Hermits eating margarita snails

[Jethro]

Around 1 week ago I added 12 hermit crabs and 12 margarita snails to my 30 gallon tank to enhance my CUC on the advice of my LFS. Since adding I have found several of the snails being eaten by hermits or simply as empty shells. Some of the snails seem to be doing fine on the glass or the rockwork and all the hermits are fine. Water parameters look great. Are the hermits actively killing the snails? Is there a more compatible snail that does better with hermits or is this just a fact of aquarium life? I would say half of the snails are gone now. The hermits are a mixture of blue legs, scarlets, red legs, and at least 1 zebra. Thoughts?

 

[sfin52]

That’s the danger of hermit crabs, snails are a tasty treat or a new home. You could try a larger snail like a turbo.

 

[Jethro]

Thanks for your input. I thought as much. Perhaps I'll try the turbos.

 

[sfin52]

You could of had a few snails die as well. How did you acclimate them to the tank.

 

[Jethro]

Drip acclimated for 2 hours.

 

[Jlentz]

Seems like reef life to me. I’ve not had to add any snails to my reef for awhile but when I do I plan on losing half of them to hermits or whatever in the first month. Hermits gotta have bigger shells after all.

Having said that, I’m a nut that likes peacock mantis as well as corals so I’ve got a fairly brutal outlook when it comes to cuc. I can get hermits stupid cheap so they bear the brunt of it. The reLly tiny ones seem to do better though as they can hide more easily.

 

[mcarroll]

If there isn't plenty of algae to eat, you can expect the hermits to eat your snails.

 

[reef lover]

Margaritas are a temperate water snail...they may have been dying already....

 

[Maggie321]

Hermits are murderers. I stopped buying snails. I have an astrea and a nassarus snail that have evolved enough to avoid the hermits. I think they may have some sort of cloaking device. I know the nassarus uses submarine in the sand tactics.

Seriousness... get a couple astrea. They seem to have shells that the hermits are not interested in. They kill other snails for their shells. Because they like the way they fit. It's not always food motivated. But sometimes it is. If you don't have much algae for them to eat, wait till you do.

 

[MTBake]

Part of aquarium life. I add some more snails once every month or two. I do like having some hermits in the tank as they eat meaty items that get stuck in nooks of the rock work. Biodiversity is a good thing in our systems, imo.

 

[sfin52]

@Jethro welcome to reef2reef.

 

[Swoody]

I quit adding crabs cuz they eat my snails. I have 1 red legged remaining and when he croaks, that’s it! Caught him eating a big Mexican turbo a few days ago that must have fallen off s rock and they can’t right themselves so..... big meal for red legs!!!

 

[sfin52]

Turbos should be able to right themselves.

 

[Swoody]

Turbos should be able to right themselves.

Not quick enough to not suffer the wrath of ol’ red legs!! Lol

 

[mcarroll]

If there isn't plenty of algae to eat, you can expect the hermits to eat your snails.

It may not apply, but another angle is if you have any toxic algae growing, that can also cause lethargy in snails if they eat it.

Anything funky growing in your tank @Swoody or @Jethro – or are they just eating regular green algae?

 

[Swoody]

It may not apply, but another angle is if you have any toxic algae growing, that can also cause lethargy in snails if they eat it.

Anything funky growing in your tank @Swoody or @Jethro – or are they just eating regular green algae?

Just regular ol ugly green algae for me...

 

[sfin52]

I’m going back to green algea. I can’t wait to see how much it’s grown. It sure does beat other nasties in a tank @mcarroll

 

[Jesterrace]

I have a few hermits in my tank and they do serve a purpose but they can kill off snails. Hermit crabs do eat detritus and left over food bits and snails don't so that is a plus. If you have a fish that does this for you though then I agree that they become less useful. My hermits have saved me from a couple of rotting fish in the tank over the last couple of years (had a Purple Firefish and a Green Mandarin die in the rocks and they dragged it out in the open to feed and made it very easy for me to remove them).

 

[Jethro]

It may not apply, but another angle is if you have any toxic algae growing, that can also cause lethargy in snails if they eat it.

Anything funky growing in your tank @Swoody or @Jethro – or are they just eating regular green algae?

Just green hair algae for me as well.

 

[Jethro]

@Jethro welcome to reef2reef.

Sorry for my late reply. Thanks much. Glad to be here!