Cleaner Crew

[untouchables]

i have not been having much luck with cleaners cos they always die after a few days except for my cleaner shrimps. if not dead, they pose a different set of headaches so now i hope to get reefers feedback on what to get before i go shopping for them this weekend. tank is 3x2x2.5.

they are needed for (my old/current problems):

a. green hair algae

b. spot algae

c. sand bed

d. aiptasia

e. bryopsis (cannot remember the spelling liao...)

none required for leftover food cos i dun intend to keep fishes or if i do keep them, they wont be fed anything i miss out that require cleaning?

constraints/restrictions:

a. cannot poo too much cos im keeping sps and want top quality water, best of the best condition

b. not too big cos if they die... will create spike in water parameters

c. preferebly pretty looking. should be part of the display if possible

d. not too expensive, ie <$20 per piece or <$100 for the entire crew team. exceptions can be made in view of ©.

my bad experience so far...

a. blue cheek goby for sand > creates sand storm cos they like to carry the sand up and drop them down. my clams died and rics got stressed out by them.

b. yellow goby > mia after 2 days

c. 2 spot goby > mia after 1 day

d. turbo snail > topple acros, including quite big colonies

e. small turbo snail, mexican snail > topple frags

f. cleaner shrimp > 2 was stupid enough to go up to the tunze cos the frozen mysis was stuck to the inlet cap. once get sucked there, they cannot away.

g. starfish > dunno what is it good for... never see it moving fast enough to be cleaning the tank

h. tuxedo urchin > never eat the bryopsis and died 1 week later.

many thanks in advance.

[optimus prime]

last few days i went to a lfs, said i want an algae blenny.

i didnt see what they caught and end up at home i found out that they actually

sell me a brown barred goby.it did clean up the sand bed as blue cheeks and algae blenny does.but his productivity not good.so you can skip this one.

[ZeRoC00l]

they are needed for (my old/current problems):

a. green hair algae

b. spot algae

c. sand bed

d. aiptasia

e. bryopsis (cannot remember the spelling liao...)

Algae blenny

sally light foot crab ** attacks small fish as well

turbo snails ** glue down yr frags / colonies

tangs ** most algaes

black sea cuke ** cute "shit" tt moves

none required for leftover food cos i dun intend to keep fishes or if i do keep them, they wont be fed  anything i miss out that require cleaning?

I keep them and I also don't feed my tank Find their own food

my bad experience so far...

a. blue cheek goby for sand > creates sand storm cos they like to carry the sand up and drop them down. my clams died and rics got stressed out by them.

b. yellow goby > mia after 2 days

c. 2 spot goby > mia after 1 day

d. turbo snail > topple acros, including quite big colonies

e. small turbo snail, mexican snail > topple frags

f. cleaner shrimp > 2 was stupid enough to go up to the tunze cos the frozen mysis was stuck to the inlet cap. once get sucked there, they cannot away.

g. starfish > dunno what is it good for... never see it moving fast enough to be cleaning the tank

h. tuxedo urchin > never eat the bryopsis and died 1 week later.

Sounds like you have more problems with your water, or something in your tank: mantis??

(a) my blue cheek goby didn't kill my clams even if got sand

(b & c) miss goby? Is there a killer in your tank?

(d & e) expected, they just ram through anything, so glue all yr stuff down

(g) wat type of starfish? sand shifting star fish are good cleaners but think they eat the sand critters as well. I prefer sea cuke

(h) my urchin all never die... do u have coraline algae for them as well?

From my knowledge nothing eats bryopsis even if the info on them states they eat.

My soln:

(1) take out the coral / rock w/ bryopsis

(2) pluck/ cut / pull out as much as possible

(3) dose HOT water over affected area only

(4) scrub area with stiff bristle brush

(5) superglue the area

I suggest you test your water perimeters and check for mantis / crabs / killers in yr tank before getting any other stuff.

Perhaps you should state yr perimeters, easier to see wats wrong

[hobbes]

b. yellow goby > mia after 2 days

c. 2 spot goby > mia after 1 day

. cleaner shrimp > 2 was stupid enough to go up to the tunze cos the frozen mysis was stuck to the inlet cap. once get sucked there, they cannot away.

h. tuxedo urchin > never eat the bryopsis and died 1 week later.

OMG LOL!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!!

stnky luck! maybe i shld pray over yr tank

[optimus prime]

OMG LOL!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!!

stnky luck! maybe i shld pray over yr tank

you want to exorcist his tank?

[hobbes]

practice excorism!

[neokn]

My personal experience and current cleaning crew.

2 x CS - Does nothing but steal food from my coral occassionally will clean the tangs.

2 x Blood shrimp - Does a better job at cleaning tangs and doesn't steal food from corals as they are pretty shy.

2 x pistol shrimp - Does nothing but dig holes here and there.

1 x boxer shrimp - Seriously, I don't know what it does but try to wack LS that swims too near it.

5 x bumble bee snail - Don't see them during the day.

2 x turbo snail - Knock over practically eveything in your tank while eating.

5 x dwarf zebra hermit crab - Does a good job by shifting the sandbed but damn I need more that 5 for my 3.5' x 1' x2' tank

2 x dwarf hermit carb - Great scavangers and will wack any crab for food.

[Godzilla]

for all your algae related problems..i suggest u get a FR.

[Reefbum]

IMHO, cleaner crews are there just to help out in controlling algae problems and not totally eradicate them.Even if you put in hundreds of crabs,shrimps,snails etc..it won't help if the algae grows faster than what they can eat.Try resolve water parameters and lighting photoperiods as means of controlling algae.

[untouchables]

i may have caused some confusion with my requests... but here is to clarify everything...

a. i intend to try natural control instead of continually buying products like zeovit, rowa, etc. however, i know that it is impossible to do that if i dun control the source so thats why im going "fishless" and no feeding. gonna change salt (cos red sea salt seems to give out nitrate).

b. my cleaner crews did not die together. these are my experiences over the past 9 months.

c. my tank got no issue with what i stated except for some gha due to my high nitrate, after effect of my tank crash. i intend to get 1 of each to remove whatever residue there are or if they are gonna break out, the crews will already be at work taking it out.

btw, thanks to everyone who shared. much appreciated.

i went through liveaquaria and came up with a list that i may want to try:

a. filament algae control - court jester goby or if not, hermit crabs like scarlet hermit, dwarf red tip or dwarf zebra

b. film algae - scrubbing is still most effective but gonna get some snails like banded trochus or margarita > need to glue sps down

c. diatom - banded trochus snail

d. cyano - mexican turbo or margarita or scarlet hermit crab

e. detritus and shift sand - star fish like blue linckia (nice colour) or others like fancy serpent/burgundy/fancy brittle sea star

yeah, maybe get 1/5 the recommended amount so as not to starve them so much in case my tank got no outbreak.

[Reefbum]

No worries bro Gd luck in your quest.

[ZeRoC00l]

i may have caused some confusion with my requests... but here is to clarify everything...

a. i intend to try natural control instead of continually buying products like zeovit, rowa, etc. however, i know that it is impossible to do that if i dun control the source so thats why im going "fishless" and no feeding. gonna change salt (cos red sea salt seems to give out nitrate).

b. my cleaner crews did not die together. these are my experiences over the past 9 months.

c. my tank got no issue with what i stated except for some gha due to my high nitrate, after effect of my tank crash. i intend to get 1 of each to remove whatever residue there are or if they are gonna break out, the crews will already be at work taking it out.

btw, thanks to everyone who shared. much appreciated.

i went through liveaquaria and came up with a list that i may want to try:

a. filament algae control - court jester goby or if not, hermit crabs like scarlet hermit, dwarf red tip or dwarf zebra

b. film algae - scrubbing is still most effective but gonna get some snails like banded trochus or margarita > need to glue sps down

c. diatom - banded trochus snail

d. cyano - mexican turbo or margarita or scarlet hermit crab

e. detritus and shift sand - star fish like blue linckia (nice colour) or others like fancy serpent/burgundy/fancy brittle sea star

yeah, maybe get 1/5 the recommended amount so as not to starve them so much in case my tank got no outbreak.

Since you mentioned yr tank crash, yr tank will have re-cycle all over again

Ensure yr parimeters are in check before adding any livestock / cleaner crew. this will ensure less chances of die off again