Feeding Hermits??

[lickyricky]

So I have 4 Mexican red leg hermit crabs and one banded trochus snail on my CUC. I just got a diatom bloom yesterday and it is quickly spreading. My question is...will the hermit's eat the diatom? how about the snail? Do I need to supplement the hermits food? I dont have any fish yet so I am worried that the crabs wont have anything to each with no leftover food sinking to the bottom. If so, what is the best food for them? one last question, What other additions to my CUC should I add. Its a 30 gallon tank.

 

[ritter6788]

Hermits can go a long time without eating so I wouldn't overfeed the tank trying to get some to the hermits. You could use sinking pellets and place them near the hermits. Hermits will not eat diatom algae. I like to add Turbo, Cerith and Nassarius snails. I don't keep any hermits except in my mantis tank.

 

[Steven R]

+1 new life spectrum sinking pelets. And just be patient the diatoms will go away on there own just make sure you do a large water change after your cycle is done.

 

[707 Reefer]

I don't even feed my hermits, whatever the fish don't eat, they just pick up off the sand bed.

 

[wysiwyg]

i never feed my hermits there pretty good at scavaging. but with no fish some sinking pellets would be a nice benefit for them just feed them once a week

 

[ritter6788]

I don't even feed my hermits, whatever the fish don't eat, they just pick up off the sand bed.

The OP doesn't have any fish yet.

 

[lickyricky]

Thanks everyone for your replays. What about the nassarius snail...how many would you suggest? I have 1 in the tank now

 

[Cooper32803]

I have 4 in my biocube and they all seem to be doing really well... I also have 3 Black Turbos, 3 Trochus, 2 Nerites and 5 Scarlet Hermits...

 

[Salty D]

I had bad luck with hermits...they had 2 dozen empty shell of all different sizes to move into but systematically hunted down the snails 1 by 1 and killed them. Just to move in and right back out again.