Right....

[Simon1]

Employee at LFS is teling me that I don't have enough hermits in my tank. I currently have five in a thirty gallon tank, and he says I need about forty. This can't be right....right?

 

[Mikef1]

I would put 25-30 blue legs and red leg hermits, but thats just my opinion. I would also put the same amount of snail.

 

[Dinoflorist]

If there isn't a deitrus or algae problem, would people still recommend "a hermit per gallon?"
I've been using 5 hermits in a 20 gallon.
I've read that if yuo get 40 hermits, they will clean up your tank really fast and then starve and die back down to the population that your tank can actually support.

 

[tazdevil]

I started with 25 hermits in my 75. Now I have 3. They started killing each other for no good reason after a time, as I had plenty of extra shells in the tank for them to use. If there's nothing wrong with your tank, I wouldn't add more, especially based on your LFS's advice only.

 

[Simon1]

Algae in my tank is a problem. My water params are perfect. I've been blaming the algae on my cheap skimmer (prisim) the whole time.

 

[Anonymous]

Algae in my tank is a problem. My water params are perfect. I've been blaming the algae on my cheap skimmer (prisim) the whole time.

yeah, that skimmer blows.

but in all reality it is not the cause, it is just a poor solution.

let us know about your tank.. some specifics like age, equipment, rock, sand, and flow.. those types of things and we might be able to give you some things to consider as potential problems.

also, while your test kits are showing the right levels of each parameter, this does not mean your water is perfect. as a hobbyist we aren't likely to be able to determine perfect conditions with our limited supply of equipment.

as for hermits i think you are set.. i am sure that a reeftank could get along fine without any hermits at all but it needs to be a well designed and established ecosystem to do so.
i support what Taz has advised. in my first reeftank (a 46g) my lfs told me i needed one hermit per gallon and 1 snail for every two gallons. it was a freakin' madhouse in my tank and they rapidly killed one another off.
i too just allowed them to subside and found that my tank gained stability over time.

 

[Mogo]

My LFS guy once told me that I should have 1 crab per gallon. That adds up to 140 crabs :? . I bought a dozen. They been happy ever since and have done a decent job at controlling algae.

 

[Ben1]

In my 150 I have a dozen or so astrea's and maybe a dozen hermits. I don't like them as they will kill hermits if they can find suitable shells to move into, they can steal food from the corals and what good do they do?

Nassarius snails, cerith snails, astrea snails, a couple of conchs and a cucumber is what I prefer for my system. Unforchantly the hermits are already in there and I cant catch them.

 

[Anonymous]

Steven Pro recommends a stocking density (of smaller hermies) of 1/10 gallons actual volume.

Ben, you can't catch a hermit crab??? They're not that quick, are they?? 8O

 

[Simon1]

let us know about your tank.. some specifics like age, equipment, rock, sand, and flow.. those types of things and we might be able to give you some things to consider as potential problems.

I should not have said my water is perfect, but here we go:
30 gal long, fluval 404 CF, prisim skimmer, 110w CF 50\50 12 hrs., 60w NO 6500k13hrs., 40lb LR, 3 inch agronite(sp?) bed
Parameters
temp 78F
SG 1.024-1.026
pH 8.3-8.5 pH 8.5 when I measure twards end of photo period-La Motte
dKH 7-10 Tropic Marin
Cal. 350ppm-400ppm Red Sea
ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, phosphate, consistant 0 Red Sea
Supplements
Tropic Marin Bio Cal 2 times a week
B Ionic-mailny use calcium not alk.
water changes - 2 gal. everyother day.\and whatever topoff needed.
Tank was started late December 03
Algae now is mostly green slime and a little hair in places.

 

[Anonymous]

Hermits are evil :twisted: unless you are sticking with the tiny ones. They'll get big, but when they're tiny they're pretty cool. I prefer snails as they tend to not create such a problem in the long run. I think your fine for the number of crabs but a few more would'nt be too bad. Ask your LFS guy how many he has in his tank. Then ask him if he knows which ones are "reef safe". He may or maynot know a flip about 'em.

 

[cdeakle]

I had a ton of them but unfortunately when they ate everything of the rocks, even with heavy feeding, most of them died for lack of food. Some of them were mean little buggers too. I had a mix of about 30 hermits in a 55, red/blue/zebra/orange/emerald...

 

[Fozza]

Most rules of thumb would indicate 1 hermit per gallon. But personally I'd say 1 hermit for every 6 gallons. (why do I say this?)

Its probably just coincidence, but for every tank I have made, the hermits usually end up being 1 hermit to every 6ish gallons.

10 gal ended up with 2,
29 gal ended up with 5,
55 gal ended up with 10.

And this is all after putting 1 per gallon in, and providing plenty of spare shells for them to move into when they grow.

As I said coincidence no doubt

 

[Fozza]

*delete*

 

[Anonymous]

Well I like a low bioload in the first place.

I also think most retailers (online and IRL) heftily pad their recommendations on how many crabs to keep. I have 5 in my nanocube and I think they're doing a wonderful job. I think I could do with fewer. No algae problems.

 

[Ben1]

Ben, you can't catch a hermit crab??? They're not that quick, are they??

No, I am just a lazy procrastinator, not a good combination!

 

[Anonymous]

Actually you dont have to put any at all in your tank..that isnt a correct statement to make...i have no algae problems with about 10 in my 20gal...i just like them cuz theyre comical..theyre goofy little things...you want really good cleaning crews.. assortment of different reef safe snails...Hermits are cool though..they are IMO/IME beneficial but also above all else provide entertainment JMO
8) :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

let us know about your tank.. some specifics like age, equipment, rock, sand, and flow.. those types of things and we might be able to give you some things to consider as potential problems.

I should not have said my water is perfect, but here we go:
30 gal long, fluval 404 CF, prisim skimmer, 110w CF 50\50 12 hrs., 60w NO 6500k13hrs., 40lb LR, 3 inch agronite(sp?) bed
Parameters
temp 78F
SG 1.024-1.026
pH 8.3-8.5 pH 8.5 when I measure twards end of photo period-La Motte
dKH 7-10 Tropic Marin
Cal. 350ppm-400ppm Red Sea
ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, phosphate, consistant 0 Red Sea
Supplements
Tropic Marin Bio Cal 2 times a week
B Ionic-mailny use calcium not alk.
water changes - 2 gal. everyother day.\and whatever topoff needed.
Tank was started late December 03
Algae now is mostly green slime and a little hair in places.

tank is still very young.. be gentle with it for a few more months it won't tolerate heavy stocking.
i don't understand the Fluval being on your tank.. admittedly i am not savvy to thier different models. they tend to build up with gunk and perpetuate bad juju.
i would suggest you empty it and us it as water movement only.

i would stop with the supplement you are adding, especially if you are experiencing algae woes.

you say you are not using the alk component with your Bionic but you don't list your alk level?

 

[Anonymous]

I have one blue leg in my 10, and none in my 15. I've been thinking about getting a couple of them for the 15, but haven't got around to it. . .

No, I am just a lazy procrastinator, not a good combination!

So you might get to it later?

:lol:

B