Large hermit eatting snails

[musicman77]

Hi, I got a large hermit from a kid at work. When I say large, I mean his shell is close to 4" across. I have had in my reef tank for 5 months or so with no problems at all. In fact, the bottom of my tank has never been so clean. Then in the last week he eat 12 of my 15 snails. I don't want to get rid of him because he so cool. But my cleaning crew is gone. Any suggestions?? Ant snails that he won't want to eat?? Get bigger snails??
Thanks for any help

 

[dskidmore]

Try spot feeding the hermit lots of meaty tidbits. If he's not hungry, he'll be less likely to go after the tankmates. The fact that the bottom is clean may mean there's no more fooed left there for him.

Do you have any empty shells in the tank slightly larger than the one he's living in now? It's possible it's time for him to grow, but he can't find a bigger shell.

You could consider breeding snails in your fuge/sump and putting a few at a time into the main display. Then if he eats some of them there's no huge problem.

With a hermit that size, you may also have to be careful about small fish as well as the snails.

 

[musicman77]

He gets one large peice of krill every night. He practily attacks it. Mabey he need more? Twice a day? I have been looking for empey shells that size but have not found any yet.

 

[melosu58]

Put him in the sump if you have one

 

[dskidmore]

Would a small conch shell be the right size? Will a hermit take on a shell of a diffrent shape? Try some local fish stores, ask if they have any conches/large snails die to save the shells for you.

 

[steve-s]

As long as you keep this particular crab, you will always have a problem if it's what I think it is. In fact, your problems are bound to increase depending on the available food sources and frequency of feedings. They are not reef safe or tank mate safe for that matter and will eat/destroy just about anything it can catch, nailed down or otherwise.

Does <<this>> look similar to your crab?

Cheers
Steve

 

[musicman77]

Yes thats him. But why did I not have a problem for 5 months?

 

[steve-s]

Most in this species are destructive from the word go, others are time bomb ticking. It's really a matter of when, not if. Up 'till now, you either fed what it needed when needed or somethging has spured it's activity. Growth rate would most likely have alot to do with it.

Cheers
Steve