Scarlet reef hermit crab with bright red legs

KNOWLEDGE, CULTIVATED.

Cleanup Crew

Choose the right workers for the job: algae grazers, leftover-food scavengers and sand-surface feeders have different needs.

Useful: a practical addition when properly fed. Caution: specialist care or compatibility risks. Start small and add only what your reef can sustain; cleanup animals recycle waste rather than exporting nutrients. Maintain filtration and routine cleaning.

Adult sizes are approximate: snail sizes describe shells, crab sizes state the measurement used, and star sizes include arms. Confirm the supplier’s species, acclimate to matched conditions and quarantine appropriately; do not use coral dips on cleanup animals.

Written by Christian, Signature FragsLast reviewed:

Small cleanup fauna

All cleanup crew
Ophiactis savignyi: small star identification reference.

Ophiactis savignyi: a small brittle-star example.

Mini brittle stars

Useful

Small Ophiuroidea; Ophiactis-type forms

Useful small crevice workers; frequently shared with seeded rock.

Quick ID
Tiny central disc and slender arms protruding from rock holes; some species have six arms.
Typical adult size
Usually millimetres to a few centimetres across the arms.
Useful work
Collects tiny food particles and organic material in crevices and beneath rock.
Feeding & care
Provide mature rock, refuges and normal particulate feeding; no need to overfeed to grow a population.
Best fit
Established reefs and refugiums; often exchanged by hobbyists.
Watch out for
Not interchangeable with large predatory brittle stars. Dips and unsuitable transport can damage them.
Research sources
Magnified female Tigriopus sp., possibly T. japonicus, carrying eggs; one harpacticoid example.

Magnified female Tigriopus sp., possibly T. japonicus, carrying eggs; one harpacticoid example.

Cultured copepods

Useful

Tisbe, Tigriopus, Apocyclops and other cultured genera

Small food-web helpers; choose a culture suited to your reef.

Quick ID
Tiny moving dots on glass or under magnification; body shape depends on the genus.
Typical adult size
Roughly 0.3–2 mm for common cultures; species and life stage vary.
Useful work
Some consume microalgae, biofilms and fine organic particles; also supply live food.
Feeding & care
Buy an identified marine culture; provide refuges and the supplier-recommended food, avoiding excess nutrient input.
Best fit
Refugiums, rock crevices and systems supporting pod-eating fish.
Watch out for
A bottle does not guarantee a lasting population. Fish predation and unsuitable habitat can quickly reduce numbers.
Research sources
Gammarus locusta: crustacean identification reference.

Gammarus locusta: a marine amphipod body-shape example; not an identification of every reef “pod”.

Cultured amphipods

Useful

Marine Amphipoda; supplier-identified cultures

Useful scavengers and live food when their population has refuge.

Quick ID
Small sideways-flattened, shrimp-like animals that crawl or hop through rubble.
Typical adult size
Often 2–10 mm for traded cultures; species vary widely.
Useful work
Consumes organic scraps and, depending on species, algae and detrital material.
Feeding & care
Provide rubble, macroalgae or a protected refugium; use a marine culture rather than freshwater pond animals.
Best fit
Refugiums and established rockwork as part of a varied food web.
Watch out for
Many fish eat them. Large populations indicate available food; not every wild amphipod has the same feeding behaviour.
Research sources
Close-up of coral tentacles in purple, pink, blue and green

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