TOP 3 Cleanup Crew Critters & when's the last time you got a new crew?

When is the last time you purchased cleanup crew critters?

  • Past few days

    Votes: 81 12.5%
  • Past few weeks

    Votes: 168 25.9%
  • Past few months

    Votes: 204 31.5%
  • Over a half a year

    Votes: 92 14.2%
  • Over a year ago

    Votes: 98 15.1%
  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 5 0.8%

  • Total voters
    648

wolfthefallen

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Stomatella snails - These guys are awesome I was lucky enough to get a couple as hitchhikers I am surprised people don't sell these.. Really they are fantastic! If you want some let me know ;)

Mexican Turbo Snails. I always have one or two in my 40g.. Yes, they could knock stuff around but they are a workhorse!!

Blue-Legged hermit crabs. - I tend to keep 5-10 of these guys running

Cerith snails -- I love how small these guys are and they can get into those smaller spots.
 

BryanJ

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I know it said top 3 but I have a must have 4 clean up crew. Urchins, Sally Lightfoot, Cleaner Shrimp and Astrea snails
 

rmcguire81

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Stomatella snails - they're free, can shrink or grow population depending on algae supply, and you never have to flip them over. They really are the ideal snail IMO.

Scarlet hermit crabs - only crabs remove every last trace of filamentous algae and scarlets do it without being overly aggressive like blue legs. They also look amazing.

Yellow tang - eats pretty much everything from algae to fish poop. Really the backbone of the cleanup crew that would take dozens maybe hundreds of snails/hermits to replace.
I wish I could find a yellow tang at a reasonable price. Out here if you can even find them they might be 250 bucks.
 
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Bruce Burnett

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2 tiger conch, 1 fighting conch, blue eyed tang, various snails trochus, nerite, cerith. No crabs. Plan on a yellow coris wrasse, goby and another tang. Maybe a coral beauty also.
 

Ritchie G

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is it possible to keep clean up crew living by feeding them once they cleaned up the tank or are their lifespans only a short time? I am setting up a fowlr tank and want to get some clean up crew to watch as well as use them for the job they do. Just wondering as many say they buy more every 6 months or so.
 

Levinson

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Bristle worms, mud snails, local algae eating snails (Monodonta labio (Linne)), colonista snails, copepods, amphipods
 

OrchidMiss

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Top favorite is definitely a stomatella snail! Love those little guys! They don't die if they get flipped over, self regulate population (hence I haven't had to buy any in over a year), do a good job cleaning the rocks, don't knock over frags because they barely have a shell to use as a battering ram, and clean the glass at night so they never impact my view during the day! Absolutely my favorite and check all the boxes for me.

The second two favorites would be skunk cleaner shrimp and copperband butterfly/filefish. Most people don't think copperband when they think CUC but to me, they're just a way prettier alternative to a peppermint shrimp and very effective aiptasia busters. I have the filefish as a second choice because I think that they're a more acceptable choice for the answer to this question and way more suitable for smaller tanks, which seem to be becoming more and more common. Of course, the skunk cleaner is very effective at cleaning up leftover food particles and (in some cases) also helps to clean larger fish of parasites which is very cool. My shrimp tries to clean my arm which I think really adds to my favorite factor.
I really want to get a cleaner shrimp and more snails. My only issue is every shrimp (except my pistol) I've even put into my tank has immediately been gobbled up by my jerkfaced hawk fish. But then the pistol shrimp seems like he's on the hunt for all my snails, no matter how well I keep him and my watchman fed!
Is it possible my hawk will know not to eat the cleaner, or would I just be giving my jerkface a fancy expensive meal? lol
 

Zoa_Fanatic

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Banded trochus snails, nassarius snails, Cerith snails. All are immortal and breed in your tank. I have 7th generation nassarius now. Haven’t bought any in 4-5 years.
 

Zoa_Fanatic

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I really want to get a cleaner shrimp and more snails. My only issue is every shrimp (except my pistol) I've even put into my tank has immediately been gobbled up by my jerkfaced hawk fish. But then the pistol shrimp seems like he's on the hunt for all my snails, no matter how well I keep him and my watchman fed!
Is it possible my hawk will know not to eat the cleaner, or would I just be giving my jerkface a fancy expensive meal? lol
Wasting your time with a hawkfish. They murder shrimp no matter the variety Unless it’s a pistol. That’s part of their natural diet.
 

Chessmanmark

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Wasting your time with a hawkfish. They murder shrimp no matter the variety Unless it’s a pistol. That’s part of their natural diet.
That’s not been my experience. I had a Long-nose and now I have a Flame Hawkfish. I added shrimp after the fish and they are fine.

Try feeding your fish more. A fat fish is a happy fish.
 

mujimran

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I just bought 40 Bumble Bee snails from Reef Cleaners and they're raising havoc with vermetid snails.

So bumble bee snails are actually effective against vermetid snails? good to know. I read you need to keep them starved for them to actually eat vermetid. How would one starve just the snails and feed the rest of the live stock??
 

Mical

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I had vermetid snails everywhere, under LPS, on rocks and under nems. The Bumble Bee snails went straight to the vermetid snails and are just chewing them down. (I had some pretty large Verm Snails.) I haven't changed any feeding habits to the tank - pellets, nori, brine shrimp & littleneck clams.
 

mattybecks

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Is your whole tank ocean scavenged? Love seeing tanks like that
Yes pretty much the whole tank. Sand, Macros, rocks and stuff (but I did get some free live rock from the LFS when i first set it up). Then I bought the fish. I also really enjoy these types of tanks.
 

ahiggins

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Top 3 are blue leg hermits, red leg hermits, and nerite.
money cowrie because they’re cool but they don’t do much LOL
Hermits keep all the algae in check, display looks pristine.
 
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