Blue or Red leg Hermit crabs?
- Thread starter Proud2bd
- Start date
Couldn't agree more. Get lots of snails of various type and keep the claws out of the tank... Don't remember the source(s) of this info, but....
Nassarius Snails - Nassarius spp. They mostly stay in the sand, but will sometimes make short trips up the glass. They are mainly detritus eaters and do an excellent job cleaning and shifting the sand. These are also some of the most hardy snails available. They can flip themselves upright very easily. They are fun to watch as they come bursting out of the sand bed at feeding time.
Onyx Nassarius -Ilyanassa spp. (Black Mud Snail, Black Nassarius Snail ) snails are very good at keeping sand beds completely clean of algae as well as other organics. They may occasionally strip a sand bed of enough nutrients that there will be none left to support copepod or amphipod populations. If you keep dragonets (e.g. Mandarins) that rely on healthy populations of copepods and amphipods do not get these. They are also a cooler water species and may not last that long in higer temp tanks like reef tanks.
Cerith Snails-Cerithium spp. (Cortez) - Good algae and detritus eaters that forage rock, glass, and sand. Some can pick themselves up and some cant.
Cerith Snails (White)- Good algae and detritus eaters that seem to stay in the sand more than the cortez, but can be found on the rock and glass. Once again, some can pick themselves up and others cant. These are good sand bed snails.
Astrea Snails -Astraea tecta: Most common of all saltwater tank snails. They are excellent algae eaters and will forage all over the rock, sand, and glass. These guys fall very easily, can not right themselves, and then die.
Margarita Snail - Margarites pupillus. (Stomatella Limpet Snail, Pearl Snail, Little Margarite Snail, Pearly Topped Snail ) Another snail to add to the algae eating aresnal. Will cruise around on the rock and glass.
Fighting Conchs - Strombus gibberulus. Little vacuum cleaners. One per 2 sq. ft. of sand. They'll eat diatoms and, sometimes, cyano. Get one per 2 sq. feet of tank is what was recommened to me. They tend to disappear behind the rocks for a few days then come back around to the front again.
Nerite Snails - Nerita spp. Mostly a rock and glass snail that are all about the algae. They may crawl above the water line of your tank as they often become exposed in the wild during low tide. Mine usually end up in the sump where they can get above the water line and come back down when they want to.
Turbo Snails : They are big and clumsy. They'll knock over or move anything that isn't glued/nailed down. Actually I had one knock a coral frag that was glued to a a plug right off the plug. But, they will attack hair algea. Mine are now escargot size and I moved them to the sump because they were always knocking corals off the rock and plugs they were attached to.
Banded Trochus - Trochus spp. (Tiger Trochus Snail, Banded Trochus Snail, Black and White Snail, Spiral-Top Snail ) Algae eating machines. Ideal size, won't knock over corals/rock, and can move very fast. Will also eat hair algae.
Stomatella Snails : Will breed in your tank! You will only need to get 4 or 5. They're great algae eaters and stay very small.
Queen Conch - Strombus gigas
Red Moon Snails : Cold water species.
Bumble-bee snails : Carnivorous. Not very hardy. Marginal algae eaters, but more of a detritus grazer. They can prey on other snails and sand bed critters
Sally Light Foot Crab - Percnon gibbesi Another crab which will help battle your algae.
Cleaner Shrimp - Lysmata amboinensis
Red Lip Blenny - Ophioblennius atlanticus They will accept all types of marine fare as well as eating algae from the glass and rocks
Snails need acclimation time to adjust to changes in salinity and temperature. Dr Ron's advice is, "Remove them from the bag. Let them dry out in a cup or bowl for about 15 minutes. Then take them one by one, and place them in the tank at the water line with the aperture next to the wall. The animals will extend, fasten to the wall and move into the water of their own accord. In effect, they will self-acclimate."
Nassarius Snails - Nassarius spp. They mostly stay in the sand, but will sometimes make short trips up the glass. They are mainly detritus eaters and do an excellent job cleaning and shifting the sand. These are also some of the most hardy snails available. They can flip themselves upright very easily. They are fun to watch as they come bursting out of the sand bed at feeding time.
Onyx Nassarius -Ilyanassa spp. (Black Mud Snail, Black Nassarius Snail ) snails are very good at keeping sand beds completely clean of algae as well as other organics. They may occasionally strip a sand bed of enough nutrients that there will be none left to support copepod or amphipod populations. If you keep dragonets (e.g. Mandarins) that rely on healthy populations of copepods and amphipods do not get these. They are also a cooler water species and may not last that long in higer temp tanks like reef tanks.
Cerith Snails-Cerithium spp. (Cortez) - Good algae and detritus eaters that forage rock, glass, and sand. Some can pick themselves up and some cant.
Cerith Snails (White)- Good algae and detritus eaters that seem to stay in the sand more than the cortez, but can be found on the rock and glass. Once again, some can pick themselves up and others cant. These are good sand bed snails.
Astrea Snails -Astraea tecta: Most common of all saltwater tank snails. They are excellent algae eaters and will forage all over the rock, sand, and glass. These guys fall very easily, can not right themselves, and then die.
Margarita Snail - Margarites pupillus. (Stomatella Limpet Snail, Pearl Snail, Little Margarite Snail, Pearly Topped Snail ) Another snail to add to the algae eating aresnal. Will cruise around on the rock and glass.
Fighting Conchs - Strombus gibberulus. Little vacuum cleaners. One per 2 sq. ft. of sand. They'll eat diatoms and, sometimes, cyano. Get one per 2 sq. feet of tank is what was recommened to me. They tend to disappear behind the rocks for a few days then come back around to the front again.
Nerite Snails - Nerita spp. Mostly a rock and glass snail that are all about the algae. They may crawl above the water line of your tank as they often become exposed in the wild during low tide. Mine usually end up in the sump where they can get above the water line and come back down when they want to.
Turbo Snails : They are big and clumsy. They'll knock over or move anything that isn't glued/nailed down. Actually I had one knock a coral frag that was glued to a a plug right off the plug. But, they will attack hair algea. Mine are now escargot size and I moved them to the sump because they were always knocking corals off the rock and plugs they were attached to.
Banded Trochus - Trochus spp. (Tiger Trochus Snail, Banded Trochus Snail, Black and White Snail, Spiral-Top Snail ) Algae eating machines. Ideal size, won't knock over corals/rock, and can move very fast. Will also eat hair algae.
Stomatella Snails : Will breed in your tank! You will only need to get 4 or 5. They're great algae eaters and stay very small.
Queen Conch - Strombus gigas
Red Moon Snails : Cold water species.
Bumble-bee snails : Carnivorous. Not very hardy. Marginal algae eaters, but more of a detritus grazer. They can prey on other snails and sand bed critters
Sally Light Foot Crab - Percnon gibbesi Another crab which will help battle your algae.
Cleaner Shrimp - Lysmata amboinensis
Red Lip Blenny - Ophioblennius atlanticus They will accept all types of marine fare as well as eating algae from the glass and rocks
Snails need acclimation time to adjust to changes in salinity and temperature. Dr Ron's advice is, "Remove them from the bag. Let them dry out in a cup or bowl for about 15 minutes. Then take them one by one, and place them in the tank at the water line with the aperture next to the wall. The animals will extend, fasten to the wall and move into the water of their own accord. In effect, they will self-acclimate."
- Location
- Hastings NY 10706
I would go with the scarlet red hermits over the blue legged since they are less aggressive towards each other.
- Location
- Manhattan NY 10023
Hermits always go after my corals food during spot feeding
tonyyammine
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- Staten island ny
both are fine
Solace Aquatics LLC
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- Charleston, SC
Scarlet Leg
Anything with claws can and probably will KILL! OK, maybe that's a bit of an overstatement, but I paid good money for my snails and the sight of some hermit crab tearing out the snail cause it's wanting the shell for it's new home just infuriates me. Also, if now well fed (meaning the tank is overfed) thing with claws will nip at corals (soft, lps, sps) when hungry. I've also seen blue legged tearing apart both scarlet and other blue legged hermits.
Scarlet are supposed to be the least offensive, but I'd rather just use a good selection of snails.
Scarlet are supposed to be the least offensive, but I'd rather just use a good selection of snails.
- Location
- Bushkill, Pa
All valid points made here, for and against blues and reds. You just have to be aware of the consequences of adding ANYTHING to your tank. The list is long, but success in this hobby requires you "know your stuff". That being said, (# depends on the size of your tank of course) if you start with the itty-bitty bluelegs, and have empty shells around for them, it may take some time before you see them take a bite out of your snail population. If you observe and see thet they've moved to your new shells, you should think about moving them out of your tank soon, or at least trimming their numbers. LFS will take tem in most cases or just trade them. For me keeping snails upright is one real PITA. A mixture should work fine, but you do have to observe and be aware that things change over time.
- Location
- Coram
Question
If the snails are so good for the algae and stuff what cleans up the Detritus other than snails?
Thanks,
SFWBreefguy
If the snails are so good for the algae and stuff what cleans up the Detritus other than snails?
Thanks,
SFWBreefguy
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