Choosing Cleanup Crew Critters.

[jaxteller007]

I'm looking to add some snails (we have enough hermits and they never freaking die lol). Ideally I'm looking to get some that love brown or green diatoms first, then ones that like all the other algae and then a few to stir the sand. And absolutely, none that can't right themselves lol. I've had more snails die because I don't have the time or desire to look through the tank every day and right them.

Having said that, which ones should we look at? And where are good places to buy online since we're basically all quarantined now?

 

[jaxteller007]

I will say that in our previous tank (75G) we had a huge problem with bristle worms from not knowing what we were doing at first and over feeding combined with not having anything to control their population. We added a hand full of bumblebee snails and boy did we notice that worm population start to decrease haha. We only have a couple of the bumblebee ones in our new tank.

 

[Jsimon]

I order my CUC from http://www.reefcleaners.org/

they have a nice setup of package based on size of tank. They will also give you a recommended crew based upon what you already have in your tank.

 

[jaxteller007]

I order my CUC from http://www.reefcleaners.org/

they have a nice setup of package based on size of tank. They will also give you a recommended crew based upon what you already have in your tank.

I looked quickly. Buying a full tank package isn't in the cards right now but since we already have some in there maybe I can just buy a small one as a top off.

 

[Jsimon]

Click on the custom clean up crew they ask you some questions then respond back with a recommendation of what you should buy

 

[DeniseAndy]

I just went through the whole clean up crew buy. I used Reefcleaners too. I do not recommend the critons as they just died. However, the turbos have been good at mowing down my hair algae. The astrea are a pain as they do not right themselves, my turbos have been able to. I know your frustration on not righting themselves.
I love my 500 pack of dwarf cerith snails. They are tiny, but work great. They just fill the tank and night on the sand, on the sides and all disappear in the day.
I know that black onyx nassarius are great too. They do not have them at reef cleaners though. I love those snails as they eat everything.
My nassarius are good critters too.
I hate hermits, except scarlets. I got 100 of them, and immediately put them into the sump. They tried to eat every snail in the tank. UGH! They will be good in the sump though. Lots of food.
The limpets I got did not survive too long either. Maybe a bummer batch. I like the conch though.
Good luck.

I have never had to have this much clean up crew in the past. I think my algae scrubber is just not mature enough yet.

 

[jaxteller007]

I've never thought about putting hermits or snails in the sump. What good does that do? And would you put them only in the fuge section? I'd be worried about them getting sucked into the skimmer or return or something. Or eating the macroalgae I'm trying to grow in the fuge.

 

[DeniseAndy]

They will scavenge and eat detritus in the sump. They are there mainly as I thought they would be okay, but they immediately attacked all snails. Dumb things. I still have a few in the main DT. I have screen on the intake to the return and they are in a different section. Should not be a problem.
I do have a few in the other tanks too. They seem to be doing okay with the snails so far.

 

[jaxteller007]

They will scavenge and eat detritus in the sump. They are there mainly as I thought they would be okay, but they immediately attacked all snails. Dumb things. I still have a few in the main DT. I have screen on the intake to the return and they are in a different section. Should not be a problem.
I do have a few in the other tanks too. They seem to be doing okay with the snails so far.

It seems no matter which hermits we get, they all wind up being *****s and going after our snails, especially when I was getting the ones that can't right themselves. All our foundation rock and anything unstable is epoxyed so the big snails shouldn't be a problem for us to have.

 

[AJ192]

Great read

 

[Marvollo]

After experimenting with inverts, I am back to keeping it clean with a dry bottom and maybe a cleaner shrimp or two. Snails grow out of control, my big zebras would die and disappear.

 

[Reefer_2711]

I just introduced some nassarius snails and they immediately went under the sandbed, and they have not moved since. I know they are still alive. Is this normal?

 

[Gonzo74]

That is very normal. They will come out during feeding time and at night after the lights go out.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Such a helpful thread!

 

[chicago]

nice write up.. just what I needed for my refresher course... thanks

 

[davidcalgary29]

Any thoughts on this species of cowrie in the reef tank?

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Renee and lion fish lair! Awsome! Miss these guys. Lol. I used their hitchhikers guide extensively back yrs ago.
D

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Bumping this back up because it's just great information!!

 

[CrashTestBennie]

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:

• 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.

Your initial clean up crew should not include any of these inverts. They should be added as needed and researched individually.

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.

Thank you for taking the time to write all that up for us!!! I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. I've gotten more information on these CUC members than in all the videos from BRS beginner guru Matthew!