Clean-up crew

[Zman16]

In 2 weeks or so I'll be getting a clean-up crew for my tank. I want a pistol shrimp ( cause I'll be getting a gobie and they'll have a symbiotic relationship. ), and what else could i get? Keep in mind in the future I'll have a gobie and firefish.

 

[Limi310]

I could be totally wrong about this.....but I don't think a mantis shrimp forms a symbiotic relationship with anything......Maybe you are thinking about the pistol shrimp and the high fin goby? (I think that's right)

 

[Mushroomman]

Correct limi its the pistol shrimp that pal around with various shrimp gobies.

You could get the usual, few hermits, few assorted snails (nassarius, astrea, etc)

 

[Zman16]

Oh yeah sorry about that, I meant the pistol shrimp. I guess I was thinking of something else.

 

[Zman16]

Oh, ok, that sounds cool.

 

[Zman16]

Now that my water parameters are getting much better as you can see:

Amonia - 0.25

Nitrite - 0.25

Nitrate - 20

ph - 8.1

I hope in a couple of days my parameters will be perfect. So I want to know what kind of hermit crabs should I get, and how many snails and hermits I should get. Just remember I will also have a pistol shrimp, gobie, and firefish in there too.

 

[seastaar88]

peppermint shrimp are good too

 

[Zman16]

Anybody??....

 

[SALTY WATERS]

A good rule of thumb is 1 hermit per lb of LR...Dwarf blue legs are a good choice.

 

[Csilover]

Sorry, a bit off topic, but how do hermit crabs survive underwater?

 

[Zman16]

They survive underwater, just how the afican dwarf frog does. They don't need land.

Would that rule change if I wanted snails too?

 

[SALTY WATERS]

No, snails would not be a problem with that.

If you can get your hands on an Olive snail they work very nicely at keeping your substrate turned... you almost never see them as they live under the substrate and usually only come out at night, but they are a great benifit to the tank in my opinion ( I have had 2 Olives in my tanks for 3yrs now)

 

[Zman16]

Cool, I definitely look for some olive snails. How many snails should I get?

 

[1979camaro]

you are thinking of land hermits CSIlover...marine hermits are an entirely different kind of creature

 

[ram man]

a mantis and a goby would not be a good idea... the pistol and goby sound cool though, i have heard about fire fish hideing alot.

 

[Zman16]

I know I meant pistol shrimp!

 

[Zman16]

Ok I got off track. How many snails can I get?

 

[ram man]

maybe 5? i dont own snails at the moment. this is justa guess

 

[Mushroomman]

Yeah you could go for a handful, as long as there is ample grazing

 

[Limi310]

Did you read this? http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/showthread.php?t=34054 It's very helpful. Scroll down the section on the Clean up Crew. So far, I have 1 margarita snail and 1 scarlet hermit.