Your First Marine Invertebrates - Choosing a Clean up crew - CUC

nice read, although id hesitate to add the porceline crab in there as noobs may want to give it a nennie to live in.
i was thinking that, thats why i called it a porcelain crab not anemone crab :)

but i will editted it, thanks :)
 
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Great Post Dallas.

My Cleanup Crew is as follows:
5 x turbo snails
5 x nassarius snails
2 x fighting conches
1 x brittlestar
1 x Electric blue Hermit
1 x Cleaner Shrimp

What do you think? I have a 400L tank.
 
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I bought myself a colored sea Urchin (soft spines) the other day from my LFS as I was told it would be a good algae eater. I did not realize that it would eat all my colorful algae which I have grown to love which grows on my LR :(

Its really cool though as you can see exactly where the urchin has been. He kind of leaves a trail of spotless white LR lol. Wish he would chill on the LR for awhile and focus more on the back glass panel :blush:

What is your opinions on Urchins Dallas?
 
Nerita snails

stay small, good grazers.

Problem is that hermits can take them out, normally when they fall and land on their back, (normally always when they fall off). So just check and help them back up. In the sea the waves help them. We do not have that waves in our tanks. Pity
 
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Thanks Dallas for taking the trouble to share with us. Very informative. Are the Red Legged Hermits more aggressive than the blue? Found a Red Hermit chowing my starfish so he now lives in the sump.
 
hermits can be opportunistic hunters, and if there is not enough food or they see a easy meal they will take it.

i have had hermits eat corals and attack fish, all boils down to temprament
 
Thanks Dallas for taking the trouble to share with us. Very informative. Are the Red Legged Hermits more aggressive than the blue? Found a Red Hermit chowing my starfish so he now lives in the sump.

I understand your frustrations.. I got one in my sump too... tehn I realised he's a lefty... So its the sump permanently...or until someone want him...
 
Informative thread, thanks! Great for us newbies!:thumbup:
 
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into Nassarius Snails

I really like Nassarius Snails if anyone knows who stocks them or where they can be found please let me know.
 
Is it safe to add a few snails? My fear is that they might reproduce like crazy or is this not the case?
 
Hi Dallas, as usual you outdo yourself. THANKS. What do you think about cleaner shrimps and firecracker shrimps?
 
Thanks!!!! I'm new at this 'marine tank thing'... i bought a +-120ltr (u guys call it a nano i think) for my son, but i honestly think i will enjoy it more! i've had tons of bad advice in the first4 weeks.... "you should wait for 4 weeks for the tank to cycle..", "don't worry about cycling, just add 'stability'..", "these 2 dominoes will be great..", "sorry the dominoes killed the fire gobbies, try these yellow bellies..", "sorry the dominoes killed the yellow bellies...", "no anemones for the first 6 months, but maybe try this 1...", and so on n so on..! All that being said, we are where we are, and it looks like the best advice i should've been given was to visit this forum... hahaha..!
ALL ADVICE WELCOME...
Thanks again
Gary!
 
star fish for nano tank

Hi, will i be able to keep a max of 2 star fish in a nano tank? Are the kreepy- krauly's the preferred star fish for reef tanks or can i keep the (well, to me) normal star fish?
 
I really like Nassarius Snails if anyone knows who stocks them or where they can be found please let me know.

@Ddejager, Perky has mentioned that they have ordered some. Alternatively PM me, and I can point you in the right direction.

They are awesome. :thumbup:
 
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Hi all.. Wanted to ask if its ok to leave your LED lights on the whole night, or does it bother the fish? And how long can you keep RO water and Salt Water in 5lt bottles for?
 
I would like to add under this thread that pods also form part of the cleanup crew.
http://www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com/archives/vol_5/issue20/pages/14.htm

The lawnmower blenny.
http://www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com/archives/vol_5/issue19/pages/1.htm

Then there are fish like tangs that is also great cleaners. Yellow tang, lipstick tang, etc. Maybe someone can make a list of the best fish that cleans the tank. I like my yellow spotted gobby, cleaning the substrate. But beware, they will cover low lying corals with substrate in no time.
 
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