Cleanup crew

thebulkhimself · 12-03-2006, 05:07 PM

I was speaking to the very helpful bloke down at my LFS and he was telling me that hermit crabs are not the best for cleanup crew as they eat stuff that you want in tank as well as stuff you don't want.

He was telling me Sea Cucumbers and urchin's are a better alternative.

My tank is a typical 50Gal tank (I think) 50lbs of live rock - sump with protein skimmer w/ no refugium and a cannister filter with activated carbon.

He said he can get hermit crabs in if I want them, What are your thoughts?

Fly Guy · 12-03-2006, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebulkhimself

He said he can get hermit crabs in if I want them, What are your thoughts?

my thoughts are that crabs suck....all of them.

If your feeding and stocking is inline snails are all you need. Astreas to ceriths 2 to 1 along with some margaritas. how many really depends on how much you have in your tank for them to eat.

webdr · 12-03-2006, 07:14 PM

I have 2 fighting conchs....great detritous eaters

Geoff · 12-03-2006, 08:39 PM

not a big fan of the crabs either. i would like to add Trochus snails to the list of good critters to have on the cleanup crew.

G~

Sambo · 12-03-2006, 09:55 PM

I'm going to have to stick up for the cucumber - mine has done great work so far. The only downside is that if you have an aggressive fish in with them the cuke can release enough toxin to kill off the whole tank. And I'm not brave enough for urchins - they have a reputation for eating the corraline algae and coral along with the other algae...

Geoff · 12-03-2006, 10:08 PM

cukes are great. i will prolly get a few for my tank the next cleanup crew order i do. i do like urchins though. they are great. they are very helpfull if you actually want to grow coralline algae. if you do not want to grow coralline than i suggest not getting one. i know this sounds backwards, but it all has to do with how coralline reproduces. urchins eat coralline. they do such a good job of it that they completely scrape all biomaterial off of the LR leaving white completely clean stripes on the LR. these clean stripes are what coralline needs to cat a foothold. coralline is not able to catch hold if there is biofilm on the LR. very difficult for it to compete with algaes and other critters for realestate.

uchins are also super messy eaters. as they eat the coralline it releases spores into the water. these spores are what is needed to land on a biofilmless spot to get growing.

this is why if you want coralline to grow like crazy get an urchin, if you want to keep it under control do not get an urchin.

G~

Sambo · 12-03-2006, 10:12 PM

Aha! That would explain someone else's observation (jena maybe?) that her urchin made the coralline grow like crazy. But what about mowing down corals?

Fly Guy · 12-03-2006, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geoff

cukes are great. i will prolly get a few for my tank the next cleanup crew order i do.
G~

Really??? For your BB tank.

Elaborate please.