t usually purchased but makes their way in on rocks and frags.

My own tank has a healthy population of much of what you listed but they showed up in live rock on their own. Those are the only “CUC” I actually have. I don’t own any other snails, crabs, shrimp, or anything at all people purchase to put in the tank.

The ONLY cuc invert I believe has any real value would be certain types of urchin.

I maintain buying things like snails and crabs are a waste of money if you expect them to actually do anything. If someone likes how they look I can see the point but they’re all quite lousy as janitors

Yeah, most of that can be gotten through high-quality live rock, a chaeto ball from another reefer, or booster packs from Indo-pacific sea farms. Which is a great thing - it makes for a cheap cleanup crew. I mean, why buy nassarius or hermits when bristleworms will do the same thing - unless you really like watching their tank antics.

I agree on urchins. I'm personally partial to tuxedo urchins - I think they have a lot of "personality." I think the concern that they eat coraline is overblown. In fact I wonder if part of "old tank syndrome" is because if you let the coraline grow over everything the micro-pores in the rock close up and you have less habitat for bacteria. A few urchins mean coraline is always getting scraped somewhere and you have fresh rock ready to be colonized by encrusting organisms and bacteria.

I don't know if they're valuable CUC members, but I tend to like small cucumbers like the yellow cucumber, and would introduce them to such a tank, since they can reproduce by fission, and will thus expand in population if there's enough dissolved organics in the tank.