Lionfish Lair
Renee
Choosing Cleanup Crew Critters.
Cleanup Crew. Tank Janitors. Tank Cleaners. Functionally, it means the same thing to every hobbyist…. inverts added to your tank to keep it nice and sparkly.
It’s a necessity (Well, not an absolute necessity)
Everyone has one.
But, if you ask those people what critters to include, and how many…. you’ll get many MANY different answers.
So, Great!~ Renee is going to tell you exactly how to stock your tank. Naw! You knew it wasn’t going to be that easy. I hope to give you some things to think about and even some new information for some, to assist you when selecting your animals.
Grab your hip waders and lets get us some inverts!!
What you stock your tank with will depend on the individual needs of your tank. I know…… sketchy answer. But here’s how I would go about it…….
If you’ve been looking online for a vendor to buy your cleanup crew from, you’ve undoubtedly run across the complete packages many have up for sale. For the most part, they provide too many critters for the listed tank size and some critters are inappropriate to include in a complete janitorial package. Pass these packages by if they state there are no substitutions allowed.
Many of these packages include “algae busters” such as the herbivorous Lawnmower Blenny. No fish should be added for the sole purpose of being a part of the cleanup crew. Any fish should be considered with your fish stocking scheme rather than the cleanup crew stocking list. Other critters that frequently show up in package deals that should be considered on an individual basis and not an incidental inclusion are animals such as:
So what should you stock your tank with for a basic Clean up Crew? Snails….. and a nice variety of them.
Usually people add their crew first thing after the cycle and before the fish. How can you even begin to know what your tank will need at this early stage? So, instead of fully stocking your crew, half stock. You want the crew to cover all the different nuisance “algae”. What you don’t want is all the same snails competing for the same food and subsequently starving, while other algae grow unchecked. So mix it up! I put “algae” in quotations, as I am going to throw cyanobacteria into this loosely labeled group.
The Common Crew
These basics are appropriate for most any tank. None require any special care besides maybe daily flipping or returning a little “El Chapo” back to the tank. They are usually affordable and available and pretty hardy, which makes them a great selection for everyone.
Nassarius distortus (Nassarius Snail)
I love Nassarius. They are obligate scavengers on meaty foods….. dropped foods…… dead/dying….. they are with the program. A bare bottom tank won’t cut it with these guys, as they like a nice sandbed. You generally won’t see them until you feed the tank. Then they’ll be popping up from the
substrate like a jack in the box. Other than that, all you’ll see is their siphon above the sand. They won’t do anything for your algae besides reducing the fuel to grow them. In addition, as they clean up the leftovers they have the added benefit of agitating the live sand. After having sung their praises, I really wouldn’t keep more than a couple. They have big appetites and can be quite irritating to your fish if they are hungry. They’ll also strip your sandbed of its awesome critters.
So, let’s add more……
Nerita spp (Nerite Snail)
Nerites are wonderful little snails and love film algae. They do a great job on those glass/acrylic panels and some varieties will be seen cleaning the rocks as well. The above pictures show the Pacific variety, while the pictures below show the Caribbean. I have found the Pacific variety are the more desirable of the two. I placed both in my tank at the same time and within a few months, none of the Caribbean were still alive. A couple of years later and I still have all, but one of the Pacifics. Our oldest nerite is 10 years old. Both are intertidal and therefore have no problem “leaving” the tank. I have found the Caribbeans far FAR from the tank, traveling over yards of carpet. I have never had this problem with the smooth variety. Additionally, there are threads on the forums addressing the determination of the rippled variety in abandoning ship.
One thing nerites are known for, are their eggs. The bigger the snail the larger the eggs. The Caribbean variety can have capsules like grains of rice! Nerites haven’t been known to breed in our aquariums, so I would remove them off the panel as they appear. They can be difficult to remove after a while and require scraping. I do not find these snails to be desireable because of such, as it can become quite unsightly. There is also a huge size difference, with the caribbeans becoming much larger than their smooth counterparts.
Astraea tecta (Astraea Snail)
I should start by saying that is not a misplaced “a” you see in my spelling of Astraea. Many people mistakenly drop the “a”, but it is afterall only a common name which doesn’t require precise spelling. Astraea are very common and effective. They will eat green and brown film algae and may even pick at hair algae, BUT they require a little maintenance. You have to be willing to go through the daily (and often nightly) “righting” of these snails. They come from an environment where there is little risk of them being flipped over on their back, so they have not developed the ability to right themselves. I also do NOT recommend them WITH hermits (who I’ll discuss in more depth later). Hermits are meat eaters. It’s just who they are, as none are obligate algae eaters. Add a snail that can’t right themselves and lunch couldn’t be easier. You know your own self best….. will you want to add this chore to your daily ritual? If you know you won’t, pass these guys up and choose another. There’s lots!
Cerithium spp (Cerith Snail)
Ceriths will eat film algae and diatoms and it has been said that they will eat cyano. They will graze on detritus but cannot consume filamentous varieties of algae. They can be seen both cleaning panels and cruising over any structure in your tank. They tend to be more active at night and help aerate the substrate when they burrow into the sand. You have to be careful when adding these into an environment with hermits, as the shape of their shell is highly valued by the crabs.
Ceriths are another snail that has visible eggs without actually producing offspring. As can be seen below, they can have a neat pattern on the glass, a messed up version on the glass or a total mess on the rock.
Just because I think ceriths are so ideal, here’s another picture showing they can be found anywhere….. even stirring your sandbed!
Trochus sp (Banded Trochus Snail)
Trochus eat a variety of algae from filamentous to film, and has been reported to have a special adoration for diatoms. They can be found cleaning any surface in your tank, but frequently will be seen on the glass. They provide a similar function as the large turbo snail without the size, and therefore, are an excellent addition to your basic cleanup crew. They do reproduce within our tanks via a spawning event, and in a couple of months you may see the juveniles on the glass. The juveniles may be mistaken for collonista snails, yet upon close inspection you can see the difference.
Tectus fenestratus (Turban Snail)
The tectus snail will clean film algae, diatoms and cyano from both the live rock and the panels. They are found in holes and crevices in their natural environment, so they have the ability to right themselves. These snails also go through a spawning event without eggs ever appearing in your tank.
Cleanup Crew. Tank Janitors. Tank Cleaners. Functionally, it means the same thing to every hobbyist…. inverts added to your tank to keep it nice and sparkly.
It’s a necessity (Well, not an absolute necessity)
Everyone has one.
But, if you ask those people what critters to include, and how many…. you’ll get many MANY different answers.
So, Great!~ Renee is going to tell you exactly how to stock your tank. Naw! You knew it wasn’t going to be that easy. I hope to give you some things to think about and even some new information for some, to assist you when selecting your animals.
Grab your hip waders and lets get us some inverts!!
What you stock your tank with will depend on the individual needs of your tank. I know…… sketchy answer. But here’s how I would go about it…….
If you’ve been looking online for a vendor to buy your cleanup crew from, you’ve undoubtedly run across the complete packages many have up for sale. For the most part, they provide too many critters for the listed tank size and some critters are inappropriate to include in a complete janitorial package. Pass these packages by if they state there are no substitutions allowed.
Many of these packages include “algae busters” such as the herbivorous Lawnmower Blenny. No fish should be added for the sole purpose of being a part of the cleanup crew. Any fish should be considered with your fish stocking scheme rather than the cleanup crew stocking list. Other critters that frequently show up in package deals that should be considered on an individual basis and not an incidental inclusion are animals such as:
- Brittle or Serpent Star
- Lettuce Nudibranch
- Sea Cucumbers
- Sea Hares
- Crabs, just as the Sally Lightfoot and the Arrow
- Shrimp, such as the Peppermint or Coral Banded.
So what should you stock your tank with for a basic Clean up Crew? Snails….. and a nice variety of them.
Usually people add their crew first thing after the cycle and before the fish. How can you even begin to know what your tank will need at this early stage? So, instead of fully stocking your crew, half stock. You want the crew to cover all the different nuisance “algae”. What you don’t want is all the same snails competing for the same food and subsequently starving, while other algae grow unchecked. So mix it up! I put “algae” in quotations, as I am going to throw cyanobacteria into this loosely labeled group.
The Common Crew
These basics are appropriate for most any tank. None require any special care besides maybe daily flipping or returning a little “El Chapo” back to the tank. They are usually affordable and available and pretty hardy, which makes them a great selection for everyone.
Nassarius distortus (Nassarius Snail)
I love Nassarius. They are obligate scavengers on meaty foods….. dropped foods…… dead/dying….. they are with the program. A bare bottom tank won’t cut it with these guys, as they like a nice sandbed. You generally won’t see them until you feed the tank. Then they’ll be popping up from the
substrate like a jack in the box. Other than that, all you’ll see is their siphon above the sand. They won’t do anything for your algae besides reducing the fuel to grow them. In addition, as they clean up the leftovers they have the added benefit of agitating the live sand. After having sung their praises, I really wouldn’t keep more than a couple. They have big appetites and can be quite irritating to your fish if they are hungry. They’ll also strip your sandbed of its awesome critters.
So, let’s add more……
Nerita spp (Nerite Snail)
Nerites are wonderful little snails and love film algae. They do a great job on those glass/acrylic panels and some varieties will be seen cleaning the rocks as well. The above pictures show the Pacific variety, while the pictures below show the Caribbean. I have found the Pacific variety are the more desirable of the two. I placed both in my tank at the same time and within a few months, none of the Caribbean were still alive. A couple of years later and I still have all, but one of the Pacifics. Our oldest nerite is 10 years old. Both are intertidal and therefore have no problem “leaving” the tank. I have found the Caribbeans far FAR from the tank, traveling over yards of carpet. I have never had this problem with the smooth variety. Additionally, there are threads on the forums addressing the determination of the rippled variety in abandoning ship.
One thing nerites are known for, are their eggs. The bigger the snail the larger the eggs. The Caribbean variety can have capsules like grains of rice! Nerites haven’t been known to breed in our aquariums, so I would remove them off the panel as they appear. They can be difficult to remove after a while and require scraping. I do not find these snails to be desireable because of such, as it can become quite unsightly. There is also a huge size difference, with the caribbeans becoming much larger than their smooth counterparts.
Astraea tecta (Astraea Snail)
I should start by saying that is not a misplaced “a” you see in my spelling of Astraea. Many people mistakenly drop the “a”, but it is afterall only a common name which doesn’t require precise spelling. Astraea are very common and effective. They will eat green and brown film algae and may even pick at hair algae, BUT they require a little maintenance. You have to be willing to go through the daily (and often nightly) “righting” of these snails. They come from an environment where there is little risk of them being flipped over on their back, so they have not developed the ability to right themselves. I also do NOT recommend them WITH hermits (who I’ll discuss in more depth later). Hermits are meat eaters. It’s just who they are, as none are obligate algae eaters. Add a snail that can’t right themselves and lunch couldn’t be easier. You know your own self best….. will you want to add this chore to your daily ritual? If you know you won’t, pass these guys up and choose another. There’s lots!
Cerithium spp (Cerith Snail)
Ceriths will eat film algae and diatoms and it has been said that they will eat cyano. They will graze on detritus but cannot consume filamentous varieties of algae. They can be seen both cleaning panels and cruising over any structure in your tank. They tend to be more active at night and help aerate the substrate when they burrow into the sand. You have to be careful when adding these into an environment with hermits, as the shape of their shell is highly valued by the crabs.
Ceriths are another snail that has visible eggs without actually producing offspring. As can be seen below, they can have a neat pattern on the glass, a messed up version on the glass or a total mess on the rock.
Just because I think ceriths are so ideal, here’s another picture showing they can be found anywhere….. even stirring your sandbed!
Trochus sp (Banded Trochus Snail)
Trochus eat a variety of algae from filamentous to film, and has been reported to have a special adoration for diatoms. They can be found cleaning any surface in your tank, but frequently will be seen on the glass. They provide a similar function as the large turbo snail without the size, and therefore, are an excellent addition to your basic cleanup crew. They do reproduce within our tanks via a spawning event, and in a couple of months you may see the juveniles on the glass. The juveniles may be mistaken for collonista snails, yet upon close inspection you can see the difference.
Tectus fenestratus (Turban Snail)
The tectus snail will clean film algae, diatoms and cyano from both the live rock and the panels. They are found in holes and crevices in their natural environment, so they have the ability to right themselves. These snails also go through a spawning event without eggs ever appearing in your tank.
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