Clean Up Crew Invertebrate Pack – Sand Cleaners

Keep your sand bed clean, aerated, and full of life with our Sand Cleaners Clean Up Crew Invertebrate Pack. Built specifically for saltwater and reef aquariums, this pack provides a balanced mix of trusted sand-sifting species that actively target detritus, leftover food, waste, and algae trapped within your substrate. A healthy sand bed is essential for long-term water quality, and this pack is designed to maintain it with the right creatures for the job.

Each pack includes a precise blend of Nassarius Snails, Red Leg Hermit Crabs, Blue Leg Hermit Crabs, and Tiger Sand Conchs. Together, they stir and oxygenate the sand, reduce nutrient buildup, limit dead spots, and help prevent compaction that can lead to poor water conditions.

Whether you’re stocking a nano reef or a large mixed-reef system, this pack introduces a hardworking cleanup crew that supports long-term stability. These invertebrates naturally sift sand while consuming waste and nuisance algae, creating a cleaner environment for coral, fish, and beneficial bacteria to thrive.

Included Inverts	Nano 40g	40–120g	120g+	Function
Nassarius Snails	3	6	12	Sand Cleaner
Red Leg Hermits	2	4	8	Algae Eater Sand Cleaner
Blue Leg Hermits	2	4	8	Algae Eater Sand Cleaner
Tiger Sand Conch	1	1	2	Sand Cleaner

Choosing the Right Pack Size

Match the pack to your display tank’s volume: Nano–40 gallons, 40–120 gallons, or 120 gallons and up. The amount of open sand matters as much as water volume, so tanks with limited sand coverage may be better served by the smaller pack.

Sand Bed Requirements

These reef tank sand cleaners need an open sand bed of fine to medium grain, ideally at least 1–2 inches deep. Nassarius Snails and the Tiger Sand Conch burrow and sift through the substrate, and coarse crushed coral or bare-bottom tanks will not support them.

When to Add a Clean-Up Crew

Add your clean-up crew once the aquarium has fully cycled, ammonia and nitrite read zero, and the first film or diatom algae begins to appear. Adding a crew to a brand-new, algae-free tank leaves it with nothing to eat.

Acclimating Your Crew

Float the bags to match temperature, then drip acclimate over 45–60 minutes. Snails, hermits, and urchins are sensitive to rapid salinity changes. Place snails upright near rockwork after acclimation so they can attach quickly.

What to Expect

Expect the sand to look noticeably cleaner and less compacted over several weeks. Nassarius Snails are carnivorous scavengers that rush out at feeding time, while the conch grazes film algae and detritus on the sand surface.

In very clean or lightly stocked tanks, add a small portion of sinking meaty food once or twice per week so the sand sifters do not starve. Keep a few empty shells on hand for the hermit crabs.

Compatibility

All inverts in this pack are reef safe. Avoid triggerfish, puffers, hogfish, and larger predatory wrasses, which may eat snails and hermit crabs. Invertebrates are highly sensitive to copper, and copper-treated water or medications should never be added to an aquarium that houses them.