I need help choosing a clean up crew!

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harrytownend

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I am starting up my 12 gallon nano reef this weekend and I am planning what I want to keep in the tank. So far I want 3 sexy shrimp, 3 nerite snails and 2 hermit crabs. Would this be ok or do you have any other suggestions? As for fish I'm thinking a possum wrasse and possibly a clown goby.



Thanks :)



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With a tank that small water changes are easy and all you need to keep nitrates and phosphates in hand. And thus no need to worry about algae and no need for a clean up crew.

That being said if you want "clean up crew" then get livestock you would like to see and look at. Any extra will just add to your nitrate and phosphate issues.
 
I really like the look of sexy shrimp and hermit crabs so I think I'll get them.


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I think I'm going to go with a clown goby and a hectors goby now. Thanks anyway


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With a tank that small water changes are easy and all you need to keep nitrates and phosphates in hand. And thus no need to worry about algae and no need for a clean up crew.

That being said if you want "clean up crew" then get livestock you would like to see and look at. Any extra will just add to your nitrate and phosphate issues.
Whatever you add to the tank will have to have food to sustain it, or it will slowly starve to death. A cleanup crew is not necessary at all, and you can have a perfectly healthy tank without any snails, shrimp, crabs, or starfish. I would not look to online vendors for advice, because what they do is sell livestock. Like Dav3 said, get a few things because you like to look at them and want diversity in your tank, but not because you feel you need them. The cleaner wrasse despite the name is not a creature that helps eat uneaten food and fish poop, it eats parasites off of fish in the wild, and in many cases, will not eat prepared food in closed systems. As also stated, not good for your application.
 
What do you recommend instead?


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I won't get any snails but 1 cleaner shrimp and a couple of hermits


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It's still clearing up after putting the sand in.


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Would a yellow striped cardinal be ok?


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Yeah that's be a good choice, one of the Pygmy/possum wrasses are awesome fish too
 
So this is what I'm going with:
1 clown goby
1 yellow striped cardinal fish
1 cleaner shrimp
3 hermits

Is this ok for my tank?


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Yeah that's a good plan :). You don't have to limit your self to just a cleaner shrimp invert wise though, you could also add other shrimp (I'd avoid a pistol with a cleaner in this small tank but any others are fine) or a pom pom or porcelain crab are both cool crabs that tend to behave nicely (some crabs have a tendency to go rouge)
 
I was also thinking maybe an emerald crab? Are they ok with corals?


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They shouldn't pick at your corals, but being crabs, they MAY eat anything they can catch, that's what I mean by going rouge.
 
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