I have some questions about "cleanup crews":

I have only read of acclimating before adding to your tank. But, should you quarantine and or dip them before adding them to your tank? Couldn't they carry harmful parasites...

Also, It is always recommended to limit the new additions, allow them to settle and your tank to adjust to the bioload. There are many places that sell "cleanup crews" packages for a designated tank size: nano pack, 40-50g pack.... these have a LOT of individuals. :unsure:

Is that really a safe addition? Should that many be added at one time?

Is there a recommended number for adding crabs, snails, shrimp?

I know this might seem to some as overkill and a little 'retentive' :blush: but - with all I've read: "quarantine" and "add slowly" are really of prime importance to new tanks (any tanks).

Thanks for your time and attention! :fish:

No....but I should. Pyram snails have been known to come in on snails. They can also carry flukes etc. Funny how we don't think of this..

Dave

I put a couple of hermits into my display tank once I was sure that it was cycled. Now I QT everything, including reef janitors. I would not dip inverts, they can be sensitive to osmotic shock.

I've always thought those clean up crew packages were a bit over populated. In my 54 I have about 10 hermits, a few nassarius and cerith snails, and a bunch of DIBS turbo snails. The DIBS turbos are small so a bunch is not a big bio-load. You do want to carefully research the snails they sell. Often they are temperate species that will only live a few months at the tropical temperatures of our tanks.

yeah perceptions dont usually register as a threat.

The last thing they here from me is a beer twist top & 'plonk' from the waters surface as they realise "gravity works" lol

Quarantine is stress.

Ich, velvet, nematodes, pyramidellid snails.. in my system... that is stress ;)