How many hermits/Snails?

[Shultz]

Going shopping tomorrow for <hopefully> a couple of cleaner shrimps, maybe another peppermint & then some snails & blue hermits...

Firstly snails I'm thinking of just Turbo's as I believe the hermits should leave those alone? I'm thinking maybe 3 or 4 for my tank?

Secondly although I have a bare bottomed tank having a few blue legged dwarf hermits should be ok? Again how many? 3-6?

Cheers Shelton.

[malkore]

I can't tell you how many...but I have 4 blue leg hermits in my 40gallon, and i was told that's not enough. I'm gonna get a couple more, some bristle worms, 4 turbo snails and a skunk shrimp.

[Shultz]

Originally Posted by malkore

I can't tell you how many...but I have 4 blue leg hermits in my 40gallon, and i was told that's not enough. I'm gonna get a couple more, some bristle worms, 4 turbo snails and a skunk shrimp.

Thanks for that, my 30 uk is roughly a 42 US, so really I should be looking towards 6 hermits then? Have you got a bare bottom (not being funny!) or LS?

Cheers Shelton.

[Atari]

If you have a lot of algae in your tank then get a dozen of each. If it's minimal then 6 of each should do it. I wouldn't get any less than that.

Also, there's never a 100% guarantee when mixing snails and crabs so try to pick out the larger snails and the smaller hermits. Don't forget extra shells too.

[Shultz]

Originally Posted by Atari

If you have a lot of algae in your tank then get a dozen of each. If it's minimal then 6 of each should do it. I wouldn't get any less than that.

Also, there's never a 100% guarantee when mixing snails and crabs so try to pick out the larger snails and the smaller hermits. Don't forget extra shells too.

OK, I was more worried about the snails starving as I don't have much algae at all, but then lastnight was the first time I'd put the lights on, so I expect an algae bloom sometime soon!

I'll see what size the hermits/snails are today & go from there....

Cheers Shelton.

[malkore]

I have 7 crabs now, and 3 large turbo snails (which I was told was 2 too many for a 40gal...that they'd starve?)
I"m just starting to get the wonderous brown diatom algae. This weekend I hope to get my timers installed so I can run both 96watt bulbs, 1 10k, 1 03actinic. Now if xoxide.com would just ship my freakin' moonlight LED's....

[Shultz]

Got back from the LFS just over 2 hours ago, they had no blue hermits

got 6 turbo's, but I think 1 is just an empty shell! gotta wait until the drip acclimate has finished before I can check.

Also got 2 cleaner shrimps, they are on shotglass acclimate & will be going in the tank in about 20 minutes

Also found that my peppermint has molted overnight/whilst we were out

Cheers Shelton.

Originally Posted by Shultz

Got back from the LFS just over 2 hours ago, they had no blue hermits .

You can also keep an eye out for reef scarlet hermits (yellow eye stalks) and Zebra hermits (lefthanded). Both are reasonabely reef safe and probabley of the least concern to snails.

Also keep in mind that given the right mix of snails and a few select shrimp species, the crabs are not truely needed. About the only thing a hermit might be good for over a snail is hair algae and even then if you keep it manually pruned, the snails will eventually get to it.

Cheers
Steve

[Shultz]

Originally Posted by steve-s

You can also keep an eye out for reef scarlet hermits (yellow eye stalks) and Zebra hermits (lefthanded). Both are reasonabely reef safe and probabley of the least concern to snails.

Also keep in mind that given the right mix of snails and a few select shrimp species, the crabs are not truely needed. About the only thing a hermit might be good for over a snail is hair algae and even then if you keep it manually pruned, the snails will eventually get to it.

Cheers
Steve

Thanks, turns out I have 3 empty shells!!!! so paid for 6, got 3 Have left them an "interesting" message on thier phone......

Thought I might add a couple or more crabs just for the interest factor rather than being a major part of the cleanup crew?

I think the strawberry gramma is gonna have to go back to the LFS tomorrow as well, he's harassed the hell out of the pepermint so that he won't come out from behind the PH Now he's continuely picked on the cleaner shrimps & picked the snails off the LR!

Not looking forward to trying to catch him in the morning 8O

Cheers Shelton.


Cheers Shelton.

[Ayesha97]

I wouldn't be too upset about not getting any blue legged hermits. All mine did was kill all of my snails. I've been told that the scarlets are better.

[Shultz]

Originally Posted by Ayesha97

I wouldn't be too upset about not getting any blue legged hermits. All mine did was kill all of my snails. I've been told that the scarlets are better.

Now thats interesting cos I was told (right or wrongly) that the blue ones were more well behaved? Also thats why I decided to get turbo's as I also thought their shells are no good to hermits?

Cheers Shelton.

Originally Posted by Shultz

Now thats interesting cos I was told (right or wrongly) that the blue ones were more well behaved? Also thats why I decided to get turbo's as I also thought their shells are no good to hermits?

There is alot of truth in what you where told. Blue legs do not typically get large enough to utilize shells like a true Turban sp but given the opportunity, any crab will at the very least not pass up an easy meal.

One thing to always keep in the back of your mind is that no matter how "trust worthy" a crab may be deemed, nothing with claws should truely be trusted in a reef tank. Shrimp included.

Cheers
Steve

[Atari]

Also, just because a hermit shows up in a nice new shell doesn't mean it attacked the snail. Chances are the clumsy snail flipped over and couldn't right itself, so the hermit was just doing its job and cleaning up. It's better than the snail rotting away and fouling the tank.

[Shultz]

Thanks guys!

Another question, how long does a shrimp normally hide after molting? my peppermint did so in the last 24-48hrs......

Cheers shelton.

Depends on what predators are in the tank to how long but generally from 2-5 days. If they feel secure and no threats are about they won't even hide sometimes. With the Gramma in the tank (?), I wouldn't suspect you'll see it any time soon.

Cheers
Steve

[Shultz]

Heheheheh, well yes thats still here as I couldn't catch him this morning! I would appreciate your thoughts as to him in a thread "am i worrying about nothing" in this forum as that explains more?

Cheers Shelton.

[Shultz]

I was also told that today, the blue dwarf ones are normally so small you need a ton of them to do anything, was also told the reds should be OK with turbos but placing a few empty shells on the tank bottom should be enough to keep the reds happy

Cheers Shelton.

[AquaBear]

Actually, I've lost at least one scarlet hermit, maybe two...found the arms pulled off of one, and the other one was completely out of his shell. Not sure whether they're doing it to each other, or maybe my chocolate chip star is being a bully. The crabs were doing okay until I put that in.

--Aquabear

[Shultz]

I thought choc chip starfish were a no-no with most things?

Cheers Shelton.

Only in a coral tank. FO and FOWLR tank would be fine.

Cheers
Steve