Clean up crew for anemone/clown tank

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Sarjo Pepper

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Nov 16, 2015
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In the future I'd like bubble tips and a pair of clowns. My concern for research now is what organisms will make a good clean up crew and WON'T get immediately eaten by the nems? Species of crabs, slugs, etc?:thanks:
 
Any anemone that you will have in your home aquarium, if any for that matter, will not actively hunt your clean up crew. In fact, there are even species of crabs and shrimp that have symbiotic relationships with some anemone just like clownfish.
That said, something falls into an anemone it can get consumed. My carpet anemone is who this usually happens to, compared to my long tentacle and bubble tip, due to it living in the corner of the sandbed. Be it a snail or a hermit, in the end an empty shell will get spit out.
 
I have hermits, snails, coral banded shrimp, a serpent star and a cucumber in with my nem and have no issues.


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Alright, it's good to know that for the most part they won't be in immediate danger. What about Emerald Green crabs? I like their look and I know I'll end up getting one. And isn't there a species of hermits that can attack nems? Red foot or something?
 
All crabs are opportunistic. If they see something dead or dying, they'll make a meal out of it.
This makes emerald crabs a pain, they'll get a taste for something and keep going.
As for hermits, they will stick to death unless it means killing off a snail or another hermit for a new shell.
 
Ok, I'll be a little wary of emeralds. I'll be a little cautious with the crabs I choose. Considering I wouldn't be able to put the anemone in a freshly matured tank, I could probably start off with a different clean up crew than when I would put in the anemones. What's the average life span of typical clean up crew members? Is there any that last more than 3+ years?
 
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