Perfect clean up crew?

Sam4729 · 12/19/2019, 05:06 PM

Hello everyone,
I wanted to get input on a potential "perfect" clean up crew. The tank is a relatively new (cycled) 60 gallon community reef. This crew includes a sand sifter, herbivore, and a carnivore. This way, I dont have to mess with the sand bed and worry about left over food.
1 diamond goby
1 lawnmower blenny
1 cleaner shrimp
Thoughts?

SantaMonica · 12/19/2019, 08:14 PM

Welcome.

Love the diamonds. Might be all you need for new rocks. Lawnmower won't have a lot to eat for a while. Cleaner is always fun, especially when you dose Iodine and they molt.

mcgyvr · 12/20/2019, 05:39 AM

Welcome to RC...

I think you will find that those 3 will need quite a lot of other help to be anywhere near a perfect clean up crew..

I'd toss in 50+ various snails to give them a helping hand.. Turbos, Cerith, Nassarius, Trochus, Astrea,etc...
The snails will likely do far more visible work cleaning the glass, rocks, and substrate of diatoms/algae,etc...

Michael Hoaster · 12/20/2019, 10:17 AM

Welcome Sam4729! RC is a great place to begin your journey.

I too recommend a variety of snails, especially ones that reproduce, like Ceriths. They will naturally reach a population to fit your tank's needs. Nassarius snails are excellent for leftover food.

I am not a fan of sand-sifting fish. They wipe out sand-dwelling detrivores, leaving you to perform that function. Worms, pods, and micro stars are all excellent detrivores, that can complete the food chain in our tanks, if they are allowed to thrive.

Check out Indo Pacific Sea Farms at: http://ipsf.com

Oldreeferman · 12/21/2019, 08:56 PM

[QUOTE=Michael Hoaster

I am not a fan of sand-sifting fish. They wipe out sand-dwelling detrivores

Its true i introduced 1 small Watchman Goby to my tank that had hundreds of micro brittle stars & by himself that lowly 2" long Goby ate all the stars i had in the tank in about 2 months.
Im not complaining tho as i was wondering how to cull them back anyway naturally as ive plenty of pods anyway. Interesting how one small animal can make such a dramatic change in a tanks diversity.

Uncle99 · 12/21/2019, 10:22 PM

For years, I thought this a CUC was a requirement.
With exception to snails as mentioned above, I just keep nutrients low, water stable, a shot of vibrant weekly, a couple of tangs. I have not touched my sand in a year, it’s still white.

The diamond goby will die in a newer tank, the substrate is likely not old enough to house the fauna it needs to filter out of the sand bed.
The lawnmower will also perish unless it has a sustainable algae source.
IMO, they are a bit like mandarin is as much as they need a mature tank.

The shrimp is a good fish cleaner.

Oldreeferman · 12/22/2019, 10:44 AM

Yea i have to agree 10 fold if its just a newly cycled tank i wouldn't put any CUC in there yet just maybe add pods, a bit of food a day & sit back & see what comes up next probably algae, at that point THEN id add algae eating snails & maybe a scarlet crab or two as they also eat algae & also...... the OP did not make any mention of what reg fish is already in the tank if any?
But they are needed for keeping the ammonia & poo going for the live rock bacteria & just what they will get along with also. Unless the Gobys added are like mine that sift & also eat anything i add daily,yes they will starve in a new tank as stated.
Better research a bit more about ea. animals tank requirements & that will dictate when they can be safely added.
If say a LFS is pushing you (the OP) to go ahead & get a CUC immediatly, decline until the tank shows signs that it actually does need something to address first.

12/19/2019, 05:06 PM	#1
Sam4729 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 1	Perfect clean up crew? Hello everyone, I wanted to get input on a potential "perfect" clean up crew. The tank is a relatively new (cycled) 60 gallon community reef. This crew includes a sand sifter, herbivore, and a carnivore. This way, I dont have to mess with the sand bed and worry about left over food. 1 diamond goby 1 lawnmower blenny 1 cleaner shrimp Thoughts?

12/19/2019, 08:14 PM	#2
SantaMonica Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Santa Monica, California, USA Posts: 2,511	Welcome. Love the diamonds. Might be all you need for new rocks. Lawnmower won't have a lot to eat for a while. Cleaner is always fun, especially when you dose Iodine and they molt. __________________ Inventor of the easy-to-DIY upflow scrubber, and also the waterfall scrubber that everyone loves to build: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1424843

12/20/2019, 05:39 AM	#3
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	Welcome to RC... I think you will find that those 3 will need quite a lot of other help to be anywhere near a perfect clean up crew.. I'd toss in 50+ various snails to give them a helping hand.. Turbos, Cerith, Nassarius, Trochus, Astrea,etc... The snails will likely do far more visible work cleaning the glass, rocks, and substrate of diatoms/algae,etc... __________________ Who me?

12/20/2019, 10:17 AM	#4
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	Welcome Sam4729! RC is a great place to begin your journey. I too recommend a variety of snails, especially ones that reproduce, like Ceriths. They will naturally reach a population to fit your tank's needs. Nassarius snails are excellent for leftover food. I am not a fan of sand-sifting fish. They wipe out sand-dwelling detrivores, leaving you to perform that function. Worms, pods, and micro stars are all excellent detrivores, that can complete the food chain in our tanks, if they are allowed to thrive. Check out Indo Pacific Sea Farms at: http://ipsf.com __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

12/21/2019, 08:56 PM	#5
Oldreeferman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: NW Indiana Valparaiso Posts: 505	[QUOTE=Michael Hoaster I am not a fan of sand-sifting fish. They wipe out sand-dwelling detrivores Its true i introduced 1 small Watchman Goby to my tank that had hundreds of micro brittle stars & by himself that lowly 2" long Goby ate all the stars i had in the tank in about 2 months. Im not complaining tho as i was wondering how to cull them back anyway naturally as ive plenty of pods anyway. Interesting how one small animal can make such a dramatic change in a tanks diversity. __________________ Montipora Digitas, Cyphastrea, Blastos, different Leptoseris, Green Stylo, GSP, gorgonions, Ricordea mushrooms, psammocoras, Birdsnest coral, Clownfish, Watchman goby, Royal gamma. Current Tank Info: Nano Reef tank

12/21/2019, 10:22 PM	#6
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	For years, I thought this a CUC was a requirement. With exception to snails as mentioned above, I just keep nutrients low, water stable, a shot of vibrant weekly, a couple of tangs. I have not touched my sand in a year, it’s still white. The diamond goby will die in a newer tank, the substrate is likely not old enough to house the fauna it needs to filter out of the sand bed. The lawnmower will also perish unless it has a sustainable algae source. IMO, they are a bit like mandarin is as much as they need a mature tank. The shrimp is a good fish cleaner.

12/22/2019, 10:44 AM	#7
Oldreeferman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: NW Indiana Valparaiso Posts: 505	Yea i have to agree 10 fold if its just a newly cycled tank i wouldn't put any CUC in there yet just maybe add pods, a bit of food a day & sit back & see what comes up next probably algae, at that point THEN id add algae eating snails & maybe a scarlet crab or two as they also eat algae & also...... the OP did not make any mention of what reg fish is already in the tank if any? But they are needed for keeping the ammonia & poo going for the live rock bacteria & just what they will get along with also. Unless the Gobys added are like mine that sift & also eat anything i add daily,yes they will starve in a new tank as stated. Better research a bit more about ea. animals tank requirements & that will dictate when they can be safely added. If say a LFS is pushing you (the OP) to go ahead & get a CUC immediatly, decline until the tank shows signs that it actually does need something to address first. __________________ Montipora Digitas, Cyphastrea, Blastos, different Leptoseris, Green Stylo, GSP, gorgonions, Ricordea mushrooms, psammocoras, Birdsnest coral, Clownfish, Watchman goby, Royal gamma. Current Tank Info: Nano Reef tank