That's where mine came from too.
There is an old rule of thumb of 1 snail per gallon, but that's so arbitrary it's kind of silly. One thing is there is a big difference between a dwarf cerith and a Mexican turbo. So considering them the same makes the rule meaningless. The other issue is the tank. There would be a huge difference between what kind of cuc you would use in a ULNS SPS tank and a "dirtier" softy setup or a setup with messy eaters like lionfish.
Great article. I never had trouble with hermits maybe because I had no more than 2 in large tanks so they were well fed. Maybe just luck but they never bothered any snails. Stayed away from red legged ones as they got too big and aggressive. I also kept extra shells for them. One of the funniest things I saw was one of my hermits picking a shell way too large a trying to use it for 2-3 days. Hilarious seeing him with it on trying to function. Finally went back to the old one.Snails to Avoid
Engina mendicaria (Bumblebee Snail)
Avoid a large population of Bumble Bee Snails. They are whelks and are predatory on other small snails and worms. One or two in a tank are OK for decorative purposes, but remember if you see them moving up the glass, they are not grazing on the nasty algae…. they are looking for meat.
Margarites pupillus (Margarita Snail)
Another snail to avoid is one commonly present in online cleaner packages and at the LFS, is the Margarita Snail. These critters are from cold water areas and will slowly die in your tank over weeks to months. It doesn’t make a difference how they justify it or if they say there are some are from warmer waters (and of course it’s those they’re trying to sell you), they aren’t. They simply aren’t. So, it’s up to you if you want to place a cold water animal in your warm tank. They do not reproduce in our tanks and they do not lay visible eggs.
Babylonia sp (Fancy Nassarius)
Fancy Nassarius, Leopard Nassarius, Speckled Nassarius, no matter which way you say it, it all says the same thing, you’re being mislead. I’m not saying this is always done intentionally, but either way, such as it is. This is a Babylonia sp and they don’t even share the same superfamily! These are predators and they’re wanting to eat the stuff in your tank you paid money for!!! They will eat other snails, when given time.
Haliotis spp (Abalone)
Yes, it’s a snail. Not your average looking snail, but a snail none the less. This beauty lands itself in the “don’t buy” section because it really prefers cooler temps than is found in our tanks. It’s beauty will mostly be out of view as it’s a nocturnal critter and is a master at hiding in crevices.
Pests of Snails
Pyramidellidae (Pyramid Snail)
Pyramid snails are not just for clams. I’m sure you have heard it rumored that if you see them on your snails, that variety won’t bother your clams and vice versa. This is one of the rumors that have turned into a fact on the forums, but it simply isn’t true. None of the snails in different studies chose to starve when there was another food item in the tank. They have preferences and will stay on that food item until it is 100% consumed, but then they would move on to another item and so on.
Polycladida (Polyclad Flatworm)
These flatworms cause as much havoc as the pyrams above. They too eat molluscs, which includes our ornamental clams and hard working snails. They are hard to remove as they can fall creating many more flatworms to grow and hunt.
Hermit Crabs
In my opinion, there is no such thing as a reef safe hermit. There are safer choices, but none are to be trusted. With the right variety of snails, you will never need a hermit. How can you trust anything that lives in a cerith, astraea or trochus shell? They are omnivores. That’s not just potatoes folks, that’s meat and potatoes. I know they are listed as herbivores on many sites… I don’t know what to say besides these sites are mistaken.
So, let’s talk about reef-safer hermits.
Scarlet Hermit (Paguristes cadenanti)
This hermit is frequently seen for sale and tends to be a little more expensive. They eat all kinds of algae, but remember he is an omnivore.
Left-handed Hermit (Calcinus laerimanus)
They are often referred to as Micro Hermits, Hawaiian Reef Crabs or the Dwarf Zebra Hermit. They don’t grow as large as the others, making them a safer choice.
Blue-legged Hermit (Clibanarius tricolor)
They really like the greens, but have been known to steal an astraea shell or two.
Buy only what you need and what is appropriate for your tank. They are only one part of solving an algae problem and are more for maintenance than a band-aid to a problem.
Read the article. Good info on a possible natural was to get rid of bryopsis. Appreciate your sharing it.
Lol I went to the LFS today and my buddy Zack was working I got a brittle star and my scarlet reef crabs had dissapeared so I said to Zack hey bro grab me three scarlets I stikl have a handful of snails left.
Thank youSnails to Avoid
Engina mendicaria (Bumblebee Snail)
Avoid a large population of Bumble Bee Snails. They are whelks and are predatory on other small snails and worms. One or two in a tank are OK for decorative purposes, but remember if you see them moving up the glass, they are not grazing on the nasty algae…. they are looking for meat.
Margarites pupillus (Margarita Snail)
Another snail to avoid is one commonly present in online cleaner packages and at the LFS, is the Margarita Snail. These critters are from cold water areas and will slowly die in your tank over weeks to months. It doesn’t make a difference how they justify it or if they say there are some are from warmer waters (and of course it’s those they’re trying to sell you), they aren’t. They simply aren’t. So, it’s up to you if you want to place a cold water animal in your warm tank. They do not reproduce in our tanks and they do not lay visible eggs.
Babylonia sp (Fancy Nassarius)
Fancy Nassarius, Leopard Nassarius, Speckled Nassarius, no matter which way you say it, it all says the same thing, you’re being mislead. I’m not saying this is always done intentionally, but either way, such as it is. This is a Babylonia sp and they don’t even share the same superfamily! These are predators and they’re wanting to eat the stuff in your tank you paid money for!!! They will eat other snails, when given time.
Haliotis spp (Abalone)
Yes, it’s a snail. Not your average looking snail, but a snail none the less. This beauty lands itself in the “don’t buy” section because it really prefers cooler temps than is found in our tanks. It’s beauty will mostly be out of view as it’s a nocturnal critter and is a master at hiding in crevices.
Pests of Snails
Pyramidellidae (Pyramid Snail)
Pyramid snails are not just for clams. I’m sure you have heard it rumored that if you see them on your snails, that variety won’t bother your clams and vice versa. This is one of the rumors that have turned into a fact on the forums, but it simply isn’t true. None of the snails in different studies chose to starve when there was another food item in the tank. They have preferences and will stay on that food item until it is 100% consumed, but then they would move on to another item and so on.
Polycladida (Polyclad Flatworm)
These flatworms cause as much havoc as the pyrams above. They too eat molluscs, which includes our ornamental clams and hard working snails. They are hard to remove as they can fall creating many more flatworms to grow and hunt.
Hermit Crabs
In my opinion, there is no such thing as a reef safe hermit. There are safer choices, but none are to be trusted. With the right variety of snails, you will never need a hermit. How can you trust anything that lives in a cerith, astraea or trochus shell? They are omnivores. That’s not just potatoes folks, that’s meat and potatoes. I know they are listed as herbivores on many sites… I don’t know what to say besides these sites are mistaken.
So, let’s talk about reef-safer hermits.
Scarlet Hermit (Paguristes cadenanti)
This hermit is frequently seen for sale and tends to be a little more expensive. They eat all kinds of algae, but remember he is an omnivore.
Left-handed Hermit (Calcinus laerimanus)
They are often referred to as Micro Hermits, Hawaiian Reef Crabs or the Dwarf Zebra Hermit. They don’t grow as large as the others, making them a safer choice.
Blue-legged Hermit (Clibanarius tricolor)
They really like the greens, but have been known to steal an astraea shell or two.
Buy only what you need and what is appropriate for your tank. They are only one part of solving an algae problem and are more for maintenance than a band-aid to a problem.
