After clearing out all my sand I'm in need of a new clean up crew. Trying not to waste anymore unnecessary money then I have to. Snails are usually good when it comes to certain algae. Crabs are good at eating leftover food and decaying items. Now one would think it would make sense to have both. But crabs are known for eating snails and taking there shells. I'm thinking of adding 3 cleaner shrimp and 3 fire/blood shrimp and then just adding snails. But the shrimp can't get into nooks and crannies that the crabs can. What's your thoughts?
More beneficial snails or crabs
- Thread starter b-ridge
- Start date
Would get a few different hermits, and a few different snails. Peppermint shrimp may eat aptasia, as well as other scraps. Think hermits only revert to eating snails, or other hermits, if there's not enough food. Sea urchins, starfish, and cucumbers are also good ate various cleanup jobs.
You want to get rid of the cucumbers? Would get a package from reef cleaners. You can get a package with or without hermits, and i'd add a bag of mixed pods while you're at it.
Don't know the size of your tank but recommend getting a package Around 25-30% of what they recommend. Don't want to put too much in, that's alot of critters to feed and some will die, and hermits will go canibal. Put a small package and the population will grow to the size that's needed.
Here's linky http://www.reefcleaners.org/
Don't know the size of your tank but recommend getting a package Around 25-30% of what they recommend. Don't want to put too much in, that's alot of critters to feed and some will die, and hermits will go canibal. Put a small package and the population will grow to the size that's needed.
Here's linky http://www.reefcleaners.org/
No. I want to get rid of the urchin. Too big and I don't like him anymore.
My tank is 240 gallons plumbed into a 125 gallon sump and 75 gallon fuge. Nothing in the fuge but some rocks. Plan on adding chaeto but it always dies on me. Want to try dragons breath
My tank is 240 gallons plumbed into a 125 gallon sump and 75 gallon fuge. Nothing in the fuge but some rocks. Plan on adding chaeto but it always dies on me. Want to try dragons breath
Yeah, not a fan of the long spine neither. Nice set up. Cheato likes a lot of flow and to tumble. Dragon breath looks cool but don't think it's as effective as most others. Recommend try a few different types, and see which one grows the best. That's what i did and grape calerpa won on every tank. Even my maintenance customers. You hear that calerpa can go sexual, especially when stress, have never had that. Even wheb Sandy blew through and left my tank without electric for 4 days. Also hear that it can spread to display. That has never happened either. Even though i'v put some in a few times to feed to my tangs. Tangs where not interested, and niether was my display in growing calerpa.
The best combination in my experience has been cleaner shrimp and a variety of snails. A cleaner shrimp will take care of all your uneaten food. Having a few different kinds of snails (turbo, astrea, cerith, nerite) will help tackle several forms of algae. I've tried a few kinds of crabs and they all tend to knock unmounted corals/loose rubble out of place. They inevitably started killing snails and other crabs in my tank despite having plenty of empty shells. If you do want a type of crab, I'd recommend scarlet hermits. An algae grazing fish never hurts either
Scarlet hermits have been far more peaceful in my tank. These are not the same as red legged hermits though. Those can get pretty aggressive. Blue legged hermits aren't too bad when they're small. After they grow a bit is when they become a pain
- Location
- Wantagh, Long Island, NY
in a 65 gal, I've had the best luck with sand-sifting starfish (2), emerald crabs (5), blue legged hermits, nassarius snails (about 4) and a few turbos. The nassarius snails have been the best purchase for large pieces of uneaten food. They'll burrow in the sand the entire day until they taste food in the water and then they rise like krakens. O, and I have a 2 small conches that really stir up the sand nicely too. and 1 cleaner shrimp and 1 blood fire. I noticed the larger fire shrimp attacking the smaller cleaner shrimp upon initial introduction (from 3 to 1), so there is the aggression there to take into account. Hermits have to be continually re-introduced because of aggression, but for the price you can't go wrong. and those free shells will be good for the newer batch.
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- Location
- Queens, NY
why dont you mix em up. I agree, 90% of the time i see the hermit crabs eating snails, etc. get very small hermit crabs.
I have 3 each of every snail
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/aquarium-fish-supplies.cfm?c=497+526
few diff types of crabs 1 each in a 265. and do all do a super job
I have 3 each of every snail
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/aquarium-fish-supplies.cfm?c=497+526
few diff types of crabs 1 each in a 265. and do all do a super job
- Location
- Westchester, N.Y
Cleaner shrimp and snails......
- Location
- Staten Island
Arrow crabs are cool looking but I don't believe they get along with shrimp. Nassarius snails are also a good bang for the buck. They stay in the sand bed and pop out whenever they sense any food in the tank.
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