Cleanup crew robbery! Call the police.

hermitage · 12/21/2007, 06:32 PM

Hey all

I have a 210 gal, mixed reef (starting anyway), and I'm looking at a cleanup crew.

But good lord! These cleaner packs that online companies sell are outrageous! I mean...do I really need..

45 Scarlet Hermits, 90 Snails, 140 Dwarf Hermits? Do I really need to spend $350 on a cleanup crew? This sounds like such a rip off.

What would you do?

I currently have 5" Emp Angel, 5" Sohal Tang, 10" Volitan Lion, 1" Yellowtail Damsel.

Are there cleanup crew compatibility issues? Would you favor snails over hermits, or vice versa?

Thanks all.

demonsp · 12/21/2007, 07:09 PM

Well adding so many critters at one time isnt a good idea. Not enough food and to much of a load.
Its best to start with a good basic group and then add as you go. Plus every tank is differant and you can adjust waht you need as you go.

Its best to start with a good mix like hermits ,nass , and a turbo or two. Then the next week add a fish or coral.Then the next week a few more CUC and a coral and fish.And then so on and so on.

wrott · 12/21/2007, 07:14 PM

TOTM doesn't have a clean-up crew.
But I would probably spend ~$250 on mostly snails and some crabs.

george81 · 12/21/2007, 07:55 PM

i would stay away from hermit crabs or crabs of any sort. they will kill off you re snails. stick with snails they do a 10x better job cleaning get a good mix of them. stay away from crabs....they look cool but you will soon join the i hate hermit crabs club

hermitage · 12/21/2007, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by george81
i would stay away from hermit crabs or crabs of any sort. they will kill off you re snails. stick with snails they do a 10x better job cleaning get a good mix of them. stay away from crabs....they look cool but you will soon join the i hate hermit crabs club

Interesting...do crabs and snails perform the same job?

demonsp · 12/21/2007, 08:05 PM

Margaritas are good for algea , nass snails good for waste and uneatin food but cant get to the rock where the hermits go. Hermits can kill other snails and crabs for there shell but you could add some empty shells to help reduce this. Add a few more then needed and after time it will settle down and the killing will slow to a crawl or stop.

hermitage · 12/21/2007, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by demonsp
Margaritas are good for algea , nass snails good for waste and uneatin food but cant get to the rock where the hermits go. Hermits can kill other snails and crabs for there shell but you could add some empty shells to help reduce this. Add a few more then needed and after time it will settle down and the killing will slow to a crawl or stop.

Where do you get empty shells?

old salty · 12/21/2007, 08:10 PM

I have the same size tank, but only have about a dozen turbo snails (the work horses), a dozen astreas (clean in the rock crevices), and a dozen trochus snails (they seem content to sit in detritus their entire lives.) There is one hermit crab that has survived for over two years, so he stays. To be honest, I could probably do with fewer snails, but I do like a spic and span looking tank.

I purchased all snails from Premium Aquatics. They all arrived alive and are doing just fine.

demonsp · 12/21/2007, 08:12 PM

Any hobby store carries shells in all sizes.

usmc121581 · 12/21/2007, 08:19 PM

Some LFS around here carry shells. They gather all the dead snail shells and sell them. When I lived down south I would just go to the beach and get my snails and hermits. Cant beat free.

pledosophy · 12/21/2007, 08:29 PM

etropicals.com has a pretty good deal on the build your own clean up crew packages right now.

hermitage · 12/21/2007, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pledosophy
etropicals.com has a pretty good deal on the build your own clean up crew packages right now.

Thanks ...I'll check'em out.

Pea-brain · 12/21/2007, 08:48 PM

Hermits are much more trouble than they are worth. they irritate corals when they walk on them too. Some good snails-ceriths (sand sifter)-nass (Sand sifter)-astrea (rocks/glass)-nerites (Mostly glass, a little rock). IMO a good number of these and you're all set. At most a few scarlet hermits to take care of thick algae like HA and cyano, but not too many as they will eat coralline. Check out ccritters.com . Like 20 nass for 3$ and quality livestock too. Another member from my reefclub said they were satisfied with an order (ONly complaint was that there was no heat pack) and I have an order to be delivered soon after x-mas of a cleanup crew, a mantis shrimp, 6 dwarf seahorses, a bag of SW ghost shrimp, etc. etc.

Dan

RoseFishWatcher · 12/21/2007, 09:07 PM

I asked my LFS for extra shells about a week after buying some hermits from their store. The guy I asked said they don't sell them, but promptly grabbed some empties out of their LR tanks to give to me for free. I even got a free hermit out of it, because he was hidden up in the shell (he's cool looking, but prolly not as reef safe as some other types of crabs. Not a problem ATM since I don't have corals yets).

I have to agree - free shells are win.

guyver · 12/25/2007, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pea-brain
Hermits are much more trouble than they are worth. they irritate corals when they walk on them too. Some good snails-ceriths (sand sifter)-nass (Sand sifter)-astrea (rocks/glass)-nerites (Mostly glass, a little rock). IMO a good number of these and you're all set. At most a few scarlet hermits to take care of thick algae like HA and cyano, but not too many as they will eat coralline. Check out ccritters.com . Like 20 nass for 3$ and quality livestock too. Another member from my reefclub said they were satisfied with an order (ONly complaint was that there was no heat pack) and I have an order to be delivered soon after x-mas of a cleanup crew, a mantis shrimp, 6 dwarf seahorses, a bag of SW ghost shrimp, etc. etc.

Dan

Dan, what was the shipping. Just went there and it was $210 for a $90 cleanup crew???

Mavrk · 12/25/2007, 06:51 AM

If you don't have snails at the LFS, then etropicals build your own section has free shipping with a 60 dollar order.

If you have a sand bed, then get some nassarius snails. Ceriths are one of my favorites because of they eat algae and detritus (some even eat cyano, although mine never did) and even help aerate the sand. Trochus are good as well. They will reproduce in your tank, so don't get too many. Turbos knock over corals, so I avoid them. Stomatella will also reproduce and are good to have around.

I avoid crabs of any kind because they are inherently evil and can turn on you at any time

JNye · 12/25/2007, 09:35 AM

check reeftopia.com
good prices

12/21/2007, 06:32 PM	#1
hermitage Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: CT Posts: 307	Cleanup crew robbery! Call the police. Hey all I have a 210 gal, mixed reef (starting anyway), and I'm looking at a cleanup crew. But good lord! These cleaner packs that online companies sell are outrageous! I mean...do I really need.. 45 Scarlet Hermits, 90 Snails, 140 Dwarf Hermits? Do I really need to spend $350 on a cleanup crew? This sounds like such a rip off. What would you do? I currently have 5" Emp Angel, 5" Sohal Tang, 10" Volitan Lion, 1" Yellowtail Damsel. Are there cleanup crew compatibility issues? Would you favor snails over hermits, or vice versa? Thanks all.

12/21/2007, 07:14 PM	#3
wrott Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,912	TOTM doesn't have a clean-up crew. But I would probably spend ~$250 on mostly snails and some crabs. __________________ OK, but where does the meat go! ------------------------------------------------ 120g SPS, 125g mix, 56g FOWLR, 20g qt

12/21/2007, 08:10 PM	#8
old salty Genius Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: The Island of Misfit Toys Posts: 3,131	I have the same size tank, but only have about a dozen turbo snails (the work horses), a dozen astreas (clean in the rock crevices), and a dozen trochus snails (they seem content to sit in detritus their entire lives.) There is one hermit crab that has survived for over two years, so he stays. To be honest, I could probably do with fewer snails, but I do like a spic and span looking tank. I purchased all snails from Premium Aquatics. They all arrived alive and are doing just fine. __________________ "The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers." Thomas Jefferson Current Tank Info: Out of the marine aquarium hobby

12/21/2007, 08:19 PM	#10
usmc121581 Where am I? Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Abingdon, maryland Posts: 1,671 Blog Entries: 1	Some LFS around here carry shells. They gather all the dead snail shells and sell them. When I lived down south I would just go to the beach and get my snails and hermits. Cant beat free. __________________ I prefer not to think before I speak, I like to be just as surprised as everyone else by what comes out of my mouth. Current Tank Info: I have a 180 gal mostly LPS corals, it contains 1 Val. Tang, 1 yellow striped clown fish, 3 percula clownfish, a blood shrimp, cleaner shrimp and a sand shifting goby, 5 pajama cardinals, 1 green chromis. Also a 75 gal. sump/fug.

12/21/2007, 08:29 PM	#11
pledosophy Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Beaverton Posts: 5,290	etropicals.com has a pretty good deal on the build your own clean up crew packages right now. __________________ 120g mixed reef 90g QT

12/21/2007, 07:09 PM	#2
demonsp Moved On Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: el paso tx Posts: 7,634	Well adding so many critters at one time isnt a good idea. Not enough food and to much of a load. Its best to start with a good basic group and then add as you go. Plus every tank is differant and you can adjust waht you need as you go. Its best to start with a good mix like hermits ,nass , and a turbo or two. Then the next week add a fish or coral.Then the next week a few more CUC and a coral and fish.And then so on and so on.

12/21/2007, 07:55 PM	#4
george81 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: canada Posts: 254	i would stay away from hermit crabs or crabs of any sort. they will kill off you re snails. stick with snails they do a 10x better job cleaning get a good mix of them. stay away from crabs....they look cool but you will soon join the i hate hermit crabs club

12/21/2007, 08:05 PM	#6
demonsp Moved On Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: el paso tx Posts: 7,634	Margaritas are good for algea , nass snails good for waste and uneatin food but cant get to the rock where the hermits go. Hermits can kill other snails and crabs for there shell but you could add some empty shells to help reduce this. Add a few more then needed and after time it will settle down and the killing will slow to a crawl or stop.

12/21/2007, 08:12 PM	#9
demonsp Moved On Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: el paso tx Posts: 7,634	Any hobby store carries shells in all sizes.

12/21/2007, 08:48 PM	#13
Pea-brain Moved On Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Vassalboro, ME Posts: 1,661	Hermits are much more trouble than they are worth. they irritate corals when they walk on them too. Some good snails-ceriths (sand sifter)-nass (Sand sifter)-astrea (rocks/glass)-nerites (Mostly glass, a little rock). IMO a good number of these and you're all set. At most a few scarlet hermits to take care of thick algae like HA and cyano, but not too many as they will eat coralline. Check out ccritters.com . Like 20 nass for 3$ and quality livestock too. Another member from my reefclub said they were satisfied with an order (ONly complaint was that there was no heat pack) and I have an order to be delivered soon after x-mas of a cleanup crew, a mantis shrimp, 6 dwarf seahorses, a bag of SW ghost shrimp, etc. etc. Dan

12/21/2007, 09:07 PM	#14
RoseFishWatcher Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 9	I asked my LFS for extra shells about a week after buying some hermits from their store. The guy I asked said they don't sell them, but promptly grabbed some empties out of their LR tanks to give to me for free. I even got a free hermit out of it, because he was hidden up in the shell (he's cool looking, but prolly not as reef safe as some other types of crabs. Not a problem ATM since I don't have corals yets). I have to agree - free shells are win.

12/25/2007, 06:51 AM	#16
Mavrk Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: California - South Bay Area Posts: 2,775	If you don't have snails at the LFS, then etropicals build your own section has free shipping with a 60 dollar order. If you have a sand bed, then get some nassarius snails. Ceriths are one of my favorites because of they eat algae and detritus (some even eat cyano, although mine never did) and even help aerate the sand. Trochus are good as well. They will reproduce in your tank, so don't get too many. Turbos knock over corals, so I avoid them. Stomatella will also reproduce and are good to have around. I avoid crabs of any kind because they are inherently evil and can turn on you at any time

12/25/2007, 09:35 AM	#17
JNye Moved On Up Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Lansing, IL Posts: 2,230	check reeftopia.com good prices __________________ Joe Current Tank Info: it don't matter just don't bite it