crabs and snails

[treesprite]

I'm going to be taking the hermits out of my tank because I'm tired of them killing snails. I would like to have some feedback or info

1. from people who have only or almost no crabs in their tanks and what they do have that does just as good a cleanup job, such as other type of creature and good snail combos that would "cover all the bases"

2. IS there any kind of ideal little crab, one that will not kill snails and corals? Right now I have nerite, cerith, astrea, nassarius, and tonga nassarius. TIA

[Origami]

I haven't yet given up on my hermits even though it's hard to look at the big one that's now living in my fighting conch's shell! Argh. It's Wild Kingdom in there.

[lanman]

The only thing I can tell you for sure about hermits - the big, mean ones never die. They just get bigger... and meaner...

 

bob

[Origami]

The only thing I can tell you for sure about hermits - the big, mean ones never die. They just get bigger... and meaner...

 

bob

 

Maybe I'll just add him to my mantis tank.

[jhn]

The only crabs in my tanks are commensal crabs that came in with some sps corals, these never leave the corals. I use cerith, nerite, trochus, nassarius, astrea, turbos, stomatella, collonista and collumbellid snails(these last 3 reproduce in the tank) to keep the tank clean along with some brittle/serpent stars. The only crabs I know of that leave things alone besides commensals are porcelain crabs, as they feed from the water column, so I don't know how much help they would be in keeping the tank clean.

[treesprite]

The only crabs in my tanks are commensal crabs that came in with some sps corals, these never leave the corals. I use cerith, nerite, trochus, nassarius, astrea, turbos, stomatella, collonista and collumbellid snails(these last 3 reproduce in the tank) to keep the tank clean along with some brittle/serpent stars. The only crabs I know of that leave things alone besides commensals are porcelain crabs, as they feed from the water column, so I don't know how much help they would be in keeping the tank clean.

 

I'll have to get more info on the specifics of what these do: stomatella, collonista and collumbellid. I don't use turbos anymore since I found out that they are from a temperate climate, though I'll admit there are times when I've been tempted to do it because they are like lawnmowers.

[jhn]

The above mentioned snails mainly feed on micro-algaes on the rock and glass. Also, not all turbo species are temperate snails, obviously though you need to which ones are and are not, because many places offer both..

[treesprite]

The above mentioned snails mainly feed on micro-algaes on the rock and glass. Also, not all turbo species are temperate snails, obviously though you need to which ones are and are not, because many places offer both..

Do you know which ones? I've only seen stuff that generalized without specific names.

[basser9]

I find its best to remove hermits as they get bigger and replace them with the very small type of blue legs they sell at that pet place...i think they are 35 or 45 cent....these are super small....thats under 50 for a 100....I have about 150 in my 150.....hermits unless they are huge can not kill a snail...what happens is a snail fails on it back then a pack can eat it....just turn your snails back over...you can get 100 snails100hermits..25 ceriths..from reeftopia 120 to your door....very small bluelegs are the only cleaner that con get into the small cracks in rock...this is where hair sprouts it ugly head....

[GaryL]

i think pound for pound hermits are #1 in the #2 business cause they are so darn hardy. them eating snails is an unfortunate side effect. they usually dont touch my larger snails but the small to medium are victims.

 

its a trade off i guess. i try to keep enough of both for a balancing act.

 

hth

 

g

[extreme_tooth_decay]

It's not for everyone, but here's what I do:

 

I like hermits, and have a whole bunch.

 

I buy the cheap Ilyanassa snails (100 for $10 or some such) from ebay. These keep my hermits happy, and they do a good job cleaning. They also do a good job stirring the sand bed. I know others don't like them, but I think they're great. Cheap, multipurpose...Zero downside.

 

Hermits need food like anything else...and the amount of food my tank grows on it's own isn't enough.

 

I also keep several big turbos. It doesn't seem like my crabs can or want to kill them. Probably because they have easier, more manageable prey with the Ilyanassas.

 

tim

[treesprite]

I've never heard of that kind of snail - I'll look it up.

[extreme_tooth_decay]

I've never heard of that kind of snail - I'll look it up.

 

You probably won't like them because they aren't from a normal reef climate, either...but if you just consider them disposable food/sand stirrers/algae eaters like I do...who cares?

 

I've been using them for years, always been happy.

 

Here is a link for 100 of them for $9 + $8 shipping

[treesprite]

ooooo.... these are AKA onyx nassarius. I have 5 at work, a couple in my fuge, and a couple in my tank if they are still living. There was a thread here a while back about them started by someone else. They supposedly are predatory not just detrivores, though I don't know what exactly they would be preying on.

[jhn]

Do you know which ones? I've only seen stuff that generalized without specific names.

 

Unfortunately, not off the top of my head, I have an article bookmarked or a book at home somewhere(on vacation at the moment) I'll see if I can find it when I get home. There are temperate areas on the Pacific side of Mexico where some turbos are collected.

 

Killing snails isn't the reason I don't keep hermits in my tank, if that was it then I would keep them. I don't keep them because they eat the fauna in the sandbed and on the live rock along with the algae they pick it. As for the small hermits being the only cleaners that can get into small cracks to eat hair algae....collonista, collumbelid, and rissoid snails are far and away smaller than any hermits especially when young and will serve the same puprose getting in tight space to eat nuisance algae. I prefer to have a clean up crew that cleans up and doesn't eat other beneficial critters in my tanks, since the fish do a good enough job on there own in that respect especially since I run a DSB.

 

Illyanassa obsoleta or whatever they are called are temperate snails and live shortened lives in our reef tanks and are predators on other snails as well as sand bed fauna. However, I would imagine as they die they do serve as an easy inexpensive meal for hermits. Get on Reefkeeping.com and do a search on Illyanassa obsoleta there is a good article on 'em.

Edited May 27, 2008 by jhn

[Hilary]

Here's the link to the Reefkeeping article. Interesting.

[extreme_tooth_decay]

Here's the link to the Reefkeeping article. Interesting.

 

I've read that article a few times.

 

For me, it seems like the primary point the article makes is that the snail's life span is diminished due to it being a temperate water animal (although observational evidence is not presented). To me, they seem to live a long time (certainly over a year...just as long as my other clean up crew). If they live a year instead of 2...well I have to admit...I just don't care. I respect those who do, though. (note that the article claims they can live up to 40)

 

As far as being predators...I guess I just don't believe that. I certainly haven't seen it in my own years of use of hundreds of these snails...someone needs to show me the money. Too many claims are made in this hobby without proper evidence.

 

just my $.02,

tim

Edited May 27, 2008 by extreme_tooth_decay