BEST SET OF "CLEAN UP CREW" for 12 GAL NANOCUBE

[ddk997]

Hey everyone, heres another question...sorry for so many. I havent started yet, however I am trying to plan ahead so I know what I will need within a few weeks after the tank cycle and have an Idea of everyones "cleanup crew setup".

what would be the BEST clean-up crew for a 12 gal nanocube 3.24? Thanks again.

Edited February 7, 2008 by ddk997

[justaguy2]

Hey everyone, heres another question...sorry for so many. I havent started yet, however I am trying to plan ahead so I know what I will need within a few weeks after the tank cycle and have an Idea of everyones "cleanup crew setup".

what would be the BEST clean-up crew for a 12 gal nanocube 3.24? Thanks again.

 

Opinion and experiences will vary, but based upon my own experience I would shoot for 1 CUC member per gallon as a reasonable starting point. Don't get all algae eaters or they will starve once the algae phase passes and there isn't that much. If you like inverts as much as I do you can go much heavier in numbers, but will have to feed them.

 

I like cleaner shrimp (any shrimp really), but they aren't much for cleaning. They mainly eat whatever food you put in the tank. They are good for not having leftover food rot.

 

I also like nassarius snails. They are like shrimp in that they will eat any food that settles to the bottom before it rots. They will also scavenge anything that dies in your tank.

 

I also like hermit crabs, but many don't. I chose scarlet leg hermits as they have the best rep for not being too nasty. They are good algae eaters and also scavenge for whatever.

 

I also like turbo snails. They can eventually grow large and become bulldozers in a tank, but they are hard to beat for cleaning rocks of anything and everything undesirable.

 

I also like nerite snails. Often thought of as glass cleaners I find them more active on rocks. They are much smaller than turbos though and can't eat as much. The advantage is they stay small and don't become bull dozers.

 

I also like cerith snails. Very good general algae eaters. Go on glass, sand and rock. Slow moving and by day appear really lazy, but do the job.

 

I also like emerald crabs. Constant pickers of algae and detrius.

 

I also like pom pom crabs. Fierce scavengers with a cute appearance. Mostly meat eaters.

 

I also like porcelain crabs. My regular porcelain crab (mostly white) only filter feeds and my purple spotted porcelain filter feeds and scavenges for anything he can get.

 

The thing to keep in mind is that initially you will get algae blooms all over and think you need a ton of CUC for algae. After a few months the algae comes under control and you start adding fish and corals and start feeding them and then you need more general scavengers and meat eaters.

 

My recommended CUC for your 12 gallon is as follows:

 

After your tank cycles:

 

1 turbo snail

2 cerith snails

3 nerites snails

2 scarlet legged hermits

1 green emerald crab

 

All the above will devour various algaes.

 

After you add fish/corals I would add:

 

1 porcelain crab

1-2 pom pom crabs

1 shrimp (your choice of type, cleaners are ruthless scavengers with tons of personality)

6 or so nassarius snails.

 

All these will either filter feed foods right out of the water or eat anything not consumed by fish/corals. These will also eat any fish that dies in the tank before it has a chance to pollute the water.

[Toomin]

imo,

4 nerite snails

3 nasarrius snails

2 cerith snails

1 turbo snail

[awjn]

for now in my 12 gallon NC, i have 2 nass, 2 astreas, 2 ceriths, 2 reef hermits, 1 scarlet hermit. they are doing fine, but i may add a little bit more. Just remember do not go too crazy early or they will end up starving to death. I lost an emerald, blue-legged hermit, 1 turbo, 2 astreas so far. I may add a cleaner shrimp and another nassarius. You should wait and see how your tank does before adding the bulk of your CUC because every tank is different and unique. In my opinion, no tank should go without a few nassarius and astreas, but that's just me.

[jsleep]

I have also had good luck with Margarita snails. They seem to be just like the ceriths as far as cleaning. Pick up a little nori/dried green seaweed to help feed them once the algae is cleaned. If you get hermits, pick up some empty snail shells for them to transfer to.

Don't forget to do the water changes weekly once the CUC is in place. You'll have to account for the snail poo.

 

I have in my 15 gallon:

3 turbos

3 margaritas

1 trochus

1 nas

1 stomatella

[herranton]

I also like mini brittle stars, I have like fifty of them in my 10 gallon. It sounds like a lot, but I let them control their own population. and they just keep spawning. I only have five astrea snails and two hermits and they keep the tank algae free. Start small and only get CUC members as you need them.

[CSoli921]

I also like mini brittle stars, I have like fifty of them in my 10 gallon. It sounds like a lot, but I let them control their own population. and they just keep spawning. I only have five astrea snails and two hermits and they keep the tank algae free. Start small and only get CUC members as you need them.

 

are you sure they arent asterina starfish?

[herranton]

are you sure they arent asterina starfish?

yeah, I'm sure. They look like the picture below, I started with 10 to 15 at most, now they are everywhere. They eat everything. I have no fear of overfeeding my tank. (not that I would do that any way)

 

[Rubicon06]

My AP 12 is going to have;

 

1x Emerald

1x Porcelain

1x Pom Pom

1x Serpent Star

2x Sexy Shrimp

2x Scarlet Hermits

1x Nerite

1x Margarita

1x Cerith

2x Nassarius

 

I will be adding a few more snails, but this is what is in my current 5.5

[CSoli921]

yeah, I'm sure. They look like the picture below, I started with 10 to 15 at most, now they are everywhere. They eat everything. I have no fear of overfeeding my tank. (not that I would do that any way)

 

 

oh cool... sorry for doubting you... those are neat... they came as hitchikers or you bought them?

[herranton]

oh cool... sorry for doubting you... those are neat... they came as hitchikers or you bought them?

I got them as hitch hikers, but I have seen them for sale. I just can't remember where.

[ddk997]

Thanks everyone!! Do you think the turbo or artreas clean the rocks better?

[herranton]

Thanks everyone!! Do you think the turbo or artreas clean the rocks better?

I like astreas better, but only because they don't get as big. A turbo will eventually be able to knock frags over and rearrange your tank. In a small tank, turbos may not be able to find enough food once they get big.

[dirklc]

I like astreas better, but only because they don't get as big. A turbo will eventually be able to knock frags over and rearrange your tank. In a small tank, turbos may not be able to find enough food once they get big.

 

Agreed. I've had good luck with astreas.

[ddk997]

Thanks herranton & dirklc!! I guess I wont be going for a turbo, I will prob just get more astreas

[Tarbot]

Hey everyone, heres another question...sorry for so many. I havent started yet, however I am trying to plan ahead so I know what I will need within a few weeks after the tank cycle and have an Idea of everyones "cleanup crew setup".

what would be the BEST clean-up crew for a 12 gal nanocube 3.24? Thanks again.

 

I have a AP 12 and here is my list.

 

3 Nerite snails (Slow but effective)

3 Nasarrius snails (Sand submarines!)

1 Emerald crab (Industrious little bugger)

3 Scarlet hermits (Lazy)

2 Mexican turbo snails (Cleaners on steroids!)

[Lakotackrs]

oh cool... sorry for doubting you... those are neat... they came as hitchikers or you bought them?

 

 

I have live rock in my nano and I have so many of these appearing a year after I set this tank up. Very surprising. So... these are ok and will be benificial to my tank? I also have feather dusters popping up all over the place. Do these things sit dormant forever or what? Like I said I set up this tank over a year ago. LOL.. (please dont find me an ammature... but I am LOL)

[thekeywork]

personally, I hate snails. I don't want anything on my glass blocking my view, and honestly, I just find them creepy. That said, in my 14 gallon I have 3 nassarius and they hide under the sand most of the time and help sift. I have 6 (2-pods of 1 female, 2 male) sexy shrimp, 3 blue-leg hermits, and a self-regulating population of mini brittle stars. Herranton is right, you rarely ever see them, but they do a great job. I also keep a population of Berghia to control any Aiptasia.

[HarryPotter]

1 minute ago, thekeywork said:

personally, I hate snails. I don't want anything on my glass blocking my view, and honestly, I just find them creepy. That said, in my 14 gallon I have 3 nassarius and they hide under the sand most of the time and help sift. I have 6 (2-pods of 1 female, 2 male) sexy shrimp, 3 blue-leg hermits, and a self-regulating population of mini brittle stars. Herranton is right, you rarely ever see them, but they do a great job. I also keep a population of Berghia to control any Aiptasia.

 

What were you searching to find a thread from 2008? ?

 

 

[MindGames]

I'm here 13 years later reading about all this. The internet is crazy.

If anyone will see this, is it ok if i keep 1 peppermint 1 sexy and 1 cleaner OR 1 fire shrimp all together in a 30 gal cube? (so total of 3 shrimps)

[Tired]

It might work, or they might get territorial and attack each other. Get a scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp, rather than a fire shrimp, if you want to try it. Make sure they all have different places to hang out, and read up on what they like. Skunk cleaners like to hang upside-down from surfaces, for example, so it's good to give them an archway they can do that in. Peppermints like a place to lurk. Sexy shrimp are most comfortable with one of the corals/anemones they host in the wild. Sexy shrimp are also vulnerable to being eaten by fish, so be careful of that. And don't keep hawkfish with any shrimp that aren't intended to be lunch.

 

For future reference, starting a new thread with a title like "shrimp compatibility" would be a better way to get results.