30 Gallon Cleanup Crew

[Sid Vicious]

Hey I just setup my 30 gallon reef tank. It is fully cycled and want to start adding my cleanup crew. Here is what I have planned for it please tell me if you have any recommendations.
They are in order in which they will be added to the tank to ensure they don't starve to death.

3- Astrea Snails *added 03/02
3- Trochus Snails *added 03/02
1- Queen Conch (non-fighting) *added 03/02
3- Cerith Snails *added 03/02

-wait a week
5- Scarlet Hermits
3- Nassarius Snails
1- Cleaner Shrimp

-wait a week
5- Mexican Blue Leg Hermits
2- Peppermint Shrimp

-wait a week
1- Emerald Crab
1- Coral Banded Shrimp*maybe a pair*
2- Turbo Snails

*Conchs are cool, should I add a second?

and possibly a Serpent Starfish. Also might get about 10 Bumble Bee Snails just because they are cool. Also they are small and can get into small spaces.

Is there anything that I may be overlooking? Also my sandbed is about 1-1 1/2" so I'm not getting a cucumber. I was told that if I am adding a CBS to add them as my last shrimp. Will the CBS go after my pep's and cleaners?

 

[djconn]

Sounds good to me. I've got two conchs in my 20 gallon and I really like them. I've also got a CBS and a pepermint shrimp and they get along just fine. The pep. basically just hides in the rocks all day. Don't see him much.

I would reconsider the serpent star. I had one in my 20 gallon and he ate a flame angel, a blue damsel and a little mandarin. They are notorious for hunting down small fish (which I didn't know at the time). He also knocked over all my frags and was just a royal pain in the butt. He got traded back into the LFS after all that.

Also might want to add a few more hermits. Ten in a 30 gallon just seems to be a little on the low side to me. I'd push for more like 20-25 hermits. Just my opinion though. Some people hate hermits :twisted: .

Heres a pic of the monster serpent star in my 20 gal before I took him back:

 

[incysor]

As dj already stated I'd stay away from the serpent star, especially the green ones. They're fish killers.

My CBS definitely got agressive and killed several of my shrimp as it got larger. And that was in a 55g. I won't put another one in any of my tanks. I think it's likely that in a nano it'll kill other shrimp.
If you want more than one, you've gotta find a mated pair, or at least one male and one female. If it's two of the same sex they'll fight until one is dead. I don't know of any reliable way to sex them, but perhaps with some research you'll find there's some coloration difference or something so you can tell them apart.

B

 

[cich1]

I had the same problem with my green serpant star, he was a model citizen for about 9 mons and then he went on a killing spree and got one of my clowns, a yellow watchman goby and a firefish before i got him out

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

I'd suggest bumping up the nassarius snails. I have about 15 or so in my 30 gallon. The rest of your list looks great, but as mentioned skip the serpent star.

 

[skipm]

I would stay with one queen conch, they need a fairly large tank in order to get enough food unless you add food for them.
I would also add several more nassarious snails. I like the nassarious vibex, they are great sandsifters spending most of their time buried in the sand and don't get very big which is nice in a nano.
As for adding more snails for algae control, I would stay with your plan and add more as/if necessary, you may have enough to control your tank without adding more.
I would also get either the red leg hermits or the blue legsn not both. That is JMO. Good luck, Skip