[FishKid]

I purchased my clean up srew in april (i think april) and i think i need an 'upgrade' any suggestions?

so far i have:

20 nassarius
10 cerith
5 scarlet reef hermits
5 B & W hermits
1 Cleaner shrimp

I was thinking of 10 more nassarius, 5 cerith, a linkia star (which ones dont get big?), a buddy for my clear shrimp.

how does that sound? would that be adequate for now?

thanks
mark

[FishKid]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I need this ? answered... Will 2 cleaner shrimps get along?

[Mikeman]

they should though I like to usually buy 2 that are in the same tank at the same time

[botp2k1]

Fishkid, I think you may have enough nass. snails, generally, 10 per sq ft. Your tank is 30gal? Using my 29g as example...12" depth x30" wide/144=2.5*10=25 nass snails for 29g. Again, it is an example and not a hard rule. Different tanks, different sq. footage, different bioloads all will play a part on the amount cleaner crew that is necessary.

Two things to remember, not all snails you place in with survive and the other coin of that is you do not want the snails to have to compete for food, some may starve and die.

That brings us back to square one, see how the snails you have do over time, increase by 5 if the snails are all generally alive and well and was not killed by something else. Do not increase if you see them dying without being killed, maybe too many for the tank.

Watch those hermits. I do not trust hermits. None in my tanks. Cleaner shrimps are fine, you may add more, they will not fight or kill each other.

To end, I have noticed my ceriths a little more intertidal than I'd like. I have only had them for a week or two so we'll see.

[FishKid]

ceriths generally hang out close to the surface... I dont actually have 20 nassarius now, thats how many a purchased a month and a half ago, the first day, 3 or 4 were eaten, I've had no snails die misteriously, except trocus, all 5 fell on their backs and died in the same day! 36 x 13/144 3.25 Thats enough room! lol! I love getting new animals! Im planning another order, already! IM thinking IPSF.com

Mark

[botp2k1]

All trochus snails died at the same time? That is wierd, usually they are the ones that are long lived and work horses. I have read somewhere that sometimes astreas are mistakenly sold as trochus snails and astreas are the ones that cannot flip back up once fallen over. Maybe you were sold astreas instead?

When I got my snails through MO, I was probably more excited than getting fish at LFS. I lost one trochus to a bristleworm the first hour I got it. Placed trochus on a LR after acclimating, walked away. Came back and saw what looked greenish and stretching. Thought of nothing, maybe it was the snail stretching out to grab something. Hmm, looked closer, its a worm from out of a hole in the rock! Went to grab the snail and placed it elsewhere. Alas, it never made it, put in a couple of places, it moved a inch or so, never more. I think my nassarius snails had a feast when I finally placed on the sandbed. A lesson to be learned, I will never place snails in my tank on LR, only on glass or an open area away from LR on the sandbed.

As far as loving to get new livestock, I do not think anyone will disagree.