Top 5 Essential Clean Up Crew Members for Every Reef Tank

A well-stocked clean up crew (CUC) is essential for any reef tank. These hardworking invertebrates eat algae, consume uneaten food, and help maintain a healthy ecosystem. But with so many options available, which ones should you actually add to your tank?

After years of reef keeping and countless hours watching these critters work, here are the five clean up crew members every reef tank needs.

1. Trochus Snails - The Workhorses

If you could only have one type of snail, make it Trochus. These cone-shaped snails are the ultimate algae-eating machines and they have a superpower: they can flip themselves right-side up if they fall off the glass.

Why they're essential:

• Excellent algae grazers - eat film algae, diatoms, and some hair algae
• Self-righting ability means fewer dead snails
• Breed in your tank, providing a sustainable population
• Won't knock over coral frags like turbo snails

How many: Start with 1 per 5 gallons

Browse snails on the ReefBay marketplace

2. Cerith Snails - The Sand Sifters

While Trochus work the glass and rocks, Cerith snails handle the sandbed. These small, elongated snails burrow through the substrate, eating detritus and preventing dead spots.

Why they're essential:

• Keep sand beds clean and aerated
• Nocturnal feeders that work while you sleep
• Eat uneaten food before it decays
• Won't disturb coral placement

How many: 1 per 2-3 gallons

3. Blue-Legged Hermit Crabs - The Scavengers

Hermit crabs are the opportunistic cleaners of the reef. They'll eat just about anything - algae, detritus, leftover food, even fish waste. Blue-legged hermits are reef-safe and relatively small, making them perfect for most tanks.

Why they're essential:

• Eat multiple types of waste
• Get into crevices snails can't reach
• Active and entertaining to watch
• Help control cyano and hair algae

How many: 1 per 5 gallons

Pro tip: Keep extra empty shells in your tank so they don't attack snails for their shells.

Find hermit crabs on ReefBay

4. Peppermint Shrimp - The Aiptasia Eliminators

These beautiful pink shrimp do double duty: they clean up uneaten food AND eat pest aiptasia anemones. If you've ever dealt with an aiptasia outbreak, you know how valuable this is.

Why they're essential:

• Natural aiptasia control
• Clean up leftover food at night
• Pick parasites off fish
• 100% reef safe

How many: 1 per 20-30 gallons (more if you have aiptasia)

Check out our Complete Peppermint Shrimp Care Guide

5. Nassarius Snails - The Buried Treasures

These snails spend most of their time buried in the sand, but when food hits the water, they emerge like tiny submarines. They're the best at eating uneaten fish food before it can decay and foul your water.

Why they're essential:

• Incredibly fast to find uneaten food
• Aerate the sandbed while moving
• Won't bother corals or fish
• Signal feeding time when they emerge

How many: 1 per 3-5 gallons

Building Your Clean Up Crew

For a 50-gallon reef tank, here's a solid starting point:

• 10 Trochus snails
• 15-20 Cerith snails
• 10 Blue-legged hermit crabs
• 2 Peppermint shrimp
• 10-15 Nassarius snails

Start conservatively and add more based on your tank's needs. A tank with lots of algae growth may need more snails, while a tank with persistent aiptasia could use extra peppermint shrimp.

What About Other CUC Members?

There are plenty of other options - turbo snails, emerald crabs, fighting conchs, sea cucumbers - but these five form the foundation. Once you have these established, you can add specialty cleaners based on specific problems.

Check out our full Clean Up Crew Guide for more options.

Where to Buy Clean Up Crew

You can find all these CUC members on the ReefBay marketplace. Many sellers offer CUC packages that include a mix of snails, hermits, and shrimp - often at a better price than buying individually.

Ready to build your dream team? Browse snails, hermit crabs, and shrimp from trusted sellers in your area.