Hello everyone, Im trying to make a cuc for my 65g. Im stuck between getting a snail only tank, or a hermit only tank. For snails, 20-40 Banded Trochus. And for Hermits, 50- 60 assorted species. I do not want to mix, as hermits are known for killing snails for their shells.
Snails or Hermits?
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djryan2000
Active Member
Sometimes hermits kill snails, but that's okay. The ocean has a mix of both, and so should your tank.
If you're not willing to mix, my recommendation would be snails. I ran a hermit only CUC for a while and then finally added a bunch of snails so make it a mix. My tank looks a lot better with the addition of the snails.
If you're not willing to mix, my recommendation would be snails. I ran a hermit only CUC for a while and then finally added a bunch of snails so make it a mix. My tank looks a lot better with the addition of the snails.
FlexingFishSticks
Valuable Member
I wouldn’t be able to choose one I feel like you need a little of both 
i have had an experience with hermits they can be really mean if even the slightest underfed and they annoy corals but other than that idk how much cleaning they do but im betting snails would be way better cleaners since they have no spare time to fight or annoy. But hey do whacha wanna do
xxkenny90xx
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Snails all the way. Crabs of any kind are a risk in a reef tank
PicassoClown04
5000 Club Member
Since you have such a large tank, I feel that snails only is the way to go. I would do a mix of trocheus, turbo, astrea, and stomatella snails to make sure you have something for every kind of algae. Then use shrimp (peppermint/fire are my suggestion since they are able to live in groups) for meat/detritus/uneaten food cuc. I have dont this with 3 tanks now and everything is a lot happier. No more stolen coral food and no more mysterious snail deaths. Honestly if you can get ahold of enough, I would just do stomatella. They can’t get stuck on their backs and they reproduce rapidly to fit your algae needs. This has worked for me in 3 tanks and I feel that it’s the best way to run a cuc
Rickybobby
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I would do both. Love hermits so fun to watch abs snails are workhorses
PicassoClown04
5000 Club Member
I’d say that’s a good end point. Please don’t dump all of them in at once. Your algae will be unable to support so many snails and many will starve even if you supplement with algae pellets/nori. Start with like 10 and add more as your tank matures and you should see no deaths
. Look into stomatella snails though, I got sick of snails flipping themselves and dying so I bought some and now they are the only snails in my tanks. Very thorough work and I’ll never have to buy one again because they reproduce rapidly in the tank
jgirardnrg
Valuable Member
I have mostly Trochus and blue legged hermits. Out of the hermits I read the blue legged are the most peaceful. Other than hitching a ride on their backs to clean algae off of their shells, the hermits do not bother the Trochus snails. The smaller snails (Ceriths) that are/were in there are almost gone. Having said that, if I had to pick, I'd take Trochus snails over just about anything. They should be called Reef Roomba's. They have really gone to town in my tank and have just about obliterated the diatoms that were covering my rocks.
If you are only going to use snails, get a bunch of different kinds as recommended several times above. Diversity is important in these tiny closed systems. And I only say tiny compared to the ocean-not a dig at your tank
I also like nassarius snails.
jgirardnrg
Valuable Member
Forgot to mention... my tank is a 60g cube. 7 Trochus have done more work than 20 Ceriths and 15-20 hermits combined. I don't think my tank could support 20-40 Trochus snails without some of them starving to death. I'd start with maybe 10 Trochus and 10-20 hermits (blue legged).
PicassoClown04
5000 Club Member
If you keep them fed, then no they’re okay. Watch if you have birdsnest though... I’ve noticed they tend to bother fluffy sticks first.
stanlalee
Active Member
Snails. Hermits need replenishing of shells as they grow and they are going to get them from snails our each other. My experience with hermits are they don't last long unless you plan on throwing a bunch of shells in for them to grow into.
Speaking of lasting long I don't get those large numbers for clean up crews (not just you but these "cleaner packs" often sold). There are very few if any 65g that are going to support 50-60 hermits or 40 banded trochus snails. More like 15 or 10 with 10 cerith snails if you have sand would be more appropriate IMO. 50-60 hermits are going to compete each other into extinction of most of them within a year.
Speaking of lasting long I don't get those large numbers for clean up crews (not just you but these "cleaner packs" often sold). There are very few if any 65g that are going to support 50-60 hermits or 40 banded trochus snails. More like 15 or 10 with 10 cerith snails if you have sand would be more appropriate IMO. 50-60 hermits are going to compete each other into extinction of most of them within a year.
Flippers4pups
Fins up since 1993
I voted both, but....... I can’t keep hermits. My wrasses love hermit meat!
VJC
Community Member
I would vote snails, especially trochus. They seem much more effective than my hermits and the hermits don't seem to last that long. My trochus are very hardy and they reproduce in the tank fairly easily. I haven't had to replenish my trochus snails because they keep making more. My trochus snails can easily get up to 2 or more inches across so I wouldn't start with 40. I would say 5-10 would be a good starting point depending on how much algae there is.
