What Kind of Clean Up Crew do i need to get?

Well, since i've decided to make my tank a reef, what cuc do i need to get? and how many of what species, i know nothing about cuc's.

 

Go to reefcleaners.org and fill out a custom CUC form.

 

ok thanks i'll check it out

 

No offense but I don't believe in CUCs sold online, I am sure reefcleaners is legit, don't get me wrong but I have seen WAY too many sally lightfoot crabs, horseshoe crabs and temperate water snails in "packages". What are you trying to clean up? Lets start there...

 

You won't find any of those at reefcleaners. Believe me they know what they are doing. Also they don't sell packages you fill out a form then he recommends what you should get.

 

You could also try reeftopia.com.
I'd get the Algae Control Critters Special: 36 Turbo Snail {astrae}, 12 Med Blue Leg Hermits, 12 Scarlet Reef Hermits, 4 Emerald Crab, 6 Nerite Snails, 6 Cerith Snails and 2 Star Snail. Free Shipping & Box. $99.
Great price and free shipping to boot. All of the snails, emerld crabs, peppermint shrimp and hermits arrived alive and well in my order from them.

Ordering online from a trusted vendor is as good, if not better and cheaper, than buying a CUC from a LFS.
The only difference is they ship overnight to YOU, YOU acclimate them directly once into YOUR tank, rather than LFS employee maybe carelessly acclimating them (along with the other 40 boxes of aquatic livestock that arrive at the same time) at the pet store, then charging a 50%+ markup, and you have to reacclimate them to your tank again anyway, causing more stress on them.

 

Yep.

reefcleaners is great. Their livestock is all very healthy and their prices are awesome.

 

because I'm cheap I hate spending a bunch of cash up front, especially for any CUC. I usually but 10 hermits and 10 snails for $12 every time I go to my favorite LFS to stock up on whatever.

~Will.

 

reefcleaners.org=)

 

Scarlet hermits are no where as effective as say the cortez red legs...clibanarius spp... the scarlets tend to get bigger and will become more aggresive towards themselves and other snails... c.tricolor, or dwarf blue legs are great also, as they are one of the few crabs that will eat cyano... not saying they will clean the tank of it as the cyano tends to grow so rapidly but they do a good job combating it...
Nassarius vibex, and tonga are good cleaners also as they stir up the sandbed eat carrion and other left over food.. The vibex stays small but the tonga gets the size of a small grape or so..