Hermits vs snails poll

Ocelaris · Apr 22, 2017

Is there any hope of keeping hermits and snails together?

If you had to pick one for clean up crew which would you pick?

In my tank, anything larger than a Nassarius eventually gets eaten by the hermits. I have gone without them for quite a while, but just to get a little rock work help I picked up 10 trochus snails today. A few hours later I caught a hermit about half the size of the snail trying to peel one off the rock, presumably to eat it. I banished that zebra hermit to the sump temporarily.

Areseebee · Apr 22, 2017

Like cowboys and aliens, they are eternal enemies.

Slickwill613 · Apr 22, 2017

I've had crabs before and don't want them again.

Dapperjman · Apr 22, 2017

I've got some blue legged hermits along with trochus, nassarius, and cerith snails without problems. I think the key is making sure everyone has enough food. 10 trochus sounds like a lot

MagisterDamask · Apr 22, 2017

I've heard of some folks keeping snails in the display and hermits in the refugium.

In the display, my personal opinion is snails, Mexican turbos and trochus and nassarius.

I have mostly snails in my display but there are a few hermits maybe two or three. I also have an emerald crab, some hitchhiker porcelain crabs and a skunk cleaner shrimp.

Just my opinion though, it works for me.

94Roarge · Apr 23, 2017

I have had luck with hermits and snails, so long as I provide plenty of empty shells for the hermits to move into. I haven't had a single hermit related snail death to this date. I keep an assortment of shell sizes and usually at least 10 shells. I put them in the corner and it is my "changing corner"

Jason mack · Apr 23, 2017

I've also had luck keeping both , I have 2 trochus snails and 1 nassarius and 3 hermit crabs ,, so long as they all have enough food and you provide enough shells for the hermits too move into .. I've only ever lost one turbo snail because my hermit wanted a new home !!

Reef man 89 · Apr 23, 2017

I had a emerald crab that loved the taste of my turbo snails. So no more crabs for me

ThunderGoose · Apr 23, 2017

I have both and The Husband would kill me if I tried to get rid of the hermits. I've lost a few mid-sized snails, possibly to the hermits, but I also think I over bought so I'm not bothered (LFS - you need this many of these, and this many of those and... no, I probably didn't need that many, thanks).