Is this a bad clean up crew?

For further snail purchases I would recommend margarita snails instead of the astrea's because when the astrea's fall upside down they often times can't flip back over and they die, the margarita's however don't have that problem.

 

Not sure how old the tank is. I did some research in getting one of those stars and came to the conclusion that they were far better off in older tanks with more build up in the sub... just a thought. I plan on getting one in the future.

 

+2. Pass on the astreas.

 

Strange, I purchased 10 margarita snails and they must all be defective or retarded. Not one of them has been able to flip over after they fell off a rock or otherwise end up upside down. I was told they could. My trochus snails are pretty dexterous, when they are upside down they flip over easily. For this reason if one of the margarita snails trips on something or falls off a cliff, I leave them upside down. They either die, get pushed back over by something else, or get shell-jacked by a hermit crab.

 

OK well how about this list. Keep in mind some are going in the 26 gallon nana as well and some are going to a buddy of mines 55 gallon.
100 stocky cerith
40 margarita
5 bumble bee
50 nassarius
2 mexican turbos
75 blue leg hermits
2 emerald crabs
6 peppermint shrimp
4 cleaner shrimp

 

Scenario.
Sally lightfoots will end up nipping/eating coral polyps and shrimp/crabs!!
Bumble bee snails are NOT detritivores like online gigs state, they are predatory whelks!! Electric blues may be of concern but that is a tough call, what type of star is it? If its a green serpent than be prepared to donate it to someone else.... it is an ambush predator of fish and shrimp!!

Hope you didn't order this already!!

 

Margaritas cannot right themselves either and many margaritas that people order online are actually sub tropic snails they collect in norther Cali and WILL NOT live long term in reef temp tanks!!

 

Nassarius or stombus are the only popularly sold snails that will right themselves. Snails aren't meant to flip over in sand, we just like to put them in that environment!

 

Nope this is what was ordered. Good I hope and what do you mean by the bumble bee a predatory whelks?

This is what was ordered
100 stocky cerith
40 margarita
5 bumble bee
50 nassarius
2 mexican turbos
75 blue leg hermits
2 emerald crabs
6 peppermint shrimp
4 cleaner shrimp


_________

 

I love my fuzzy chiton from reefcleaners.org.
Blue leg hermits
Ceriths
Nassarius
Couple of Turbos
Emerald
Peppermints
Cleaner shrimps are awesome and will eat out of you hand.. they'll even clean your hand ... (well maybe it doesn't really get cleaned ... hehe ).
YouTube - Cleaner shrimp feeding on me
Although some people say they only live a year- year and a half ... So I'm not sure if they're really worth the price tag.

I ordered some Limpets.. but none of them survived.
Had some sand sifting crabs.. but they only lived a couple months... they might be still alive just haven't seen them for a long time.

Maybe not really cleaner crew .. but my horseshoe crab is a great sand sifter.
Yellowhead goby sifts the most sand, but if you want any corals that will sit on the bottom I would not recommend. He's dropping sand from his mouth on the bottom all day long.