Hermit Crabs Or Snails Who is more productive?

[Klewis]

The cleaning crew in my AP24 was primarily a cleaner shrimp, Turbo snails and Nassi snails for over 2 years about six months ago at the suggestion of a LFS I introduce a bunch of Blue legged hermit crabs to address an algea situation. I was told it was byopsis algea and the crabs would take care of it for me. They worked well in the beginning but now all my turbo snails and all but one nassi snail have be slaughtered for their shells and my Sixline wrasse killed the shrimp. Now the hair algea has been getting out of control. I'm getting ready to do a reconfiguration of my tank and remove some corals.
My question is, who would be more productive as a cleaning crew in the small tank? Do I leave the hermit crabs and forgo the snails; or do I hunt the hermit crabs and relocate them to another tank then repopulate the AP24 with snails?

All experiences and opinions welcome.

 

[lefty813]

Well am not to experienced per say with years in the hobby but i can give you my experience with cleanning crews...

I started with a 36g and i had a huge algea problem from the start i bought scarlet crabs blue legs crabs and zebra crabs and also snails. I feed the tank a little more then usual because my buddy had told me to keep them all happy and feed so they wouldnt hunt each other to eat. The crew pretty much took care of all my algae with no problems at all. I also threw in a tang to help. after a while though it will happen and crabs will kill off snails for the shell unless you buy empty shells and just put them into the tank so when the crabs get to big for it they just pick another one up. I think its just nature in them to go hunt for a new home. Do you have any fish in the tank ? What are you parameters? Are you using RO water ?

 

[nminunni]

definitely hermits. Different types have different aggresion levels. Buy some hermits, get some extra shells (the cheapest I have found are at michaels). They will fight each other but like all other life cycles, they will reach a limit that the system can handle.

 

[Imbarrie]

+1 on the hermits and I have heard the most 'reef safe hermits' are scarlet hermits.

Not to be confused with red legged hermits.

 

[Chraddam]

I have a 24g, I have red- and blue-legged hermits, turbo snails, nassies...and 2 mexican turbos. I bought a little candle on top of a fishbowl(about 6x6") from michaels'...threw the shells into the tank, haven't had any problem with the hermits attacking for shells. AND the michaels' shells were an amazing mix of sizes and colors

 

[ming]

Turbo Snails are better on the glass like the thin film that grows on your glass. Pretty much anything that grows out with a stem like feature, they wont touch.

Nassarius snails are great to pickup the food that fell to the floor.

Hermit crabs are great to steal food from corals you just fed, pickup the food that fell to the floor, eat snails for their shell, and then eat some algae that grows out with stem like features, and unfortunately, they will choose the food IN THAT ORDER for the most part based on availability.

 

[AnthonyAce]

Where is the cheapest place to buy snails and HC?

 

[Quang]

i'd recommend replacing the hermit crabs with emerald crabs. from personal experience, i'm not a fan of hermit crabs AT ALL, no matter what color legs they have.

 

[ming]

I was a little harsh on the hermit crabs
I should say they eat snails for their shell IF the snail fell and can't right themselves back up. If they snails are attached to something already, they can usually avoid the claws of death from the hermit crab

Emerald crabs are also good if they stay small (I think they're females but don't quote me), but some get huge and may try to catch fish supposedly (I never seen it successful, and as big and scary as the claws are, they never bit me even if I grabbed for it bare handed, they're super agile to run once on a rock, and don't ever try pulling them off a rock because they will literally hold on until their legs fall off).
Emeralds actually are less likely to steal food from corals from my experience, will never kill a snail, and will graze on stem-like algae, BUT I have seem them (hopefully by accident, unless it was just that hungry) picking on some corals (not even habit forming, but a rare event to see)

 

[Dre]

Where is the cheapest place to buy snails and HC?

Here is a little something you should know before you buy.Snails pooh a lot and if a large one dies and you are not aware of it, that's another story.Hermit crabs need bigger sheels as they grow .If they don't find one they will kill other hermit crabs to get one or simply get eaten.Snails will live for years if they get enough to eat, hermit crabs on the other hand will live for a few months or weeks if they can not find a larger shell in a closed system.

 

[e.muehlbauer]

I have found hermits...well, scarlet hermits, to live for many, many years. They are nice to look at, but not the most effective cleaners. I use astrea's for the film algae and Ilyanassa (the local "nassarius") snails for general scavenging. I have never found any hermits to attack and kill healthy snails. If they land on their back, they can't get up, and twist and turn constantly. I can see how they would weaken and present an easy target for a hermit...but I can't say I've ever seen it happen.

 

[pdnyc69]

cheapest place to buy is bluezooaquatics.com

 

[PolandSpring]

Emerald crabs are also good if they stay small (I think they're females but don't quote me), but some get huge and may try to catch fish supposedly (I never seen it successful, and as big and scary as the claws are, they never bit me even if I grabbed for it bare handed, they're super agile to run once on a rock, and don't ever try pulling them off a rock because they will literally hold on until their legs fall off).
Emeralds actually are less likely to steal food from corals from my experience, will never kill a snail, and will graze on stem-like algae, BUT I have seem them (hopefully by accident, unless it was just that hungry) picking on some corals (not even habit forming, but a rare event to see)

when i put in my new Rainbow Monti.. i saw that my emerald crab tried picking at it..but hasn't since then.. i think it thought that it was a rock..:scratchch