OK just as the topic suggest.
I want everyones opinion on what they use, what they have used and what they think is better.
I have been told everything from go with almost all hermits and been told to go with almost all snails.
This seems to be a widely debated topic.
i dont have much experience on this but my lack of experience might play a role in why i have mainly snails. ( astreas to be excact ) i had some hermit crabs before i got snails and i didnt see that much of a diference with clean up. however i did see hermits knocking my corals over or trying to climb them. so i took the crabs out of my tank and exchanged them with snails. now i have noticed that the snails will do everything they can to avoid my corals. and they clean up alot better too. they dont really touch the sand bed but i got a emerald crab that pretty much takes care of it. but thats just my .5 cents
I agree with FW on having a variety. However, I can understand why some people avoid crabs. It's pretty much impossible to keep small frags alive without them causing problems. It's not that they eat them, but they do knock them over, then they are hard to find, or buried in the sand. But I think hermits are so neat so I will always have them.
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I use about the same #'s and the hermits leave my snails alone since I found a place to buy shells for $0.09 a piece and they always throw in more then I ordered... I think they grab and dump. ANYWAY I have a heck of a mix, 3 kinds of snails, 3 kinds of hermits, 2 kinds of crabs, and 3 kinds of shrimp
I use about the same #'s and the hermits leave my snails alone since I found a place to buy shells for $0.09 a piece and they always throw in more then I ordered...
Please tell us where that is! I desperately need some new shells for my hermits and cant seem to find a good source!
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Hey thanks for noticing i have had some trouble loging on to the site.
Just setup a 75 aggresive tank so i have been kinda busy but i'm back now hopeing to help whre i can.
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I have just been told by my local lfs not to buy any hermit crabs there is no really benefit as they cause more harm then good, mainly they eat up the snails, he strongly suggest going with a snail clean up crew only?
For sand mixing he suggested a couple of conch
My question is that if hermits cause problems why does everyone package them in reef clean up crews
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Tank Type: Mixed Reef
Display: 125G (140lbs LR, 3" Sandbed(175lbs))
Sump: 20G (2" sb)(cheato) & 8G subsump (6"sb)(10lbs LR)
Skimmer: ER RS-135 and saline solutions unit
Return: remote fuge with mag pump
Overflow: Lifereef
Heater: black strealth
Phosphate Reactor: bag of GFO
running Carbon Media 24/7
RO: Costco
Salt: IO
Light: 72" 3x175 MH and 2 60" VH)
Sump Light: 7x12
As has been previously stated, hermits can do some harm, mostly bu knocking small coral frags over. They will sometimes help themselves to a snail shell that is occupied by a snail, and eat the snail to evict it. And yes the larger ones will eat fish (it happened to me, actually my Moorish Idol) but the larger hermits should not be used in a reef tank.
All this being said, hermits do a fantastic job of keeping the tank clean, and along with snails are very important, IMO. I use a mixture of different hermits and snails, in about a 50/50 mix.
macsturm - the person at the LFS was giving you his opinion, just as I am.
icon under there name and give them Reputation points
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