Clean up crew

[csquare77]

I am going to start to stock my tank with a clean up crew, at the moment it is empty, It is a 29gal with 50 LB's of LR, what is a good amount of snails and crabs I should be looking to get, and what shrimp would be a good one to house. As for fish when I get them im going for 2 clowns, im still weighing for real or false ones.

 

[roka64]

Has your tank cyclled yet? If not, I would wait for it to finish, otherwise your clean up crew and anything else live you put in there pmight not make it.

I kind of used this as a guide for my clean up crew:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?pCatId=420

Shrimp, I like the fire shrimp, just for the striking color. Maybe you could go with a goby/pistol shrimp...like one of these:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?pCatId=1852

Although I am not too sure if the clowns would hassle them. Some one with more experience can probably give you better input.

 

[austinsdad]

Let us know about the cycling. How long ago was it completed?

Be careful of the recommended clean up crew guide. They don't account for new tanks which cannot sustain the full compliment yet.

Maybe start with some astrea snails and reef safe hermits. 2 cleaner or fire shrimp. Clowns won't hassle'm.

On the clowns, I like farm or tank raised fish. More friendly and hardy IMO.

 

[roka64]

They don't account for new tanks which cannot sustain the full compliment yet.

Hmm, good point!
I should explain myself a little better. I just used those as a guideline for the types of snails/sifters. I only added 30 snails and 6 hermits to my tank. I picked smaller snails so my hermits wouldn't kill them and take their shells. I swear I saw a hermit in one of my cerinth shells!

 

[tecwzrd]

For stocking new tanks I like to get one snail/hermit per 5 gal until the tank is more mature.

For snails I like Turbo, Margarita, Nassarius, & Cerith snails.

Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab & Blue Leg Hermit Crab are great scavengers as well.

I personally wouldn’t add any shrimp for the first 3+ months but after that should be fine. For your size tank a cleaner, fire, and/or peppermint shrimp would be good choices.

I’d avoid any stars in that small of a tank personally but if you feel you must have one then after 6+ months a Brittle Star is reef safe and would probably do well.

All mobile inverts need a long drip acclimation of 2-4 hours IMO depending on how high you keep your ph/sg levels. The higher ph/sg the longer you need to acclimate.

 

[csquare77]

Thanks for the info guys, the tank has been going for a little less then 2 months, last check of the water everything was fine. Thanks for the info, im still going to wait a few more weeks and more tests before adding anything. On the clown fish im going to get tank raised, but what do you think is better the "true" or "flase" clowns, Ive heard the True clowns can be more entertaining with the anemones.

 

[tecwzrd]

im still going to wait a few more weeks and more tests before adding anything.

Without an nh3 source the bacteria that was created during the cycle will slowly die off. Since you are waiting to add fish/inverts I’d feed small amounts of food (pinch of flake or ¼ of frozen cube) every 3-5 days to keep your bacterial colony going or else you might experience another mini cycle.

I assume you noticed a cycle i.e. an increase in nh3/no2 and then down to 0. If not your tank may not be cycled now. The fishless cycle article explains the process.

As far as clowns go I’ve had both in past tanks and both are pretty entertaining but if you buy tank raised for either it may take awhile to take to an anemone.

Clowns whether they are wild caught or tank raised do not “have” to have an anemone to host and do fine without them. If you do want an anemone keep in mind they need excellent water conditions and moderate to high lighting to thrive.

 

[csquare77]

I just did another water test, All numbers are either 8.2 or 0, lol I think I might add 3 snails and 3 hermits over the weekend.