Cleaning crew for a 28g

poolshark181

Reefing newb
just wondering what type of cleaning crew my 28g should have. ive heard so many different types of snails, hermits, crabs, and shrimp it's crazy. anyone care to help clarify it for me =] thanks!
 
Just keep buying a few everyother week or so till they even out with your tank. Every tank will be different because of different bioloads and different animals kept. In my 30 I have about 10 hermits, 4 astreas, 1 brittle star, 1 turbo snail, 1 margarita snail, 1 emerald crab, and a few stomatella snails, and they keep up with the mess just perfect. You can add what you want but should add sand sifters, algae eaters, and poop eaters, and just enough to keep up with all the mess. You dont need hermits and they can be mean. I love them but some people run very sucsessful tanks without them at all.
 
its almost time for me to get my clean up crew for my 30 gal. ill probably get 10-12 hermits, 6 nassarius snails, 6 Turbos, maybe an emerald
 
All crabs are oprotunists. If theres not enough food or algae to eat they may look at other sources like fish. I have had mine for a few months now and he has bothered nothing in the tank. I have read when they get big some go after fish.
 
i see. well, im starting the second week of my cycle, tank params are

PH 7.8
Ammonia 0-0.25
Nitrate 10-20
Nitrite 0

is it ready for a cleaning crew addition?
 
No your not ready yet. You need to wait till amonia and nitrite are both 0. When they do get to 0 I would wait atleast a few days and check again to make sure its done. When you are ready dont add all your crew at once add maybe 10 or so at a time.
 
oh, i read somewhere about a solution that automatically adjusts the ph to 8.2 no matter what. is this true or should i use something else? (suggestions please?) thanks =]
 
There is stuff you can add to raise the pH, but it's only a temporary fix, and unless you get to the root of your problem, you will have to keep adding it. Once your tank is done cycling, the pH should start to fix itself if you do a couple decent water changes. What type of substrate are you using? And what is your alkalinity? What time of day did you test your pH? (pH will drop at night).
 
I was using IO salt and the ph was always at 7.9 so I started using marine buffer 8.2 and it works perfect. No matter how much you add is stays the same but you dont want to over do it because it also adds alk to the tank.
 
my substrate is 20 pounds of crushed coral. i dont have an alkalinity tester, i tested at night, but i also tested during the day with same results for the ph.
 
Its common for PH to dip a little while your tank is cycling.I wouldn't add any buffer right now.Give it a little time and see if it doesn't correct itself.Remember if you do use marine buffer that automatically sets your PH to 8.2-8.3 that it may raise your akalinity also.With the lights off 7.8 is not all that bad.Mine is 8.0 with the lights off and 8.2 with the lights on.
 
I have 3 golf ball sizes snails ( not shure what kind sorry) their shells look like snake skin sorta and they appear to have coraline algae on the shells ? ill post a pic when i get home they are cool !
 
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