Hermit Shells?

[jman9331]

Do you guys buy extra empty hermit shells or do yall just let them kill your snails and take theirs as the circle of life?

 

[KillerKlownFish]

I use to purchase them but I never got them and always get refunded back. So I buy more snails and hermits and let them fight each other and take out a few snails or eat the dead snails.

 

[jman9331]

I use to purchase them but I never got them and always get refunded back. So I buy more snails and hermits and let them fight each other and take out a few snails or eat the dead snails.

I was thinking that plus I didnt want to have a bunch of empty shells laying around.

 

[chadb202]

But cycling a tank with a fish is inhumane ????

 

[46gReef]

I offer empty shells for my hermits, seems like they almost always prefer the ones inhabited by my snails anyway but I do offer empties. Can't control nature no matter how hard we try! As far as shells all over the tank Goes, I put all the empties behind my LR, occasionally they end up out front but I just keep hiding them.

 

[chadb202]

where do you get new shells from??

 

[haleyf1024]

My LFS has empty shells, a dozen for a dollar. Thankfully my hermits seem to like these shells more than killing their brothers. They will use literally any shells, I have some in nerite and turbo snail shells lol.

 

[KillerKlownFish]

But cycling a tank with a fish is inhumane ????

Where did this come from? Did I miss read something?

 

[KillerKlownFish]

I was thinking I may try to frag a zoa onto a shell??? Good/bad idea? I think if it works it would be awesome to see traveling zoas!!!

 

[Steelerfan747]

where do you get new shells from??

Live Aquaria sells some fancy ones although I know there are other places

 

[jman9331]

Live Aquaria sells some fancy ones although I know there are other places

they do but they are sold out right now and they require a $30 minimum plus 30 bucks shipping I cant justify 70-80 dollars spent on hermit shells lol girlfriend will kill me.

 

[haleyf1024]

Check with your LFS. I have also heard of people finding some at craft store and using them (after washing them thoroughly of course)

 

[Pete polyp]

I was thinking I may try to frag a zoa onto a shell??? Good/bad idea? I think if it works it would be awesome to see traveling zoas!!!

I had a hermit pick up a shell with a couple polyps on it. After a couple weeks they fell off though. I figured the crab had scraped them off on rocks crawling in crevasses.