[WILLIAM1]

I want to add a clean up crew to my new tank the algae is really starting to grow. My phosphate is 0-my ph is 8.2- my nitrate is at 2.0- my nitrite is at 20 no ammonia left. Will the high nitrates be a problem or will some snails and hermit crabs be able to tolerate this?

[Fishhead Junkie]

i dont forsee a problem with adding hermit crabs and snails. they seem to be alot tougher than all the other things in the tank, plus they are nice and cheap so you wont feel like you lost alot if one or two eventually die. dont know how big your tank is but i made sure i got alot of snails so my glass would be clean.

steve

[WILLIAM1]

I have a 90 gallon tank how many snails should I pick up you think. I heard turbo snails are pretty good. you think any cleaner shrimp can handle it as well. I would like to add 1 or2. I also want to start some coralline too.

[Fishhead Junkie]

i only have a 29gallon bio-cube and i put in 10-15 turbo snails, like 10 hermit crabs, i did have 2 peppermint shrimp but they are gone now. one was devoured by this mean ass arrow crab i bought and the other one is MIA. i also got 2 cleaner shrimp when my hippo tang got ich, but those things are temperamental, i thought i floated them long enough, dropped them in, 1 died almost instantly, the other survived about 20mins, expensive loss!! i sorta rushed my tank which is one reason i have lost alot of livestock. what do you have in the tank so far?

steve

ps...i am in no way an expert in anyway, shape, or form but i guess others can learn from my mistakes

[WILLIAM1]

I don't have anything yet just finishing my cycling.Just a little excited but I don't want to rush it either. So it would be okay to add some shrimp you think. What about the coralline algae only becuase I'm going to look for a hermit crab with some on it cheat a little instead of buying some live rock to seed the base rock I already have.

[Krazy]

I'm thinking you might wanna just let the nitrite's level out, then get the crew rolling.. A small amount of nitrates is ok but I think the nitrites would be harmful or at least pretty stressfull to some snails/crabs

[Twan013]

from my personal experience, its kind of tricky... i had 2 hermit's that came as hitchhikers on some of my LR... last time i saw them both together, they were fighting, and now i only see one.... i can't even find the shell of the other one.. but i went through a complete cycle with them... i also had a snail, that is MIA... i don't know if they died from part of the cycle, or "done got 'et up" by the other hermit... but in any case, i'm about ready to drop in a cleaner crew myself... (i'm just gonna buy one of the packages from liveaquaria or saltwaterfish.)....

[WILLIAM1]

Got my crew rollin in algae now! Went and picked out some astraea snails about 10 also I picked up 5 blue legged hermit crabs, and a cleaner shrimp, and a pecula clown to start with. Added all my buddies a day ago. They all have survived so far not bad for a newby. By the tome I left the fish store my wife was like %^*$@##$@ how much!! Well you know I did need a few more things. Can't wait to tell her we need an RO unit shell love that.

[angie555]

With the shrimp you may have lost them cause you only floated them. I always drip everything, except for my hermies and snails but, shrimp do not do well with big changes in water. GL with your clean up crew! I wish you all the best!