Recommended Tank Cleaners

[YourPalCM]

I'll be setting up my first 75g fish-only (with Live Rock) aquarium after years of keeping freshwater.

Can anyone recommend the best/favorite tank cleaners to purchase (Shrimp, snails, etc.)?

I know I shouldn't add them all at once until their sufficent algae for them to munch on. But (1) how many to start? And (2) how many ultimately? I've seen some recommendation of a HUGE amount of cleaners in 75 gallon tank. (See http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?pCatId=420 ... Are those amounts really correct? That's a lot of critters!)

 

[austinsdad]

How much rock? Cleanup crew, particularly hermits need rock IMO. The crews recommended on those sites usually is too much at the beginnning of the tank setup. When do you plan on adding them, right after cycle?

OK. If say 70 lbs of rock after cycling, I'd do maybe 20 hermits, a brittle or serpent star, and maybe 2 or 3 varieties of 20 snails (maybe astreas, mexican turbos - smaller ones, and others). As the tank and you add more fish you add increments of more snails and hermits to get to the Liveaquaria recommended amount IMO. Not too fast. They'd starve.

'Bout to get started soon?

 

[roka64]

If say 70 lbs of rock after cycling, I'd do maybe 20 hermits, a brittle or serpent star, and maybe 2 or 3 varieties of 20 snails (maybe astreas, mexican turbos - smaller ones, and others

That looks like some good numbers, for a newer tank. I like nassarius snails and ceriths, too.

 

[YourPalCM]

How much rock? Cleanup crew, particularly hermits need rock IMO. The crews recommended on those sites usually is too much at the beginnning of the tank setup. When do you plan on adding them, right after cycle?

OK. If say 70 lbs of rock after cycling, I'd do maybe 20 hermits, a brittle or serpent star, and maybe 2 or 3 varieties of 20 snails (maybe astreas, mexican turbos - smaller ones, and others). As the tank and you add more fish you add increments of more snails and hermits to get to the Liveaquaria recommended amount IMO. Not too fast. They'd starve.

'Bout to get started soon?

Awesome. Thanks, that helps. I'm slowly gaining speed. Next trip to the LFS (in a couple weeks) I need some more power heads, I'm returning the skimmer for a better one, and I still need the sand and the rocks/live-rocks.

 

[austinsdad]

Where ya getting the LR from and how much you planning on starting with. Keep in mind that even though you're not doing reef, where 1 - 2 lbs per gallon is recommended, the LR does help with the overall filtration of the system. Think about half and half maybe. Base/dry rock and live rock.

I'm a believer that it's not so much the pounds, but the overall surface space and pourousness (holey, crevice laden, nooks and crannies, etc) of the rock. Might keep that in mind as you shop.

How many powerheads? I'd probably do 3 maxijet 1200s in a tank that size.

Good luck and keep us posted!