[Little fish]

I got a 55 gallon but only one turbo snail, and five blue leg hermits. Well the one turbo does a very nice job with the algea, but he is not getting it all so I was concidering adding another snail, starfish, or sea cucumber. If I get a snail I was thinking bumble bee one, but I like the starfish more than a snail and I really like the cucumber. My question is does the starfish and the cucumber eat the same stuff and clean stuff like the turbo snail?

Thanks

[dave00gt]

Originally Posted by Little fish

I got a 55 gallon but only one turbo snail, and five blue leg hermits. Well the one turbo does a very nice job with the algea, but he is not getting it all so I was concidering adding another snail, starfish, or sea cucumber. If I get a snail I was thinking bumble bee one, but I like the starfish more than a snail and I really like the cucumber. My question is does the starfish and the cucumber eat the same stuff and clean stuff like the turbo snail?

Thanks

i think the turbo snail , would do a better job at cleaning, why? cause he is pretty quick, and has a better area coverage then a cucumber and a starfish.

i have 3 semi large snails, and they do a damn good job on rocks and walls, they hardly are at the bottom, so the cucumber and starfish and the hermit crabs would be great for the gravel cleaning.

[marxsman]

Also keep in mind the bumblebee snails are Carnivores they eat leftover food and dead things

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by Little fish

My question is does the starfish and the cucumber eat the same stuff and clean stuff like the turbo snail?

The short answer: NO!

First of all, there are thousands of different species of sea stars, so you would have to be more specific than that. In general, most sea stars are ravenous omnivores that will eat stuff that you paid good money for once they are big enough and hungry enough.

Sea stars in the genera Linckia and Fromia will eat film algae, along with microbes, microcrustaceans and detritus but most of the others are potentially risky in a reef aquarium. Some of the so-called serpent stars are relatively reef-aquarium safe but many are not. None of them are algal grazers like turbo snails.

There are hundreds of species of sea cucumbers but in general, they come in two types: Suspension (filter) feeders and sand moppers. The only type that can be considered as a member of the cleanup crew would be the sand moppers (e.g., Holothuria). They consume microbial film from sand that they process through their bodies. It goes in the front end and comes out the back end. In between, the microbes are digested and the sand is "pooped" out the rear end as little pellets. Actually the size of the pellets depends on the size of the cuke.

Bumble bee snails are a poor choice for a reef aquarium because they are omnivorous and sometimes predatory on other snails.

[Poseidon]

Good thing you didn't give the LLOONNGG answer Ninong!