Re: Sand Sifting and Orange General Starfish??? Star Problems, Aggressive tank 7/30/06
Hello again Chris and the Crew,
<Hello>
Thanks Again for answering my question. <Sure> As far as the Orange General Star goes, I do believe the scientific name is
Protoreaster lincki. <Definitely some evidence that it is a potentially carnivorous species.> Sorry I didn't have it before. <No problem.> The fish I have not messed with the star fish so far, but the puffer likes to mess with my snails. This is my 1st aggressive tank, so I was wondering if you have any other recommendations a far as clean up goes for a Porcupine puffer, niger trigger, and maroon clown. <The cleanup crew in mostly going to be you, as most snails, crabs, and shrimp will be lunch for the niger and puffer.  May be able to use burrowing snails but even this is doubtful.>
Thanks Again,
James
<Chris>

Re: Rhinecanthus rectangulus
Wow! Thanks for the fast response. I'm kind of amazed that I'm actually talking with you. 
<Why? Why not?>
Your research has provided a wealth of valuable information to me since switching from freshwater aquariums to marine. So without taking up too much of your time, could you suggest some scavengers or maintenance type animals that would be appropriate for this biotope?
<Mmm, these are listed on WetWebMedia (.com)... use the Google Search tool on the homepage, indices...>
I've been told that pretty much everything including cukes, starfish, crabs, shrimps, urchins, conches, hermits etc. will all become trigger food.
Thanks again for sharing your time and knowledge.
<Glad to share. Bob Fenner>

Inverts
I have a 90 gal with 90lbs Kaelini rock setup since 1/10/03. I have 1 coral beauty fish. Yesterday I added an algae attack pack consisting of many scarlet hermits, turbo snails and dwarf red tip hermits. It seems like an awful lot of inverts. How long should the lights be on for them.
<Don't know that the inverts will really care. I would stick with whatever lighting you have now>
I have 2mh 175w 10000k and 2 VHO actinics. Should all of them survive and if not what will it do to my water parameters and what should I watch for.
<The biggest problem I had with crabs was that they would attack and kill the snails for shells. The Turbos may be different as I had Astrea. Watch for that. Extra empty shells may help. Watch for a crab out of its shell, likely dead and in need of removal (if you see it before the others eat it) Ammonia will spike if too many die and start to decay. They will survive if there is enough food for them so they don't attack each other and the snails. Hope this helps, Don>
Thanks

Crabs & mushrooms (reef tank) 3/30/03
Dear Crew:
<cheers, Connie>
I guess my previous letter got lost in the cracks or whatever.  
<not sure... fast and loose around here answering mail. Not intended to be sure <G>>
I have all of my crabs in quarantine pending your answer.  
<wise move>
I had a really nice frag with five shrooms on it.  First two got smaller and turned black and I removed them.  Then a couple of days later I awoke and two had totally vanished.  Anthony told me that snails don't eat shrooms,
<true of Astraea turbo snails (and related Turban-type species)... not all snails though. Many predatory species>
but vanishing overnight leads me to then suspect a crab.  I just switched to a deep sandbed this weekend (4"- a lot of work but worth it I hear).  I have a 60 gallon tank and about 20 each crabs and snails.  Maybe too many?  
<hard to say what is enough... or too much. Really depends on if you can grow enough (or add enough) food to feed them. 1 per ten gallons is a common ration bandied about for either (6 of each here)>
All water parameters excellent.  Thanks in advance for your guidance. Connie
<best regards, Anthony>

Nutrition and clean-up
>Greetings to you!
>>To you as well, John!
>I first want to thank you for the countless questions you have answered.  My three fish are doing well, in large part because of your advice.  I also want to apologize again for the length of this question.
>>Apology accepted.
>My first question relates to nutrition.  After reading about the potential pitfalls of food that uses gelatin, I decided to try to make my own.  My current tenants include a solar fairy wrasse, true percula, and a citron goby.  I made a concoction (much to my wife's chagrin) of raw shrimp, scallops and squid, with some sushi Nori and Kent Zoe supplement.  Is this a varied enough diet for long-term sustenance?  It was rather economical, and I was able to freeze it in 2oz portions using those small restaurant containers.  They also really enjoy it.
>>I should say so, it sounds delicious.  I would also offer Nori on a clip for those who might like to graze, as well as Spirulina algae--it comes in flakes, frozen, and in pellet/wafer form.  You can also vary what they get by adding things such as clam, fish, silversides, and marine algae every once in a while.  Be sure not to make the batches too large, as nutrient content can be lost with prolonged freezing.
>Next question.  I have decided to eschew crabs for clean-up.  I currently have three Turbos, one queen conch (which will be traded when it gets too large) and six Nassarius snails.  I've been adding them a couple at a time, based on perceived need.  How many Nassarius do you believe would be ideal for this size tank (30 gal)?  Are there any other non-crab denizens that would co-exist with the snails?  Brittle star, perhaps?
>>Brittle stars are wonderful, I also like serpents.  I can't give you a hard and fast rule for the stocking of the snails, however.  In my opinion it would be better to be a bit understocked, and it's your own observations that help make that determination.
>One more:  As stated above, one of my residents is a red-headed fairy wrasse.  I bought him because he didn't look like he would make it too much longer in the LFS (not a good reason, I know, but I can't help it - my wife and I feel like we have to rescue every animal).  
>>Well, not much we can do to change either of you, is there?  ;)
>I rearranged the rock to provide a lot of caves and underpasses for it.  I have observed the tank for hours, and I have yet to see a single aggressive movement among them.  In fact, the three often 'hang out' together in the same part of the tank.  I would hate to have to lose the wrasse - for practical as well as personal reasons.  What is the long-term prognosis for this arrangement?
>>Long term, expect to find certain tasty small mollusks and arthropods to become wrasse-candy.  I'll suggest you don't replace what's eaten.
>My tank readings have remained stable and ideal for two months (except a slightly low pH at 8.0-8.1,  and the 0.1 PO4 readings - slowly working on that).  Thanks again for all the advice!  JPM
>>You're quite welcome, and hopefully you'll get a handle on those phosphate readings.  Good luck!  Marina

Cleanup Crew
Hi guys,<IanB at your service today> I'm having a bit of trouble keeping my sand clean.  I have a 90
gallon reef, with 100# of LR and 100# of Southdown.   I use RO/DI water that tests at 0 on my TDS meter.  But I can't get rid of a thin red hair/film that keeps forming on top of the sand (side question: is this Cyano?). <could be. read http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bluegralgae.htm>
I currently have:
6 turbo snails
15 red-leg hermits
1 impatiens cuke
1 blood-red shrimp
1 skunk cleaner shrimp
a variety of mushrooms and polyps
1 closed brain
1 frogspawn
and a bunch of fish.
I'm considering adding the following to my tank (for cleanup purposes):
10  Astraea Turbo Snail<my red legs ate a few of these>
20  Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab<should be fine>
10  Dwarf Zebra Hermit Crab<should be fine>
2   Fighting Conch - Aquacultured  (3/4")
2   Queen Conch - Aquacultured  (3/4")
3   Peppermint Shrimp<currently have 2 that are thriving with
my other shrimp>
10  Nassarius Snail  (I like these little guys)<again hermits can/will eat them and take their shell>
2   Sand Sifting Sea Star<yes>
I also plan on picking up a blue spotted goby.<ok>
Questions:
1)  Will either of the conchs present any potential problems? <shouldn't> Will they harass the other snails and crabs?<shouldn't>  Each other?<shouldn't>
Note: there are only about three square feet of exposed sand in the tank; the rest is covered with rock)
2)Will the peppermint shrimp present any potential problems with
my other shrimp?  With each other?  With my snails or crabs?<I currently keep my 2 camelbacks with blood shrimp, other shrimp, hermits etc, they pose no threat, your ok>
3)Do you see any potential problems with the two lists above?<you should be alright>
I'm looking to make this purchase from etropicals.com (a subsidiary of the Drs.).  According to their website, and one of their sales reps, there are no problems (in terms of compatibility).  I have read articles that state the contrary.  You have the final word; please point me in the right direction.<I have enclosed some links for you, Keep reading and good luck my friend, IanB>
<http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bluegralgae.htm><http://www.wetwebmedia.com/algcontFAQsMar.htm>
<http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marind5_5.htm>
Thanks as always!  I couldn't have gotten this far without you guys!
-Adam Karp

Fish and Clean-up Crew Compatibility
>WWM Crew:
>>Marina here.
>I have a 125g FOWLR, with volitans lion, Behn's damsel, 2 green Chromis, chocolate chip starfish, zebra eel, and 3 hermits (med-sized). I'm considering adding some fish, possibly just one or all of these: a clarkii clown w/ an anemone, regal tang, yellow tang.
But I also wanted to get a trigger. What would be the least aggressive trigger out there, so that my current inhabitants and future inhabitants will not have to be pestered. Bursa? Humu? Certainly not Clown! Do you think there are too many fish with my plan?
>>I am going to strongly recommend AGAINST clowns w/anemone, as the anemones are so difficult to keep, I think a system dedicated might have more success.  I'll suggest a blue jaw, Pinktail, or niger trigger, though the Nigers are AWFULLY timid at times.  I'll also suggest not going with a Regal tang, a Yellow would be easier and possibly less aggressive.
>And I need a clean up crew--do any of these current/future inhabitants pose a threat?  I know my eel (and maybe starfish)  will not suit well for shrimp and smaller hermits (i.e. blue-legged), so they will have to be out of the question.  But how about others, like various types of snails, etc.?
>>You should expect the sea star to pose the biggest problem, and if you add the trigs you would have to watch them, though of the group the Niger would be the least problematic.  I'm glad you have the Zebra, one of my favorites, without a doubt.  You can certainly *try* something like Turbos, just a few, and see what happens, eh?  Also, don't leave out the serpent stars, they're fantastic for detritus.  I hope this helps, Ed.  Best of luck, Marina

Scavengers
Hi there,
I wrote a while back with my plans for the conversion of my current 75 gallon set up to a more appropriate 260 gallon tank.<good to hear>  To recap:  I have a Volitans Lion, an Emperor Angel,<a real beauty> a Long longnose butterfly, and a ribbon eel (still thriving after several weeks.. greedily feeds with the use of food isolation :-)  )<normally many perish from lack on eating prepared foods>  When moving to the new tank, I will add to the mix a Harlequin Tuskfish and possibly a Hippo Tang.<good hardy fish, would quarantine all fish before introduction to the main aquarium> I am excited by the beauty of these fishes (especially the eel.. a true find)<indeed> What I am looking for here is some idea of scavengers for such a predatory tank.. I understand with my mix.. it may be impossible! <yes> Serpent/brittle stars, perhaps?<the tusk wrasse will make a quick meal out of them>
  Or will they be picked apart? <yes> Obviously crabs, shrimp, lobsters are out.<yes> I have two
hermits that have survived thus far <THUS FAR> (lost the two smallest to the butterfly), but realize that the Tuskfish may make aqua snacks out of them after the move.<yes>  If scavengers are an impossibility, then what additional maintenance should I consider? <get an excellent protein skimmer and LR for this aquarium, will help keep good water quality>  I am using live rock, DSB and skimmer for filtration for this tank..<sounds great> also.. after the new tank is completely cycled..
in what order should I introduce my existing fish?  I would assume the ribbon eel first.. so that I can handle any transport stress or hunger strikes with the eel alone in the tank. <good idea> After that?  What order?  The Emperor is a bit aggressive toward the butterfly <emperors angels are aggressive towards EVERYTHING> (they are both 4".. a mistake on my part when purchasing I think <would add the butterfly before the angel>.. would have been better to get a bit smaller butterfly?)<no, angel might kill him then> but leaves the lion alone.<hmm, normally angelfish like to nip large fins>  And the introduction of the Tuskfish and the Hippo? <I would quarantine these two...hippo tangs are very prone to parasites>  I am still in my honeymoon with the hobby, even after a very rough start (complete wipeout of a tank to marine velvet) Six months later, I feel proud to have successfully (so far) kept some of the more demanding (and beautiful) fishes.. and I have WWW to thank!<your welcome, keep reading my friend, IanB>

-Clean-up crew for 35g-
Hi, I was wondering what cleanup crew I needed in my 35 gallon tank. The only animal I have in there is a dwarf lionfish. <I hope you're planning on a larger home for this critter, they max out at almost 7 inches!> I need something which will clean up any uneaten food and also clean up the fish waste which lies on the substrate. <First off, if you have any uneaten food lying on the substrate, you're either feeding too much or too quickly. I understand that these fish can be messy, so a few hermit crabs should take care of any extra scraps.> Also, would a tang e.g.. yellow tang, make a good companion? <Not in such a small tank, wait till you have a four footer> The tank has a skimmer and an external filter. Thanks. Ari Marks <Good luck! -Kevin><<There is a likely, perhaps too likely chance that the Lionfish will attempt to eat the Hermits here. RMF>>

Detritivores For Aggressive Setup
>Crew:
>>Greetings Dr. Allen, Marina with you today.
>I'm back with another brief question. I am running a 180G tank with a 7" Bird Wrasse, a 4" Picasso Trigger, a Snowflake Eel of about 12-15" (too slithery to be sure)...
>>And, personal experience, quick to nip, too!  Thank goodness they don't tend to hang on for a ride.
>3" Maroon Clown and a 3" Coral Hawkfish. I consider the tank fully-stocked at this point, though I would consider adding something that eats hair algae if it could stand up for itself in this tank.
>>I know of nothing that wouldn't be at risk in this system, possibly something like a tropical abalone, POSSIBLY, but I'm not positive that nothing (especially that trigger and eel) would bother it.
>My real question is whether or not any detritivores could survive/thrive in there. These fish are voracious eaters.
>>Indeed.  Serpent stars would be my first choice, brittle second.
>Fortunately, I have only an inch of crushed coral substrate because my DSB is in another connected tank, so I can vacuum relatively simply.
>>Excellent.
>However, I was wondering if a few large Serpent Stars could survive in there, since they hide so well in LR.  If they only come out at night to feed, the Trigger ought to be asleep when they are vulnerable. What do you think?  
>>I think one of us is psychic, or fairly knowledgeable.  ;)  Yes, I do think they would, plus, they can move quickly enough that they would stand a better chance than most other sea stars with triggers and the like.
>Thanks again for all of your help! I read the dailies religiously and have learned a lot. Steve Allen
>>Very welcome, Steve.  And I'd like to thank you for your input lately regarding the wound and disease issues, I've been linking many others on another reefing site to this information, and it's been a huge eye-opener for MANY.  Not too long ago one member landed himself in the ER for squishing a fingernail sized Nudibranch with his thumb.  MUCH to learn!  I hope my information has helped.  Marina

Detritivores and crabs 12/16/03
Oh Helpful Gurus-     I have *about* 3/4 of an inch of crushed coral substrate that needs more maintenance. I change water / siphon 4 gallons once a week in a 55 gal. I am thinking of getting something in the way of detritivores. I imagine this means snails. However, I have a hermit crab that is a pretty good size, perhaps 1.5". Am I wrong thinking the crab will eat any snails I introduce?  
<you are correct... the hermit is a calculated risk and likely to eat some desirable invertebrates. Few are truly reef safe.>
Is a crab this size just an all-around bother?
<yes>
I have a fish-only tank and plan to keep it that way, so the rest is not a problem. Small picture attached for fun and reference.
Thanks! Lance
<do consider instead one of those outstanding Amblygobius phalaena Bullet/Dragon gobies. Truly outstanding for sand sifting and hardy too. Anthony>

OTC algae attack packs
How's it going over there? <Hi Sean, MacL here.>
I was wondering if the algae attack packs which they sell (which include scarlet reef crabs, turbo snails, and dwarf red tip hermit crabs), would eat the beautiful coralline algae found on live rock. Do you think it is worth adding algae attack packs to aquariums with live rock? <I can only tell you that from my experience they will eat coralline algae.>
Sean F.

Niger Trigger
I have on about 3 Inches long doing fine in a 75 Gal. tank. I am frustrated that it seems that I cannot have any inverts in the tank to act as a clean-up crew. Are there any that a trigger would not try to eat? Thanks Dave.
>>
Not really... in the way of invertebrates... there are many fast, smart fishes that might do for various "jobs"... 
Bob Fenner

Detritus Eater
Bob,
I have a 13 gallon CPR Micro Reef tank with live rock and live sand. I have a couple of dead spots between and behind the rock where some detritus is collecting. Right now it doesn't appear to be a big problem because the skimmer is doing a good job of keeping nitrate levels down and algae blooms non-existent. Actually, the only algae I have in this tank is coralline and it's thriving. I have done some research on different detritus eaters (hermits, cucumbers, serpent stars), but all of these seem to have risks involved. 
<Yes>
I have yet to see an article about hermits that doesn't say they kill the snails or eat the coralline. The cucumbers are ok except I have a power head in the tank for water circulation. I don't want the cucumber getting sucked in and having to completely redo my tank. Serpents have been notably given the reputation of eating fish, snails, and shrimp. As a matter of fact I went to the LFS last night and saw a green serpent feasting on a snail in the display tank. 
<This species of Ophiarachna is a huge predator...>
Is there any alternative you can suggest to help with this problem? 
<If this were my tiny reef, I'd add a small submersible pump and leave "it" as it is...>
I can't add any fish. I already have my quota there. I saw from FFX that they are saying that tapestry snails eat detritus. Is that true?
<Hmm, yes.>
Thanks for your help, Chad
<You're welcome. Bob Fenner, who knows what creatures dwell in your rock, sand... and would leave this "detritus" work to them... and the increased circulation.>

Clean-up crew?
Hello again, Bob...
<Hi there>
We had a "discussion" a couple of weeks ago about some of my "just starting out" questions. Here's an update, and a couple of questions about the next step.
First of all, I've ordered the Remora skimmer and am awaiting it's arrival.
My live rock is currently curing (and really smelling horribly obnoxious on my back porch!). 
<Keep testing for ammonia, nitrite, and changing the water if these approach/exceed 1.0 ppm... and keep the water aerated...>
Hopefully it will get through the nasty stage by the weekend, when I would like to spend some time outside. :-)
<Hmm>
It's been out there for a week tomorrow, so hopefully it will be done in the next couple of weeks. Then, I plan to arrange it in my tank (70-gallons, with about 80 lbs. of live rock) and add water, set up equipment, etc.
After my water levels test correctly (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, pH, etc.), then I want to put in a clean-up crew (right?).
<Yes, this is about the "order of things">
I've seen conflicting messages about the clean-up crew regarding how many (one source said 1 crab or snail for every gallon) and what kind (some think that "good" bristle worms are part of the crew, other despise them...and then some say bad things about hermits or certain kinds of shrimp). So, what's your expert opinion on how many and what kind?
<No sense despising worms of any sorts... they're going to be "there" in a healthy system... just not too many, too large... And yes to the possibility of "nicer" Hermit species (these are covered on our site: WetWebMedia.com... the snails you can mix a few species of... again, they're mentioned on the WWM site. One per gallon of the snails and the Hermits (if tiny), is enough. Lysmata Shrimp are nice to have... best to wait on them for a couple of months though.>
Thanks again for your advice...
Kind regards,
Misty Johnson
<Be chatting my friend. Bob Fenner>

Clean up crew
Hi Bob,
Hope your morning has been good so far. System recap: 90gal, 30gal sump, Turboflotor 1000 and Aqua-C EV90 (one of these will be going to my parents' tank soon), 90lbs LR, 80lbs cc, Dolphin 800 return pump, Rio800 for addle' circulation, 210watts pc. Well, my water parameters as of yesterday: 0 ammonia and nitrite, 10ppm nitrate, 0.4ppm phosphate, ph 8.3, temp 82F, salinity 1.022, alk 2.2, and calcium 300ppm (will increase dosage of 2 Lil' Fishies C-balance). With those readings, less skimmate, and appearance of green hair algae, I think my rock is cycled and I would like to add my clean up crew (to ASSIST in MY periodic stirring/maintenance)!!! :-) 
<And indirectly to bring down that phosphate...>
I was going to start with a small Kole tang, and a dozen snails and hermits. 
<Good choices>
I didn't want to add anything close to the amount they offer in the standard clean up crew packages. I know you don't care for hermits much as cleaners, but of the red, blue, left-handed, etc., which would be the safest in a reef environment (stays small, not sooooo opportunistic/predacious)? 
<The "blue": Clibanarius tricolor... image, more on the WWM site under Hermit Crabs.>
I kinda like the look of hermits crawling around. I also wanted to add a sand sifting star (not brittle stars). I think I've seen them offered as "White Sand Stars", and they were supposedly much safer than other stars. Do you know the "correct" name for these and if they truly are safer? 
<Yes, Archaster typicus. Much safer: http://wetwebmedia.com/seastars.htm>
Do you acclimate the hermits/snails/stars the same as fish (dip/quarantine)? I know you have that on your site somewhere, but I couldn't find it (sooo much info available).
<Should come up with the Google search tool... I don't dip these or recommend same. Do quarantine ones that look like they "may not make it">
Oh one more, I have a bunch of fuzzy, copper colored algae on my rocks. I couldn't remember if this was transient or if it was indicative of something I needed to change in my water/system?
<Transient... with unfolding (aka evolution) of your system, it too will pass>
If you don't feel like repeating yourself today, the appropriate links will do! :-)
Thanks again for all the help. Hope my long email was more info than babble.
Khoi
<No worries. Bob Fenner>

My dragon wrasse, stocking, scavengers...
Dear Mr. Fenner:
I hope you are off to a Happy New Year! I emailed you before about my spiny box puffer, maroon clown fish, and dragon wrasse. I feed them Formula One Brine Shrimp plus. I have an ammonia tester which is still in yellow so there must not be much uneaten food.
<Don't rely on just one such "tester"... the best assay of what's going on in your system is your careful observation of your livestock's' behavior...>
I noticed that for the past 2 days after eating my dragon wrasse will swim upside down as if he is full. His belly appears swollen and I wondered if I should put in only 1/2 a cube instead of the whole one.
<A good idea... and I would vary this diet with other meaty foods, bite-size... even "human-intended" seafood like shrimps, clams...>
It seems he greedily runs to snatch away food from the clown.
<Yes... a good idea to train, feed "simultaneously" at opposite ends of the system...>
My puffer eats Krill-e most of the time 2-4 pieces a day. I have been feeding 1 cube of frozen Formula one and then 1/2 a cube 6-12 hours later.
Should I feed only once a day?
<With this mix of fishes, probably fine>
I feed the Puffer 2 Krill-e at a time twice daily. I have a friend that only feeds his fish every other day. Would that be better for the wrasse? 
<Yes, if it is over four inches or so in length>
I read that the clown and wrasse should eat at least 2 times a day but I certainly do not want to overfeed either.
<Agreed>
I added 2 snails to the tank to eat algae and then I read in your book that an urchin would possibly be a better choice.
<I am surprised the puffer and wrasse haven't eaten them>
The puffer hasn't eaten the snails and they usually stay away from the fish. (2 turbo snails in a 55 gallon) I wondered if the puffer or wrasse would harm an urchin. 
<If hungry, yes>
Do urchins usually live long? My local pet shop "The Bermuda Triangle" says they only get urchins in on live rock and would save me 2 back (hopefully purple ones) but that they don't live long. What would you recommend?
<Please see the various parts of WetWebMedia.com here: under "urchins", "marine scavengers"...>
OK... I apologize because I know there are about a million questions here but I promised my friend I would ask one more. :)
He has the purple lobster that he will give me later when I establish a new tank. It is in a 37 gallon with a tomato clown and Percula clown. He never really sees it. It hides under rocks and also doesn't seem to make tracks along the coral. He feeds it the same formula one and alternates with squid.
He says the lobster has molted once and that by moving the rock, he sees it is still alive. Is there anything in particular he could do to make this world a happier place for the lobster to feel enough courage to come out and say hello?
<Lower the lighting, increase water circulation, use activated carbon once a month, check the alkalinity, biomineral content of the water...>
Thanks so very much for your time and patience in these matters. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Kelli
<Be chatting my friend. Bob Fenner>

Scavengers with a Porcupine Puffer?
Hi Bob,
I enjoy your site thoroughly and I am writing because I have a question regarding clean-up in my tank. I have a 125 gallon fish only that presently has an 18 inch moray eel I bought him under the label "assorted" moray; he looks like the "whitespot" moray in Scott Michael's Marine Fishes guide) and a 6 inch porcupine puffer. With the big mess the porcupine makes with feeding, I was wondering if there are any scavengers or other means of taking care of the mess that you could recommend. Thanks a lot in advance.
<Thanks for writing. Do have a favorite given your two "show fishes"... a family of choices for that matter. The Mullids or Goatfishes: http://wetwebmedia.com/Goatfshart.htm
and in checking through the associated FAQs file you'll find other folks comments who have employed them. Very active, prodigious cleaner uppers, smart, fast enough to hopefully avoid the puffer and eel... Bob Fenner>
-Patrick-

Cleanup Crew Question
Greetings!
<Cheers, Anthony Calfo in your service>
I am a bit unfamiliar with the cleanup crews and what I would need for my tank. Every internet mail order store has a different package. They do not discuss whether these are safe with Corals. 
<the problem with some of the hermits at least is that some "unsafe" reef species of hermit slip into the similar shells of safe species and are mistaken for rogue>
Right now I have a 125 with 160lbs of LR, 4" Sand Bed, A skimmer and about 24 blue leg hermit crabs.
<all good... although too many hermits get a little rough on the DSB fauna>
What else would you recommend? I am thinking about a goby,
<Yellow watchman's are durable and attractive (blue spots)... avoid all Valencia (Sleeper gobies) and signal gobies>
some scarlet reef crabs,
<moderate to good and safe if true Scarlets>
a pair of fire shrimp,
<useless but Oh so beautiful>
a tiger tail or two, 
<if sand is sugar fine>
some burrowing snails, 
<always a nice addition>
and some Astrea snails.
<not if you have fine sand...they cannot cross it if thy fall and die. They occur on hard substrates only in wild>
I will be adding them slowly as I do not want them to starve after 4 months. 
<yes... the tank is way too young for many of these creatures>
Any suggestions or other species that I should consider? I plan on keeping LPS, SPS and mostly soft corals. 
<that's basically a sampling of all coral!!! I would strongly advise against this. Pick one group and emphasize certain families, otherwise you will soon have all of the same problems that mixed garden reefers always complain about do to such inappropriate mixes (from the elevated allelopathy/coral aggression of unnatural tankmates).>
I have a 3 bulb MH w/NO Actinics. Thanks!
<please tell me that you have an Iwasaki 6500K lamp. Otherwise, you need to expect to change/supplement your expensive MH lamps (Coralife, Blueline, etc) more often. Trust the spectral data out there... don't count on the marketing bull>
Adam
<kindly, Anthony>

Cleanup Crews
I have two mated pairs of seahorses. I want to purchase a clean up crew from Flying Fish Express, but I don't want any harm to come to my animals. Are all snails and hermit crabs compatible in my tank? I have a 75 gallon tank, with 75 pounds of live rock and crushed coral substrate. My tank is over a year old. I have a bristle star, mandarin, blenny, Firefish, and a few corals.
<I am not sure which package you are looking at, but will give you some general recommendations. FFE has the "Classic" Cleanup™ Crew and Reef Relief™ Cleanup Crew, both for 75 gallon tanks. I am not a fan of these package deals. I much prefer to buy individual groups of animals. I generally steer clear of any hermit crabs and avoid the green Mithrax crabs to. All of these guys are opportunistic omnivores, which means they can and will eat anything they choose to. A few others I do not keep would be any cucumbers and sand sifting starfish. I do like to use a variety of snails; Turban, Astrea, Trochus, Nerites, Cerith, and Abalone. -Steven Pro>

Re: Clean up crew
Why an abalone? They are very expensive. I purchased one and have been reading up on them, but I was just wondering why you suggested this animal.
<they are AMAZING and incomparable herbivores once established><<Make sure you get/use a tropical species for warm-water systems... Almost all haliotids sold in the trade are temperate animals... won't live... RMF>>

Cleanup Crews
Hello,
What would you suggest as a cleanup crew for a 215 reef, mixed fish and invert?
<It really depends on the tank; lighting, nutrient export, stocking, feeding, etc. all play a part.>
Is there a general rule to follow?
<The only rule I have is to use a variety of creatures and monitor what thrives/works. Astrea snails mixed with Turban snails, limpets, etc.>
I currently have 180 Astrea snails, 100 scarlet hermits, 8 serpent stars, 5 sand sifting stars. Is this overkill?
<Not enough variety for my tastes, way too many hermit crabs (probably soon to be a lot fewer snails), and I do not recommend the sand sifting starfish.>
Do you even recommend sand sifting stars or are they not reef safe?
<They are "reef-safe" in that they do not eat corals, but they must eat worms, pods, and other sand life to live. Most times they scour a sand bed until nothing is left and then they starve and die.>
Thanks, Steve
<You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Foxface marine fish
are they used to clean in invert systems
<Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/rabbitfi.htm
Bob Fenner>

Mystery snail ID 8/15/04
Hi there, how's things?  I'm a long time reader, first time writer. My basic system  is quite small (Despite all your good advice, budget would  only allow a small tank). The main tank is 24 X 15 X 15inches, with an overflow weir falling into a sump complete with plenum (constructed as outlined in an article by Roy Eeke in "Marine World" July 2002), skimmer and being pumped back up at 2000L/h (minus whatever I lose in head pressure).  <Sounds fine.  There is nothing wrong with smaller tanks.  A bit more attention to salinity and temperature are all that are required.>
Anyways, I've been cycling this tank for several weeks (initially with a dead shrimp), ammonia spike is over, but nitrites are huge, so waiting waiting waiting. The shrimp was only in a couple of weeks, then whilst walking along the beach here in sunny Townsville, I picked up 3 hermit crabs and 1 snail (I then thought they'd make an ok source for ammonia, so removed the dead shrimp).
<Good thought!  I have never been a fan of the dead shrimp thing.  Adding newly acquired live rock will provide plenty of ammonia on it's own.>
I haven't been able to id any of these critters, but the snail is my particular worry (like to get rid of any dangers before I plunk fish  in). He/she is a bit of a burrower, has an elongated spiral shell, mostly white with a black tip. Also possesses a proboscis.
<It sounds like a Nassarius, but I am not sure of their distribution.  Observe the direction of the spiral of the shell compared to that of a known snail.  Whelks are dangerous predators, and can be ID'd by the fact that their shells spiral in the opposite direction of other snails.  Don't use pictures since they can be reversed when printed.>
Is this fellow going to be beneficial or a hazard in my tank? I've attached a pic, though not a very good one. I LOVE the site by the way, so many opinions from different writers, it's an absolute candy store for the marine reader! Thanks heaps for your expert time! Kind regards Ben <Glad you enjoy the site!  It is most likely that your snail is perfectly safe, but do keep an eye on it just to be safe.  AdamC.>

Help with basic snail id - predatory or not?
Hello, I wasn't sure if this was the place to email for help with identification. I have a 20 gallon tank up and running and everyone is happy. I am just starting a 55-gallon tank. A friend of mine gave me all his live sand/rock from his salt water tank which he's converting to fresh water. I added it to my 55-gallon and notice this snail in it (see attached). Until the 55-gallon is established, I thought it would be better to put the snail in my 20-gallon tank - but I want to make sure it isn't predatory. My friend doesn't remember what types of snails he added, and I didn't see this type of shell online anywhere. I suspect it is just a harmless algae-eating snail, but want to make sure. He is purple inside. Thanks! Kari <Your snail looks like some kind of conch, but I can't be sure. Conchs have a long proboscis type mouth that kind of looks like an elephant trunk. They also have fairly large eyes on long stalks that extend upward around the edges of the shell. They also often bury partially in the sand. Compare the twist of the shell to another snail. Whelks are predatory and their shells spiral in a direction opposite that of other snails and have tiny eyes on a short stalk. Best Regards. AdamC>

Clean Up Crew For Overstocked Conditions - 02/10/06
I have a 46 gallon bowfront aquarium that I have had set up for 8 months now.  I am wanting to add some sort of clean-up crew to help me with keeping this system as healthy for my fish as possible.  I have done a lot of research as far as what's compatible with my other fish (a 4-inch Niger trigger, a 9-inch snowflake eel, and a 5-inch emperor angel).
<<Ack!!  Too much  fish flesh for this tank my friend!>>
I know this is too small of an aquarium for these fish and I'm planning on getting one twice this size around April.
<<Mmm, may do for a year or so...really need one twice again that size for this mix.>>
I am constantly getting these algae bloom, mostly red and green and some brown,
<<Likely due to the "overstocked" condition of the tank.>>
in my tank so I was wanting to get something to control it.
<<Better to address the cause...>>
I recently went to my LFS and I purchased 8 blue hermits and 3 Mexican turbo snails and introduced them to my tank without any problems.  Everybody's getting along without any disputes.  I was told by my LFS that I should get 7 or 8 more hermits and a 5 more snails... is that to much in a tank my size?
<<You might get by with the addition of the hermits, though the Snowflake moray may take notice of them eventually and thin their numbers...but I wouldn't add any more of the Mexican Turbos to this size tank...if that's truly what they are.>>
I want to get some sort of sand sifter as well so I wanted to know what you recommend.
<<Do a Google search on sand-sifting gobies.>>  
Can you think of any other invertebrates that would be beneficial to my tank and be able to survive the other fish in my tank?
<<Hmm, nope...not under these circumstances.>>
Thanks for your help!
Brian Brantley
<<Regards, EricR>>

Lunare Wrasse Rescue, comp. scavengers    9/5/06
I recently went to purchase some miscellaneous aquarium supplies from someone breaking down their saltwater setup.  He had three fish (a maroon clown, a yellowtail damsel, and a lunare wrasse) sitting in putrid, stagnant, water in the bottom of a bucket.  All three were very very near death, so I went ahead and got them to attempt a rescue.  The yellowtail didn't make the 30-minute trip home (very sad).  After some time and effort, the other two are recovering well -- though the clown is still a bit lethargic and the wrasse seems to twitch now and then.  
I put a BTA with the clown, and I think that's helping his recovery.  
I'm planning on integrating the clown in my main (150g) reef tank, but don't think the inhabitants will appreciate the wrasse.
<Much more likely the BTA...>
  The local fish store doesn't want the wrasse, and so I decided to keep him since I invested so much effort to keep him alive.  I'm setting up a separate 55g tank (it's the biggest tank I have available right now) just for the wrasse.  I've been told, and have read that they like to eat things like snails and crabs.  So, to my question (sorry for being so verbose)...Do you know of any species of tank cleaners (snails, crabs, etc.) that can reside in the wrasse tank without getting munched.  If not, what sort of critter would you recommend putting in this tank to remove detritus and any uneaten food?
<Mmm, I'd look to fishes instead of invertebrates here...>
By the way, the wrasse is about nine inches long.  Thanks for any tips.
Chris.
<Perhaps sand sifting Valenciennea... Salarias/Atrosalarias blenny... a small siganid... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marscavart.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>