Cleaning Crew for my 125 gal

frankandmaura · 09-22-2006, 07:48 AM

Hi all...

I am just looking for some thoughts on what I need as a cleaning crew in my 125 gal reef (I say reef, but I only have some shrooms, a Xenia and Zoa).
Oh...I already have 3 Astrea's, 2 bumblebee's, 1 cleaner shrimp (big guy) and my fish load is 1 - 3" Foxface, 2 - medium Perc's, 1 - yellow watchman and 1 - condi anenome.

I was thinking of starting with:
1 LMB ($16.99)
10 Nassarius Snails ($17.99)
10 Turbo Grazers ($17.99)
1 Tonga Fighting Conch ($7.99)
1 Electric Blue Hermit ($11.99)
3 Red Leg Hermits ($8.97)

Any suggestions on other stuff I should get? Also, if you have a place that you buy this stuff let me know....because the place I was looking at (vividaquariums.com) has free shipping over $225, but they seem a little pricy.

Thanks!
Frank

partobe · 09-22-2006, 08:08 AM

Hi Frank I'm not sure where upstate you are or how far you are from the city? There is a lfs I go to here in queens that has really low prices on all the stuff your looking for. www.fishtown-usa.com if your not too far away it might be worth it to drive down and pick them up yourself. I know they have most if not all of the stuff you listed. I think the Turbos are something like 8 for 10 bucks something like that but don't quote me. Give them a call and see.
Good Luck!
Patrick

frankandmaura · 09-22-2006, 08:13 AM

Thanks Patrick. I am actually in Vestal (near Binghamton). It is about 3 to 4 hours to Queens for me, depending on traffic. Probably not going to make the trip down there. It will cost me more in gas...lol.

Up here, they want like $3 or $4 for each snail! It is crazy!

I looked at the website for your shop down there and tey don't have too much in the way of snails...too bad. If you are ever coming up this way let me know, I'll place an order...haha!!

Thanks again.

partobe · 09-22-2006, 08:16 AM

Ok sorry I couldn't be more help.

frankandmaura · 09-22-2006, 09:04 AM

No probelm, thanks for the suggestion.

Anyone else have any comments on the crew I have planned?

Hardhead Cat · 09-22-2006, 09:16 AM

Good morning - I have a 135-gallon reef and here's my crew: 2 Mexican turbo snails, 2 Nassarius snails, one emerald crab, 20 small reef hermits, one peppermint shrimp, 4 astrea snails, one LMB that's huge - and my tank stays pretty clean. I would start small and add snails, crabs, etc. if you still have detritus problems.

Just my $.02!

HHC

frankandmaura · 09-22-2006, 09:21 AM

Thanks HHC...I do have a small crew in there now...I was thinking I needed to beef it up. Do you think I have too much on my list? Like I said, I have a few snails and a cleaner shrimp, but he stays in one small area in the tank and does not do much cleaning up for me.

Hardhead Cat · 09-22-2006, 09:32 AM

It's really hard to say - lots of factors depend on how often you feed, puff, what type of skimmer, etc. I would add a few turbo snails, maybe a nassarius or two, and some reef hermits. The LMB might take out after your watchman goby since they are similar in body shape - I would be cautious about adding a LMB. Just a suggestion!

HHC

Geoff · 09-22-2006, 09:56 AM

i am running a very small clean up crew now, but plan on doing something like this:

100+ Astreas
100+Ceriths
20 Trochus
3 Peps
4 SW ghost shrimp
3 Mexican Turbos

i have hermits now, by accident, i will not be replacing them when they dissappear. i would have preferred not to have them at all.

check out www.keyscritters.com for snails.

G~

frankandmaura · 09-22-2006, 10:00 AM

How big is your tank Geoff? Do the hermits get your corals?

I figured a few would not hurt.

Geoff · 09-22-2006, 11:01 AM

i have a 125g also.

i just do not trust crabs. they kill snails when they want a new home or if they get hungry. just not worth the price in my opinion. i would rather get more snails. i also am not a big fan of Nassarius snails. they are welks. they are carnivorous. if you are keeping a SB than i guess they are ok, i have just seen them swarm on a clam that was not doing well and finished it off. it was at a LFS and not one of mine luckily. i would rather have bristleworms do the scavangering.

G~

frankandmaura · 09-22-2006, 11:06 AM

got ya...hmmmmmm

I do have a SB that I would like to be turned over a little more than I can get to...any other suggestions if I don't get the Nassarius...sand sifting stars?

ILLBKING · 09-22-2006, 11:11 AM

I am with Geoff on this one!
I have only 1 Metalic Blue Hermit crab and it has ate no less then $60 worth of snails in a year. (snails are $4 each in the city here)
Not worth it in IMO.

BLEEZY · 09-22-2006, 01:20 PM

cleaners like to find a cave and stay there and make it their "cleaning station" i dont know if thats why they are called "cleaners" but mine is good at getting junk out of small lr holes with his long narrow arms.
i have to say i abhor my hermits and want them out quick, same with my turbos they seem bulldoze only the corals that are in bad shape and or not epoxied. off topic but i keep finding hermit bodies everywhere like on or two a day and i started out with like 30.
nassarius are great although they need a sb of at least two inches and so do fighting conches but i love them.
also sand stars and brittlestars, may i reccomend the harlequin star someone on here got on a little while back and they are brittles that arent nearly as agressive as the green brittles ands they like to stir the sand up at night. with an ssb though i cant tell you to get any of those as it is better to go dsb with sand sifters or ssb with crabs and constant stirring.

best of luck!