Clean Up Crew #s

[pnoy702]

Hi guys, just a quick question. When my tank has cycled out, I already made a list of what I'd like for my clean up crew. And I was just wanting an opinion/recommendation on them, see if one is too much or not enough for a 30 gallon tank. Well, here's the list:

Blue-Leg Hermit Crabs - qyt. 10 to 15
Astrea Snails - qty. 10
Sand Sifting Conch - qty. 3
And for those hard to reach places ....
Bumble Bee Snails - qty. 10

So yup, there's my list for my clean up crew. After that, going to go and try and see if there's any brittle stars at work

Troi

 

[Anonymous]

Welcome to RDO!

I would skip the hermits, add the snails at two week intervals, and add the Conch last - so they all have something to eat.

 

[Brad Moehl]

Howdy

I am fairly new to the hobby, but offer my opion. I believe you might be putting to much for a thirty gallon. Unless you feed algea pellets or something. I have a seventy five gallon tank, three Turbo, three Banded, two Bumble Bee snails, twelve hermits ( I like them I would add them) and the algea sometimes is scarce. Good luck you'll make the right choice.

Brad

 

[shawnz28]

I think it looks pretty good. I would maybe get a brittlestar and an emerald crab instead of the bubblebee snails but that is just personal opinion. And I personally do like to have a few bluelegs in my tank.

 

[elpescado]

Cleanup crews are kind of relative to the present conditions of your tank.
If you have a fair amount of live rock then by all means add hermits. There is plenty of food for them on new liverock (unless of course the rock is more of a barren base rock).
Add astrea, margarita, cerith, and/or nerite snails if there are diatoms (brownish colored sheen of algae that grows fast).
Add turbo grazers, red foot (moon) snails if there is diatoms, hair algae, and turf algae (short stubble algae).
Add emerald crabs if there is noticeable "fuzzy" algae or bubble algae on the rock.
I would wait on the conch, and bumble bee snails as they are detritis feeders/bottom scavengers. The bumble bee snails will also eat some algae, but best to put them in when they get an all-around ballance meal.
Wait on the serpent stars like you said.
You may want to add a couple of sand shifting stars as well once the sand starts to get brown in color (assuming you used sand).
If you have a cleanup crew and the tank still seems to grow some unwanted algae then add more of the animals that feed on that type of algae. Use as many of each type as it takes.
If you have a ton of cleanup animals and the tank still has algae issues then there is an environmental problem that needs to be resolved.
good luck.

 

[Baianotang]

I would skip the bumble bees as they are flesh hungry whelks and can attack snails, clams, and other mollusks.