Snails Only?

saltnewb · May 15, 2017

So I have 4 hermit crabs. I had some snails, but apparently they were really hermit food. I really want snails in my tank. Anybody here have the same problem? And would it be terrible if I traded in the hermits for snails?

Shaddow_wolf169 · May 15, 2017

I have both only way the hermits eat them is if they die or fall and can get back over.

mcarroll · May 15, 2017

Shaddow_wolf169 said:
I have both only way the hermits eat them is if they die or fall and can get back over.

...or when they need a bigger shell.

...or when they just feel like it.

Hermits can be handy in certain circumstances, but I don't generally keep them because of this. Even when I do, it's usually no more than 1-2 for every 50 gallons.

Shaddow_wolf169 · May 15, 2017

I have only lost 1 snail and I have 40 hermits. I have 4 turbo a 3 had 4 narrius (spelling) snails

mcarroll · May 15, 2017

Give em time.

Unless the snail shells are wildly different in size from the hermits their shells will be fair game someday.

saltyfilmfolks · May 15, 2017

I have one crab in the 30 gal. And he's not going to be there long.
Just make sure to substitute a diverse snail population to replace the crab.

Syntax1235 · May 15, 2017

Only snails for me for the past three years, hermits have always eaten my snails.

Katrina71 · May 15, 2017

3 empty shells per crab. They molt and just change shells almost daily.

saltnewb · May 15, 2017

Sounds like 4 hermits is way to many in my tank, it's 29g, so I'll gladly take in 3 hermits.

tom reilly · May 15, 2017

I have 5 of the little blue legs and seem to be ok. They have gone nocturnal due to melanerus wrasse harassment. Have lot of small snails .I think they are ceriths.

mcarroll · May 17, 2017

tom reilly said:
They have gone nocturnal due to melanerus wrasse harassment.

Maybe you've just hit on one of the keys to happy hermit ownership – a predator!

But seriously...I doubt the predators are ever far off in the wild....prolly isolated spots at low tide.

saltnewb · May 17, 2017

It's official. I'm done with hermit crabs. Pulling the little jerks out when I get home. I just bought 5 snails this past Saturday and they've eaten two of them, one I noticed just before I left today. I'm tired of the little hermit turds eating all my snails and they're getting expensive to keep buying.

mcarroll · May 17, 2017

They are little.....stinkers.....but you might also be starving them by having too much CUC compared to the amount of algae you have growing.....starving CUC is actually fairly common.

2¢

Mombo · May 18, 2017

On that note. What is something you can throw in a tank if you want to feed your CUC when you dont have alot of algae? I just started my tank and am going to be adding a CUC once my tank gets diatoms but it would be good to know just in case they run out...would you need different food for the hermits and the snails?

Best Fish-Jake · May 18, 2017

Keep in mind that hermits are only able to eat snails that have already died, or are overturned. The problem very well could be lack of food. I have ~10 hermits in my 30AIO and another ~15 snails... havnt lost a snail in months

Ty Hamatake · May 18, 2017

Mombo said:
On that note. What is something you can throw in a tank if you want to feed your CUC when you dont have alot of algae? I just started my tank and am going to be adding a CUC once my tank gets diatoms but it would be good to know just in case they run out...would you need different food for the hermits and the snails?

They are scavengers and will eat just about anything. I break up algae wafers and throw pieces in two or three times a week, just about everyone in the tank will pick at them and the crabs and snails get what's leftover. Honestly though, if I could go back, I would forget the hermits...

EDIT: I do like the fact that they eat things that probably would've just been left to rot (mainly dead stuff), but they also eat things I'd rather they didn't (mainly stealing food from my corals).

Ty Hamatake · May 18, 2017

Thought this may be pertinent information

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/got-aggressive-hermit-crabs-give-them-better-homes

Xclusive Reef · May 18, 2017

for a 90 gal, how many snails should one get? or what type of cuc should one get? all snails? or maybe 15 snails and 1-2 crabs?

Mombo · May 18, 2017

I ordered a batch off of reefcleaners.com they have packages for different size tanks and can be snails only or with crabs. I have a lot of smaller ones because my tank is smaller but I have atleast 30 snails for my 29gal.

Ty Hamatake · May 18, 2017

nycluis718 said:
for a 90 gal, how many snails should one get? or what type of cuc should one get? all snails? or maybe 15 snails and 1-2 crabs?

I'd say it all depends on how much contious clean-up your CUC is going to have. Heavy bioload with heavy feeding is going to be far different from a light bioload and feeding schedule. Where about does your tank sit?