Clean up crew, suggestions welcome.

[habfan]

I have a 55-gallon tank, 50 lbs. live rock, a couple of fish (damsels), would like to get into soft corals in the near future (I do have MH lighting, supplemented by actinics.

I'm looking for advice on what inverts etc. would make up a nice clean up crew. I do have a 1/2 dozen turbos, I'm looking for some far sized crabs, other types of snails, shrimps, that people use. Any recommendations

[ajx22]

Originally posted by habfan
I have a 55-gallon tank, 50 lbs. live rock, a couple of fish (damsels), would like to get into soft corals in the near future (I do have MH lighting, supplemented by actinics.

I'm looking for advice on what inverts etc. would make up a nice clean up crew. I do have a 1/2 dozen turbos, I'm looking for some far sized crabs, other types of snails, shrimps, that people use. Any recommendations

First off...http://www.aquariumpros.ca/images/welcome.gif
to the forum!!

In respect to the clean-up crews...I will list out a few things...and I'm sure that others will add/subtract from it as well.

A variety of snails - Turbos, Astrea, Nassarius, Cerith, Nerite, Fighting Conches

A few *TRUE* Scarlett Reef Hermits - Bright red legs, w/YELLOW eye-stocks

One or Two Emerald (Mythrix) Crabs - if you have at least some green algaes built-up in your tank

A brittle star - possibly a Linkia star

TONS of Bristle worms

You may want to get some of all listed above...but be sure to only add them in quantities that YOUR tank will allow. They require food - algae - and without it they will starve. I'm sure that you know this...but it's better to state it to be sure! :D

.......and who will add/subtract to this list........

[Andy]

I'm a firm believer in using cucumbers as part of my clean-up crew. They do a great job of cleaning the upper surface of your sand bed. You have to make sure that your intakes on your powerheads are covered with a fine enough strainer to prevent them from getting sucked in. I rarely see my cucumbers on the rock work or on the walls of my tank.

As for the mithrax crabs, if you have a bubble algae problem they are great. Seeing that they are pretty strong, they tend to dislodge corals on occasion. I have even seen them picking on a few of my SPS corals so beware.

Andy

[stephane]

Those are my prefered one

Turbos,astrea, Nassarious, Cerith, Fighting Conches and bristle star

Kuke are good to but care whith them because they could get you in trouble if they died and you dont see it

or even nuke you tank if suck in a powerhead

hermit will kill small snail to get there shell

[afss]

I'll second the nuke the tank with the cukes.. I had one go through a power head a few months back. The cucumber was of a non toxic variety, it didn't matter, it was the bacteria in the cuke that made the water go anerobic. All of my fish died, as well as my starfish. I really like cukes, but i would caution strongly against them.

Scott

[stephane]

Originally posted by afss
I'll second the nuke the tank with the cukes.. I had one go through a power head a few months back. The cucumber was of a non toxic variety, it didn't matter, it was the bacteria in the cuke that made the water go anerobic. All of my fish died, as well as my starfish. I really like cukes, but i would caution strongly against them.

Scott

Yup exacly your marinelife will not get poisoned they will suffocate to death

[Andy]

Hasn't this discussion about cucumbers taken place somewhere before. I've had a reef setup now for about 5 years and always had cucumbers. I've never had one die on me. There's no real excuse for letting one get sucked into a powerhead. If the intakes are properly protected, there is no reason why it should happen. You can say the same for anemones, fish... Cucumbers are, in my opinion, the best sifters of the upper sand bed. They won't deplete your sand bed of important fauna like a sand sifting star will.

JMO

Andy

[afss]

yep, this conversation has taken place before. I have heard of anenmomes going through powerheads with out killing the whole tank. I have heard of fish get sucked through with out killing the tank. I have never heard of a cuke getting sucked through without killing the tank. I have herad of and had a cuke die in my tank with no ill effects.

I don't dissagree that they are great cleaners, but so are fighting conchs, nassarius snails etc.

[stephane]

Originally posted by Andy
Hasn't this discussion about cucumbers taken place somewhere before. I've had a reef setup now for about 5 years and always had cucumbers. I've never had one die on me. There's no real excuse for letting one get sucked into a powerhead. If the intakes are properly protected, there is no reason why it should happen. You can say the same for anemones, fish... Cucumbers are, in my opinion, the best sifters of the upper sand bed. They won't deplete your sand bed of important fauna like a sand sifting star will.

JMO

Andy

If you read carefuly my tread I have never said that kuke are not good Andy in fact they are great but not for anyone

I only want to give good advice to a newbe IMO it far better to stay away from Kuke when you begin reefkeepping like you said
you have reef for long time habfan is at it first attemps and kuke are sensitivve to water parameter. Not all reefer take the time to understand a creeps before buying it. Sometime they buy first and then when someting bad happen they cry. That why I tink we have to tell newbe all the fact on them or any other advice that have some drawback

Remember that all kuke are not good, Imagine if after he read your tread he go buy a beautifull aple kuke !!!!!!!!

So yes kuke is good but like I said before care should take when you get one !

For my part I have buy a kuke in the past and have give it back to
LFS a couple of month afer

Yes there no excuse but badluck happen to all of us, I have a six years old madarin that have been suck in a diatom filter because the screen have detach for wathever reason even after 10years experience so Imagine if it was a kuke. 10 years of
hard work kill in less than an houre. no way I prefer to be 100% safe

Maybe I paranoid but sometime it pay !

Andy there absolutly no flame here dont forget that Im french and sometime what I want to write are not exacly what I tink!
Sorry!

[Andy]

Scott and Stephane

Fair enough. I like healthy debate. I'm just posting my experiences with cucumbers. I don't think I'll be taking mine out in the near future. If I start to see my cukes climbing up onto the rocks and side glass I may think twice. If one has a system with no powerheads (i.e. closed loop circuits and return lines from sumps), the chances of losing a cucumber are greatly reduced. Perhaps in this situation, a cucumber is a less risky choice. I'm always amazed at the amount of sand that my cucumbers turn over in the course of a few hours. I don't think that there are any other animals that do such a fine job.

Anyways, let's keep this thing goin. The only way we can learn in this hobby is by passing on experiences.

Andy:)

[habfan]

Thanks for all of the great advice, and the cuke information. Although I still need to do a lot of research, and I'm not ready for cukes yet, your viewpoints are all appreciated. This is great information.

[afss]

when ever i get around to making/designing my next system, i plan on making it with no powerheads. All flow will be through pvc from a return pump, or pumps, from the sump. When i set up a system like this i will definetly be having cukes again. Like a said i really like them and they did turn over a high amount of sand and keep it nice and clean.

BTW if you decide you want worms, i have a fairly large number in my sump, and i offer them to anyone who wants some for personal use. If you want some get in touch with me and we can set something up.
Scott

[Andy]

Thanks for the offer. I will definitely take you up on it next time I get down your way.

Andy