Having a clean aquarium is essential for the health of your animals. Corals will thrive in a clean environment that has a more constant pH. Utilizing a natural cleaning crew is beneficial as it reduces your workload, but more importantly, as food and waste particles are eaten and eliminated by smaller and smaller animals as it makes its way down the food chain, the microscopic bacteria also benefit. This, in turn, is beneficial for your larger animals in your aquarium as these beneficial bacteria work to keep your larger animals healthy.

Here we look at a few of the animals included in our ‘Saltwater Clean Up Crew’ packages. You can utilize these interesting and beneficial animals to keep your tank clean as well as adding variety!

Blue Leg Hermit Crab

The blue leg hermit crab (Clibanarius tricolor) is a colorful and reef-safe addition to any saltwater reef tank as it is an extremely effective detritus eater that will aid in the removal of excess food and waste from your aquarium. It is also very effective at getting into live rock crevices and eating hair algae and cyanobacteria. Named after its bright and colorful red-banded blue legs, the blue leg hermit crab has claws of equal size and makes its home in abandoned snail shells.

Blue leg hermits are intriguing to watch as they scavenge the nooks and crannies of your tank for food, algae and more. Plus they live in their own shell which is very cute and unique behavior to observe in an aquarium setting. Be aware that if there are not enough empty snail shells or food supplies available, the blue leg hermit crab has been known to attach snails to either eat them or obtain their shells. 

Lettuce Nudibranch

The lettuce nudibranch (Tridachia crispata) is given its name because it resembles lettuce. The lettuce nudibranch is an unusual but entertaining addition to any saltwater aquariums. The lettuce nudibranch is an excellent eliminator of hair algae, which is its only food source. Hair algae can become the bane of your aquarium if not properly managed. The algae will form hairy, stringy, mattes across the bottom of your tank that will suffocate your carpeting plants or trap and kill your fish. It can also grow in huge globs on the surface of your aquarium, cutting out light. 

Therefore lettuce nudibranchs do better in more established aquariums with plenty of live rock to graze on hair algae. This is due to the fact that it relies on eating the chloroplasts (part of the plant cells responsible for photosynthesis) from the algae so that the lettuce nudibranch can use the chloroplasts to get part of its energy by photosynthesising itself. Take care to screen off pumps and drains as these can severely harm the lettuce nudibranch. 

Max Size: 3″

Reef Safe: Yes

Temperament: Peaceful

Care Level: Moderate

Turbo Snails

The turbo snail (Turbo fluctuosa) is another significant player in your clean up crew as it will quickly eliminate large amounts of nuisance algae. It’s effectiveness at eliminating algae has made it very popular among aquarists. Turbo snails love to hang out on the glass and rocks, eating many types of algae. It will prefer having lots of large spaces to graze with some hiding places. If algae levels are insufficient, you can supplement the turbo snail’s diet with dried seaweed. 

Be aware, the peaceful turbo snail should not be kept with aggressive tank mates that can intentionally flip them over. Turbo snails are slow-moving and will struggle to right themselves if turned over. Turbo snails will also need calcium in order to continue to grow and build its protective shell. We recommend acclimatizing the snail using the drip method as it can be sensitive to changes in water parameters.

Max Size: 2″

Reef Safe: Yes

Temperament: Peaceful

Care Level: Easy

Nerite Snails 

Nerite snails (Nerita sp.) have a reputation as outstanding tank cleaners, clearing your tank from algae. Nerite snails will also scavenge on diatoms of doos and cyanobacteria, so they are a great allrounder. They are also one of the hardiest snails around, making them a popular aquarium snail. Nerita hail from Caribbean waters, with striking shells, making them a beautiful and useful addition to your aquarium. Nerite snails can be described as being docile, peaceful and tranquil in temperament, and are able to move throughout the tank with ease. 

Max Size: 1″

Reef Safe: Yes

Temperament: Peaceful

Care Level: Easy

“Adds a lot of activity to the tank, and has been a great addition.”

Andrew, Verified Buyer

The 50 or 100 Strong Saltwater Clean Up Crews are available here! If you want any further advice on how to keep you saltwater tanks naturally clean, feel free to get in touch with us via our website.