Clean Up Crew !!!! How many ???

[Civicdemon]

Ok so i have ben looking around alot for a clean up crew for my Refugium and i now think im really under stooked on my CUC in my DT. I have anywhere from 25 to 40 Nassariouse Snails, ( Some have ben eaten by hermits, I have about 6 hermits left, started with 12 but some died when i first added them and i was able to count 6 so far there might be more. I also have 5 turbo snails, A couple huge ones, i have anywhere from 100 to 250 dwarf ceriths, i have one sand sifting startfish. I few small brittle star fish, i see them in the rocks. Anyways im just wondering if i have plenty of inverts for my clean up crew.

Heres the break down.

25 to 40 Nassariouse Snails.
6 Hermit Crabs
5 Turbo Snails
4 Nirite Snails
100 to 250 Dwarf Cerith snails.
1 Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
1 Blood Red Shrimp
3 of the small Aiptisia eating shrimp. I thin kthere pepermint shrimp.
1 Sand Sifting Star.

Anyways by everything im reading i think im under stock on my CUC in my DT also. What do you guys think i should add ???
What should i add to my Refugium ???

Thanks Guys.

 

[SarahSmile]

Why do you think you need more? Are you having an algae issue? Cause you don't want so many that there is nothing for them to eat...

 

[d2mini]

I think you have plenty of snails. If anything, I would get something like 50 small blue leg hermits. If you like hermits. Some people don't. I find the small blue leg ones to be the least aggressive and happy picking algae off of rocks.
And I would get rid of the sand sifter. It will deplete your sand bed of all good bacteria and micro organisms. Replace it with a serpent star and brown brittle star (not green).

 

[Bifferwine]

I agree with the others. There is no "rule" for how many snails or crabs you should have. Some people have very clean tanks and need hardly any. If you are having algae problems, adding more CUC can help. But if you're not, adding more will probably end up with some of them starving to death.

 

[yote]

Are you sure you've got enough crud for all those creatures to feed on?

I'm not a fan of buying a bunch of clean up critters all at once. Most of the time you end up with too many. They do their job and 1/2 to 3/4 end up starving to death.Then you've wasted money.

Personally, I'd eliminate 3/4 of that list this time. Then if the animals you get can't keep up, add a few more.

 

[Civicdemon]

I have a little bit of diatoms on the sand bed but nothing huge. I was just wondering because ever since i removed my canister filtters and put my sump in my nitrates have actually ben higher. Im thinking its couse the sump is still fairly new qith not much good backteria yet. Every snail and hermit in my tank are growing good so im sure there eating fine. I might just gram my bigger hermits and trow them in the sump. And gwt some blue legs for the dt. And as far as the sand sifters go i tought they where a good thing?

Anyways what kind of snails do you guys think are best for the redugium? Should i put a shrimp in there?

 

[ErinCahir]

Sandsifters are one of those things (IMO) that should be left in the ocean. Very few people can provide them with the food they need long-term.

My sump had a handfull of nass snails and any big hermits that got sent to time-out for killing my snails.

 

[SarahSmile]

I am confused, why would you put a shrimp in your refugium?

 

[Civicdemon]

I figured a cleaner shrimp would clean. Meening eat any food or anything that makes it down to the refugium

 

[ErinCahir]

I think crabs and snails do a fine job at keeping the fuge clean.

 

[SarahSmile]

eh, they are called cleaner shrimp cause they clean your fish...in your fuge you'd have to feed him, sort of counter-productive

 

[SarahSmile]

+ Erin

 

[Civicdemon]

Yeah it would be kinda cool to have a little crab !!! But i just hate the fact that you would not be able to see him.

I defenetly think my next Tank will have a Display refugium along with the main DT.

 

[Bifferwine]

Yeah it would be kinda cool to have a little crab !!! But i just hate the fact that you would not be able to see him.

I defenetly think my next Tank will have a Display refugium along with the main DT.

I've seen some cool designs for that -- where the area underneath the tank is open, so you can see the refugium. It's almost like a second tank for critters that can't go into the display.