Cleanup Crew Group Buy for pickup at Fall Fest

Update - 10/19/2009
Order form has been uploaded.  It's at the bottom of this message and here (http://www.greateriowareefsociety.o...up_Buy.xls).  The form will allow you to input your desired quantities and calculate your total.  When it's time to order, you can e-mail this form to me so that there is no confusion over what you ordered.  Please contact me if you have any questions.
--AJ
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Hey everyone...I'm organizing a cleanup crew group buy for pickup at Fall Fest.  I will be ordering from Key's Critters (which I have heard some fantastic things about) and will be handling the purchase, delivery and distribution.  This is a members only group buy (this would easily make membership worthwhile considering your savings over pet store prices).  Whether you're stocking a new tank, or just buying a few to replace what has died off, it's a great time to buy.  I've checked around and these prices are lower than many other reputable Internet retailers.  Here's what's available and prices:

 

Yes....reminders will be sent out.  I'm sending this out now so that others that may have been considering purchasing cleanup crew livestock were aware of the opportunity coming up soon so they didn't order elsewhere and pay more.  I will start to send more info and reminders about this around three weeks before Fall Fest.
--AJ

 

Hey Robyn,
You don't have to decide until it's time to order.  In fact, it would be better if people didn't tell me what they wanted until the first week of November.  That way, I don't have to deal with a lot of changes to orders.  Shipping is on Wed only and overnight delivery.  They don't do Sat delivery at all.  I am going to have to babysit things for a couple of days so I'm making very temporary accommodations for that (which will be taken down on Sat).  Anyone in the CR area will be able to pick up on Thursday night if they choose to do so.
--AJ

 

Sounds great! The more that gets ordered, the lower the prices will go!

--AJ

 

Sounds like it's going to be a big order.  You know, initially, I was going to hold off on making the order forms available, but I think I'll go ahead and let people download the order form so that they can get an idea as to how much their order is going to cost them.  Here's a PDF version of the form.  I'll work on getting an Excel version uploaded so it does all the calculations for you.  I will begin accepting order forms around October 24th.  PayPal fee is 3%.
--AJ

 

Group buy order form now available...see link in first posting.

--AJ

 

My understanding is that with cerith snails, you don't have to worry about it, but you do with astrea snails. Now, that being said, the two serve somewhat different purposes as the cerith feeds more on detritus and less on algae and the astrea primarily goes after algae and diatoms. I hope that helps.

--AJ

 

Just two weeks before the order goes in.

--AJ

 

Guidelines for what you put in your tank as a cleanup crew depends on the size of your tank, the type of substrate you're using (or not using), and the problems you're dealing with. For example, if hair algae is an issue for you, don't buy all snails...crabs do a better job on hair algae. Likewise if your issue is with cyano and brown diatoms, crabs don't do much good. It's all a balance. With snails, the recommendations are 1 per 1-2 gallons....and not all the same kind, mix them up. Astrea snails do a good job with algae on the glass, but you have to keep an eye on them. Ceriths do a better job with stuff in the sand as they will also burrow into the sand a bit and keep the surface stirred up for you. With hair algae, emerald crabs are great. Now if you have a tendency to overfeed, shrimp are excellent. I like your tendency to lean toward the scarlet hermits as they are supposed to be the least likely to nip at your corals and snails. With crabs, it's recommended to have one per 3-5 gallons. Again, mix them up. Also, remember that stuff will die, possibly some just from the stress of transit. Personally, I'm ordering 10% more than what I think I'm going to need anticipating some die off. Just remember what you'll have to pay later when you need to add just a few later. I had to add a few astreas to my nano a while back and had to pay $1.89 each for them. With those guidelines, you're looking at 15 or more snails and 6 or more crabs. Personally, I would get 8 astreas, 3 large ceriths, 8 small ceriths, 6 scarlet hermit crabs and the peppermint shrimp. Now, I don't know how the shrimps will get along, you may want to check on that.

I hope this helps.

--AJ

 

Only about 1 more week to get your orders in. If you have not checked your cleanup crew, now is a great time to do so and replenish for any losses. Here's a few things to think about...

Got aiptasia? Get some peppermint shrimp to eat it.
Got bubble algae? Get some emerald crabs to eat it (I've heard they like hair algae too).
Got cyano or brown algae? Get some Astra and Cerith snails to eat it.
Got hair algae? Get some hermit crabs to eat it.
Algae on your sand? Cerith snails and brittle stars can help keep things stirred up.
Have a tendency to over-feed? A shrimp or two and some hermit crabs can help clean up extra food.

Compare these prices and I'm sure you'll find them quite competitive. $5 will buy you 10 astra snails to replace any that may have died off.

Buy now and save! No minimum order.

--AJ