Cleanup crew questions...

[zenn]

I've got lots of diatom buildup on the sand bed an some green slime like algae growing on some of my smooth surfaced rocks. My cleanup crew is pretty much non existant at this point. So i need get a cleanup crew package.

My questions are:

1. I don't want inverts in a cleanup crew that are going to eat the bristle worms, serpant stars and other cool hitchhikers that came with my LR. I think it's good to have all those guys in there as well. Is there anything inverts i should avoid getting because they'll eat other beneficial inverts from my LR?

2. I'm thinking about the 30-90 gallon cleanup crew package from saltwaterfish.com. It comes with lots of red/blue hermit crabs, lots of turbos/astrea snails, some emerald crabs, a Coral Branded Shrimp and a sally lightfoot crab. I've heard the CBS will eat bristle worms and i like to keep them so should i not get this package or what would you guys suggest?

3. Can i add all the inverts to my tank at the same time if i get a package about the size of the one i talked about above?

 

[Hara]

you do not need the sally lightfoot,emerald crabs nor the coral banded shrimp for a normal clean up crew. The sally can get aggressive as can the CBS. Normally, if you "create your own" crew, you are just as good financially and it is more suited to your tank. You can add as many clean up critters as you want at one time and not have to worry like you do with the fish. I would go with nassarius snails, the small hermits, some cerith snails, astreas are ok (but they do tend to drown when they fall over) and some brittle stars. One thing you might want to do is shop ebay. I just bought 250 nassarius snails for 20.00 (including shipping)

 

[Brenden]

I got my cleanup crew from ebay also.

 

[zenn]

it seems like the ones on ebay are either either all snails for cheap, or a package that's pretty much the same price as the online vendors. Is it worth it to get an assortment of crabs, snails, starfish, etc rather than just getting 100 of the same kind of snails?


Reason i ask is i'd like to do this right the first time and not have to order inverts more than once that way i don't end up paying more in the end than had i just got everthing i wanted at once.

 

[Brenden]

Check this seller out. I have purchased from her several times. Great customer service and always sends extras. Has a nice assortment. http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ25QQsassZjeanQ5fpool

 

[john0087]

I was wondering the same things so I went ahead and got the nano-reef cleanup crew package from salwaterfish.com.

It does not have the sally or the shrimp, so I figured it should be ok in my37gal.

Are there any special needs for aclimation?

Thanks

 

[coolchinchilla]

Being a FW person, I may not know anything... but could you order the package clean up crew and then sell the ones you don't want to a LFS?

 

[zenn]

That's a good question. IDK. It would be worth it to ask i suppose.