hermit&snails

[ScubaBaker]

Hi all,

i have a problem with my hermits eating all my snails. i bought a allege attack pack from drfostersmith.com the kit contained...
60 hermits
50 snails
2 brittle red sea stars
1 tiger strip sea star

well all my snails except 2 were killed
and now my hermits are killing each other.
does any one have any info on how to fix this problem or is this suppose to happen?

55 gallon saltwater tank
200 watt heater
HOB fuge
2 maxijet power heads
red sea protein skimmer
30 pounds of fiji LR
and 1 inch of agernite sand

[MT79]

does any one have any info on how to fix this problem

Ditch the crabs!! That's about the only way to avoid having to buy snails every month. Adding a cleaner shrimp or two along w/ the serpent stars you have should keep everything tidy.

[ScubaBaker]

sounds like a good plan but i here that other would perfer hermits over snails.
are snail better than hermits?

[electrikat]

Maybe you need to feed a little more for the hermits to eat. Maybe some sinking pellets. You need both snails and hermits. The hermits can't clean the glass and snails have a harder time on the rocks and substrate. Not an impossible time just a harder time.

[MT79]

are snail better than hermits?

IMO yes. There are other things you can add that will fill the hermits niche and not kill the snails/eachother as mentioned. Nothing helps keep the glass clean like snails lol.

[ScubaBaker]

ok if i feed more will that degrade my water quailty? and

There are other things you can add that will fill the hermits niche and not kill the snails/

i dont understand what your saying

[Scatcat]

My hermits don't eat my snail. They will eat them if they are dead, But I've never seen them take down a live one. I have seem them harass them somewhat though.

[electrikat]

You do know that alot of snails cannot right themselves if they get upside down and will die if you don't turn them back over. Also in regards to turbo snails, they are cooler water species and will usually only last 2 to 3 months in the temperatures that most of us keep our tanks at.

[gooyferret]

What kind of hermits are they? Red or blue legged?

[runway1]

I have a 55 and seems like a huge amount of snail/hermits. I would say your hermits are killing because they're hungry. I have ten each in mine. I might go to 15-20 hermits max, but 60 Wow.

[Phyl]

Did you provide shells for them to grow into? They'll fight it out if they need a bigger home and find one. Try making sure you have a variety of shell sizes in your tank.

[RLG2182]

Originally Posted by Phyl

Try making sure you have a variety of shell sizes in your tank.

That reminded me... yesterday as I emptied my LR Rubble chamber, I found an old used snail shell. I figured I would throw it in to see what would happen. TEN minutes later, one of my hermits crawled into it and found a new home!! This shell was HUGE for its size!

[MT79]

Originally Posted by ScubaBaker

i dont understand what your saying

What I mean is you can get other animals that will perform the same job. I gave up on hermits a long time ago. Snails aren't easily available or cheap locally, so replacing them was very frustrating.

[ScubaBaker]

yep that what the kit came with. just today i see more hermits dead i feed every day and i feel that if i feed more i would be over feeding and my water quailty will be compromised