How many extra cleanup crew shells?

[Matt Lusk]

It's good to keep extra shells in the tank to allow clean up crew members to grow, but how many extra shells should you keep? I recently inherited a JBJ Nanocube 28 from a family member and the sand bed is littered with cleanup crew shells over many years. There are currently about a dozen members in the tank (a mix of snails and hermits). I have way more shells than cleanup crew members. Can I remove some of them or do I risk losing some members if they outgrow the available shells?

 

[WheatToast]

It's good to keep extra shells in the tank to allow clean up crew members to grow, but how many extra shells should you keep? I recently inherited a JBJ Nanocube 28 from a family member and the sand bed is littered with cleanup crew shells over many years. There are currently about a dozen members in the tank (a mix of snails and hermits). I have way more shells than cleanup crew members. Can I remove some of them or do I risk losing some members if they outgrow the available shells?

Snails grow their own shells, thus they have no need for replacements. So, how many hermit crabs and extra shells do you have?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

If you don't need them, there are always lots of reefers looking for empty shells for their growing crabs, you can probably trade em for frags.

 

[Critteraholic]

Hermit crabs need at least 2 extra shells -each- slightly bigger and similar to the shells the crab is in. Each time they molt they grow. And if they don't have enough or the right shells, they will start killing your snails for them!

 

[Critteraholic]

Also, if you don't like all the shells on the sand, use a large flatish shell and dump the shells in it. The hermies will dig through them. Or make a corral with little stones or something. Good luck!