Do you recommend I get crabs?

[AndrewD]

Pardon the pun. Got a 55 gallon, LR, 3 damesels, has not cycled yet. I see a lot of people talking about a "Cleaning Crew", what exactly does that mean...crabs? I have some grennish/turquoise algae beginning to grow on my crushed coral and I hear getting a crab will help, help what, I'm not sure. It's a FO tank by the way. Thanks for the help.

 

[cmor1701d]

I would skip anything with claws and go for the snails. Assorted snails. I picked this up somewhere along the way. . .
Nassarius Snails : Great detrivores and sand-stirrers. They will hide in the sand until feeding time.

Astrea Snails : A great algae eater, but sometimes fall off the glass onto their backs and will require a little help to right themselves.

Banded Trochus : Algae eating machines. Ideal size, won't knock over corals/rock, and can move very fast.

Stomatella Snails : Will breed in your tank! You will only need to get 4 or 5. They're great algae eaters and stay very small. I give these to all my friends. =)

Cerith Snails Will also breed in your tank. Good algae eaters and sand-stirrers.

Fighting Conchs : Little vacuum cleaners. One per 2 sq. ft. of sand. They'll eat diatoms and, sometimes, cyano.

Turbo Snails : They are big and clumsy. They'll knock over or move anything that isn't glued/nailed down.

 

[lando]

Hi Andrew...If your tank has not yet cycled, then you should remove the damsels and bring them back to the LFS. There is no reason to cycle using fish anymore. There is some good info on "fishless cycling" in the articles section at the top of the page. It is much more hummane. As far as the clean-up crew goes...Wait until your tank is cycled to add them. It ussually cosnsists of some reef hermit crabs, various snails and maybe even a star fish. The crew primary role is to eat detritus from the substrate and algea from the rocks and glass. Do not worry about the algea you have now. It is a normal part of the cycling process. Good luck...Lando

 

[ScottVinVA]

joking...

No, I don't recommend crabs, they itch and just over all a pain in the crotch!

 

[phases99]

Mexican red-tip hermits are the most trustworthy I have seen. I've more than once watched them walk right past an overturned Astraea. Hermits IMO are interesting creatures that add personality to any tank. But please don't add anything else to your tank until it is fully cycled, fishless cycling is the only way to go.