How Big Is Your Clean-Up Crew, Really?

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

The clean-up crew is different in every reef. What makes sense depends on what builds up in your tank, what you’re trying to manage, and which animals your fish will leave alone. Some of us stick with a small group of go-to members, while others have a larger crew that includes specialists for specific issues.

How many members are in your crew? Are they all standard go-to cleaners, or did you bring in some for special jobs?

BONUS POINTS: What tells you your crew is keeping up? Have you ever needed to add to it or scale it back?

ANOTHER BONUS QUESTION: What's your clean-up crew philosophy?

PS - Post a pic of your favorite CUC member!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The manatee pair I ordered based on PaulB’s recommendation is likely to give me a clean up crew larger than anyone’s!

 

[joseph scott]

Hmmmm cleanup crew, right now I have 6 baseball size turbo snails that I’ve had for years, i suppose those are my main cleaners. I do have 2 coral banded shrimp, but i mainly got them to look at and were half the price of skunk cleaner shrimp. I also have 5 red leg hermit crabs, a serpent star and a brittle star. Not sure how much cleaning those actually do but i do enjoy watching the serpent star coming out during feeding time. I would say this is a small cleanup crew for a 200 gallon tank. I consider my old toothbrush, a pair of forcepts to be my main cleaners. If i do my part of removing any nuisance algae in bulk, my 4 tangs, and 5 dwarf angels do the rest when combined with the turbos. In the past when i had a really bad hair algae problem i kept a sea hare and they are hands down the best. They will mow down hair algae that other organisms find distasteful.

 

[joseph scott]

Oh, here’s some of my cleanup crew!

 

[StartingATank]

Millions. Just millions upon millions of collonista snails.

 

[James CNM]

Snails and good old fashioned husbandry. For any newbies following along, Crabs whatever the species, however fascinating, interesting etc.. they will devour the best cleanup crew you will ever experience in a reef aquarium.

Snails!.. They will reproduce in their thousands and many return to the substrate before sun up(Lights On).
Saying that with regards to interest, you will never see a crab reproduce Seen Trochus spawn, Nassarius laying out that phenomenal feather like pattern, Dove snails with those transparent circled layers with their small eggs enclosed. It is mesmerising!!!

 

[joseph scott]

Millions. Just millions upon millions of collonista snails.

Did those snails come from the gulf and you collected them? Very cool if so. Your post reminded me that i do have some cleanup crew that i didn’t purchase that i haven’t ID’ed yet they either came from the Gulf or from my live rock thats a mix of Fiji, Palau, and some Tonga Origen. Ill have to take some pics tonight as they are completely nocturnal.

 

[James CNM]

Millions. Just millions upon millions of collonista snails.

Very similar to dove snails i pressume? I feel another close up flik to post of these voracious eaters. Couple of pics? Acceptable?

 

[vlangel]

I probably have 7-8 trousers snails, a couple of red legged hermits, a cucumber and a fighting conch. I need about 4-6 nassarious snails to complete my cuc.

 

[StartingATank]

Very similar to dove snails i pressume? I feel another close up flik to post of these voracious eaters. Couple of pics? Acceptable?

I am unsure if they are like dove snails, but collonista look like turbos but only grow up to like an eighth of an inch or so, some are 1/4 inch

 

[James CNM]

I am unsure if they are like dove snails, but collonista look like turbos but only grow up to like an eighth of an inch or so, some are 1/4 inch

Och there to big, Wrasse will destroy them, i see those empty trochus shells often, no empty shells re doves/ Nassarius Turbo's are great but when they fall over they are food!