Tank Cleaners

[mattdang]

What should I get for a 90 gallon tank? I will have reef in the future, so what should I avoid getting now? Any advice? Thanks

 

[cameron]

The mix is pretty subjective and somewhat depends on the type of substrate you will be using.

As for vendors, you can't go wrong with Stevhan at ItsFishyBusiness or ETropicals.com has a great deal where you get free shipping on cleaner packs that are over $75 and they have great prices.

 

[cameron]

Oh I would personally avoid blue leg crabs and stick with the red leg variety if you decide to pick up some hermits. Cleaner packs are a good way to get a lot of inverts in the tank for a great price as well.

Consider adding in a few emerald, a sally lightfoot or a fromia/linkia starfish. They aren't the most effecient cleaners in the world, but they are a lot of fun to watch.

 

[wbholwell]

And I'm not sure how beneficial they are, but I love my sand starfish.

 

[mattdang]

Cameron;49290 wrote: Oh I would personally avoid blue leg crabs and stick with the red leg variety if you decide to pick up some hermits. Cleaner packs are a good way to get a lot of inverts in the tank for a great price as well.

Consider adding in a few emerald, a sally lightfoot or a fromia/linkia starfish. They aren't the most effecient cleaners in the world, but they are a lot of fun to watch.

Thank you Cameron

 

[george]

Between my expanding tank and revamped refugium, I am in serious need of an infusion of cleaners to the point where I can commit to enough to get one of the big deals from Florida Pets, Key Critters, or ETropicals. I am leaning to Florida Pets because of their sponsor status, I need Nassarius or Cerith snails, and they have pods to jump start my refugium faster.

If you're interested and/or have a different vendor to suggest, PM me or post. I'm looking at early next week to order.

 

[cameron]

wbholwell;49312 wrote: And I'm not sure how beneficial they are, but I love my sand starfish.

Sand sifting starfish are VERY controversial in the aquarium. They eat both good and bad critters in the sand they also fall into the "what kind of substrate are you running and how deep is it" area. I personally own one and love the guy regardless of the good stuff in the sand he eats. I am a bad owner as my sand really isn't deep enough, but I have had the sifter for over four months and he seems to be doing quite well.

 

[george]

Cameron;49371 wrote: Sand sifting starfish are VERY controversial in the aquarium. They eat both good and bad critters in the sand they also fall into the "what kind of substrate are you running and how deep is it" area. I personally own one and love the guy regardless of the good stuff in the sand he eats. I am a bad owner as my sand really isn't deep enough, but I have had the sifter for over four months and he seems to be doing quite well.

What I've read indicates that this is the ideal situation for a sand sifting star. A shallow sand bed needs to be kept relatively clean and stirred otherwise it can become a nitrate pit, so stars are good in this case. However, a starfish will demolish a deep sand bed. As a matter of fact, if you're wanting a DSB, avoid anything but shallow stirring creatures altogether. Stick to small snails like Ceriths or the non-sand burrowing snails, but avoid conchs and cowries. Otherwise, the star and other sifters will not only disturb the anaerobic layers of the bed releasing all kinds of junk, but will eat the little critters that keep a DSB alive and healthy.

 

[cameron]

I get some nasty algae in my sandbed at the front of the glass even with this guy. I have found conchs and giant cerith snails are better "stirrers" at the front of the glass than my sand sifter. My sandbed was meant to be 1" but ended up being about 1-2" due to a retarded user error (I didn't account for live rock on the bottom of the tank taking up considerable space). Star does seem to like it and nothing in my bed is considered necessary for tank filtration.