clean-up crew ?

[kokxy]

:roll: Anyone know how many turbo snails and hermit crabs, sea sifting stars should be in a 75 gal. reef tank that has been established for 5 years. The guy I bought it from informed me that I may need some more crabs, snails...etc. Right now I have 5 turbos and approx. 15 blue leg hermits and one sea sifting starfish and 3 cleaner shrimps? Is this a low #? Please advise, any comments would help. Thanks again! KA

 

[Anonymous]

it sounds like you got plenty, imo. i would be sure to provide plenty of extra shells for all those hermits though. :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

do good LFS' sell empty shells or do i have to go to petco or find some novelty ones .. ur what?

thx!

-me

 

[Anonymous]

The guy I bought it from informed me that I may need some more crabs, snails...etc.

Guess what will someone who has no economic interest will say? You got enough.

 

[Anonymous]

do good LFS' sell empty shells or do i have to go to petco or find some novelty ones .. ur what?

thx!

-me

i actually had a hard time finding shells until i used my brain and figured out i could buy them by the bucket load from an arts and crafts store. and the cool thing about that is that they are all organized by type so you can pick and choose. i just bought them and boiled them (to sterilize) before plopping them into my tank. *and* they were fairly inexpensive. i tried finding them down by the beach but for some reason, they cost a bit more in those beach gift shops. hope that helps.

 

[MLVA123]

I have read several places that hermit crabs are actually pretty bad - they eat other detrivores (did I spell that right?), and can actually contribute to a reduced diversity in your substrate...

 

[Anonymous]

I have read several places that hermit crabs are actually pretty bad - they eat other detrivores (did I spell that right?), and can actually contribute to a reduced diversity in your substrate...

yes, they can become a nuisance, which is why i think many people opt for having only a variety of snails instead. when i first set up my tank, i got a bunch of hermits. they not only ate everything in sight but they also grew very quickly and were soon too big to even keep. i ended up sending all but one to the lfs and bought some snails instead. my one hermit still thrives in my now year and a half old tank.

 

[Anonymous]

I I think you have enough....I have three Turbos in my 100 along with a few assorted crabs,Coral Shrimp,and a Fighting Conch. The Turbos seem to do the most cleaning. I can get shells from my LFS.

 

[kokxy]

I just purchased some additional shells for the hermits as they grow. Got them from local craft store. Boiled them for 15 minutes. Your right the 5 turbo snails are doing most of the work/ Thanks for the insight!