Cleanup crews 101

[geoffgarcia2]

ok, I've just read a very interesting post about all the wonderful critters people use to clean up algae and poop

If people could post the pros/cons of the different cleanup crew critters and which are "must haves", I can't seem to find any good comparison on these creatures online and I'll be modifying this post to include the research I find...
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Snails:
http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/tankjanitorssource/

astrea-.75"; eat film algae,filamentous,encrusting algae, cyanobacteria,diatoms;most can't flip themselves over

baha (cerith)-.75-1.25"; eat: diatom, film, red slime, *even* hair algae; burrows; can upright itself

bumble bee-.5"; scavenger; burrows; won't multiply

Margarita/Stomatella/nerite-.4";eats:diatom,film algaes and really help on the glass; tendency to climb out of tank as they like high tide areas; slower and better cleaner than the astrea; won't multiply; can't getup if they fall over

mexican turbo/trochus -eating machine;cyanobacteria/red algae;can getup if it falls over

nassarius-pea sized;burrow in the sand;eats:all kinds of
detritus. More of a scavenger then an algae eater, many people are using these snails to replace the use of hermit crabs in the reef tank.#1 sand sifter, keeping sand clean

Queen conch-eating machine

Strombus Grazers-.5";multiplies like rabbits

tiger/zebra trochus- 1"; "clean like a tornado";eats: hair and other types of filamentous algae,film and diatoms;pound for pound #1 cleaner;burrows and does glass work;will upright themselves

turbo/turban-3";best film algae eater, all round algae controller
eats: film algae, cyanobacteria,diatoms; won't multiply

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Hermit Crabs:
Blue legged,red scarlett,anemone zebra, red legged,left handed,red, Emerald,burgundy,arrow
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Shrimp:
Peppermint,coral banded,harlequin ,cleaner

 

[arcab4]

i personally stay away from hermitcrabs. they're known to kill your snails for their shell. my cleanup crew consists of snails only. got all types of snails in there. the most common are the strombus. they also lay eggs like crazy. soon you'll have tons of strombus.

i would stay away from the peppermint shrimp because they are known to eat your lil' pods and critters but people use them to control aiptasia.

for your 15gallon nano tank..i would go with a couple of snails and a cleaner shrimp.

 

[Matt Nace]

My cleaner shrimp used to often pick lots of stuff of my rocks and under my corals.

I also had two bristle starfish. These guys ate anything that the fish didn't. They also live on dietrus. Not the prettiest starfish(mine were black, but there are greens as well), but a very good scavenger.

 

[WonderBoy]

I have a 29Gal and have the following:

4 Turbo
3 bumble bee
4 zebra herrmits
4 scarlet reef hermits
2 camle back schrimp
1 cleaner schrimp
2 Emerald Crab
1 serpant star

I have had issures in my old 75gal were a blue leg did kill off several snals.  the tank I have now I put several empty shells in it of different sizes.