how many critters in your clean up crew?

[awholelota]

i just think it's amazing that people say i "need" 50 hermits, and 50 snails for my 50gal.... so how many do you have? your total gallons?

right now i have 10 blue legged hermits, about 5 unknown hermits, a peppermint shrip, and no snails. my tank is new so i'll add everything as i need them... i'm just wondering if i'll ever need to add as much as lfs guys claim.

[hng]

Simple answer is "no". People use way too many snails and hermits for their clean up crew and wonder why they have dead snails and hermits all the time - it's because they are starving to death! Unless you have a really big tank, or it's really dirty, start with a small crew and add as needed. I have 5 snails and 2 hermits for my 90 gallon tank and there seems to be a good equilibrium.

[DarthOcellaris]

Originally Posted by hng

Simple answer is "no". People use way too many snails and hermits for their clean up crew and wonder why they have dead snails and hermits all the time - it's because they are starving to death! Unless you have a really big tank, or it's really dirty, start with a small crew and add as needed. I have 5 snails and 2 hermits for my 90 gallon tank and there seems to be a good equilibrium.

i agree. start out small and if the tank isn't looking better over a week or two, add 50% more...I personally recommend staying away from hermit crabs but that's just my opinion.

[YLChik]

i have a 55gallon that is heavily stocked and fairly heavly feed - mixed reef...
and I have something like the following in it

say
5-10 tonga nassirius snails - in sand bed
10 narssisuris vibex ( they are really tiny) in sand bed

10 cerith sand bed during the day glass and rocks at night

5 astrea
5 margarita
5 bumblbee

and my fav fav fav snail - the Queen Conch

5-8 mexican hermits ( also called red legged)
2 cleaner shrimp
1 tuxedo urchin
1 nano serpant star

those are rough numbers I have added snails a few times since I started the tank for diversity and to account for mia or deaths. BUt I have added these over the last 18 months

I started with the vibex, astrea and hermits.

hth

[Fly Guy]

no way.

When people recommend that you add a bunch of tank cleaners to deal with a problem that is the WRONG way to deal with it as it is a vicious cycle. its usually only people who are uninformed parroting back another silly rule of needing 1 per gallon or selling them that recommend this many

you have a nutrient export problem, you add more snails, they die and just make the problem worse

I keep astreas, ceriths and margaritas only. in my 225 less than 75 total and in my 90 I would guess 30. these totals go up and down as even with that few I have a vicious cycle going on. some starve then I end up needing more....I buy a few extra...repeat.......