A well-planned saltwater cleanup crew is one of the easiest ways to keep your reef aquarium clean, stable, and enjoyable to maintain. Instead of constantly scraping glass and siphoning detritus, you can lean on snails, crabs, shrimp, and other invertebrates that naturally graze on algae and leftover food. In this guide, we’ll break down how to build a balanced cleanup crew, how many animals to add, and how to keep them working for you long-term.

What Is a Saltwater Cleanup Crew and Why Do You Need One?

Your cleanup crew is the group of invertebrates and small fish that help control algae, detritus, and uneaten food. They don’t replace regular maintenance, but they dramatically reduce the workload and help stabilize water quality between water changes.

A good cleanup crew helps with:

• Algae control: Film algae, hair algae, and diatoms on rock, sand, and glass.
• Detritus removal: Leftover food and fish waste trapped in rock and sand.
• Sandbed turnover: Preventing dead spots and compacted sand.
• General tank health: Fewer organics breaking down into nitrate and phosphate.

If you’re just starting your first reef, you may also want to review our Beginner Saltwater Tank Setup guide to make sure your system is ready before adding invertebrates.

Core Members of a Balanced Cleanup Crew

There’s no single “perfect” list, but most reef keepers build around these core groups.

Algae-Eating Snails

• Trochus snails: Excellent glass and rock cleaners; can right themselves if flipped.
• Nassarius snails: Live in the sand and emerge at feeding time to eat leftover food.
• Astraea and turbo snails: Strong grazers for heavier algae growth on rockwork.

Tip: Avoid overstocking snails. A typical starting point is 1–2 snails per 5 gallons, then adjust based on actual algae growth.

Crabs and Shrimp

• Hermit crabs: Great for tight rockwork and film algae. Provide spare shells to reduce aggression.
• Emerald crabs: Known for picking at bubble algae and leftover food.
• Cleaner and peppermint shrimp: Scavenge food and, in some cases, help manage pests like aiptasia.

For more on pairing these inverts with peaceful tankmates, see our Reef-Safe Fish Guide.

Sand-Sifters and Specialty Helpers

• Sand-sifting sea stars (with caution): Only for mature, well-established tanks with plenty of microfauna.
• Conchs: Constant sandbed grazers that also clean the lower glass.
• Blennies and certain gobies: Some species will graze nuisance algae or sift sand, complementing your inverts.

Stocking, Acclimation, and Long-Term Care

It’s tempting to buy a massive pre-packaged cleanup crew, but more isn’t always better. Overstocked crews quickly run out of food and slowly starve.

• Start small: Add a modest crew once your tank shows its first brown diatom film and test results are stable.
• Acclimate carefully: Use a drip acclimation method for 30–60 minutes; many inverts are sensitive to rapid changes in salinity.
• Feed lightly: Overfeeding fish will overwhelm even the best cleanup crew and fuel algae.
• Top off shells and hiding spots: Extra shells for hermits and plenty of rock caves reduce stress and aggression.

As your tank matures, reassess every few months. If algae is minimal and snails seem to be running out of food, don’t replace every loss. If you’re battling persistent algae, pair your crew with better nutrient control and review our Saltwater Algae Control article.

In the end, a well-chosen saltwater cleanup crew works quietly in the background, keeping your reef cleaner, your fish happier, and your maintenance more manageable. Plan your crew around your tank size, rockwork, and feeding habits, then adjust over time. With the right mix of snails, crabs, shrimp, and sand-sifters, your aquarium will look better, stay more stable, and be far more enjoyable to care for.