Keeping snails with hermit crabs

[leafyseadragon]

I have 6 hermits in 1" shells. I'd like to add some snails to eat the algae on the tank glass, but I know that hermits will kill snails for their shells.

But if I get small (relative to the crabs) snails, are the hermit crabs smart enough to know that killing the snail will get them a shell many sizes too small, and leave them alone?

 

[kreach]

What kind of hermits do you have? Blue-legs are more likely to kill snails than scarlets. However, you can help prevent this by adding empty shells to your tank for your hermits to move into as they grow.

 

[leafyseadragon]

Funny you should ask. I ordered 10 blue leg hermits from the LFS, I received one blue leg which eventually died

I am down to six hermits, all of the same kind. I think they are green leg hermits. At least that's what someone said when I posted a picture. The same photo is in my gallery if you would like to see for yourself.

 

[Razoreqx]

lol.. You can find places on the internet to order shells... I got 100 shells of various sizes for my tanks.. It worked.. My blue hermits dont shelljack my turbo's anymore