Snail and Hermit Advice Needed

[hurrifan]

I have a newly established 180 AGA, 150lbs of LR, 100 lbs of LS. Looking to add snails, and hermits, but do not know which way to go. Which are better hermits, blue or red and why? Also, astrea snails vs. turbo or the other one I have heard of. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[hurrifan]

One other thing guys. What about a type of snail called a Nassarius Snail??? Please advise.

 

[davelin315]

Blue leg hermits are known to be more carnivorous than the scarlet reef hermits. However, all hermits can be predatory, and often are. I have a mixture of left handed hermits, and some hermits that have yet to be identified by anyone, except for saying where they are from (Hawaii, where I caught them). Nassarious snails, from what I understand, eat detritus, and not algae (just what I've been told, not what I know), and also stir up your sandbed/substrate. I personally feel that a good mix of snails and hermits will benefit your tank, along with other inhabitants that all serve various purposes. If one eats away at other stuff, as long as it doesn't kill it off, that's the way of nature, and that's what I want in my tank (despite the fact that I have mixed corals from all over the world in my reef, that is). As far as the snails go, I have astrea, turbo, and trochus (only one), and a couple of unknown hitch hikers. The astrea are reputed to die if they fall on their backs, and the turbos I have seen eating polyps. I only have one trochus, so I couldn't tell you what his problems might be. Again, a good mix will benefit your tank.

 

[Mouse]

Cerith snails are good for your sand bed too, and i would ditch the hermits and go for a couple of sally lightfoots there far more industrious. Hermits just wage war on each other, and thats never funny especially when your funding both sides.

 

[2poor2reef]

I also use nassarius snails in place of hermits. To much indescriminate munching among crabs in my book. I use a combination of cerith, turbos and trochus snails for algae control in my systems. Specifically, all of my systems with sand substrate have cerith snails plus either mexican turbos or trochus snails.

 

[Goldmoon]

We have two small tanks. In one of them we have both, hermits and snails. But we had problems with ONE (yes so far only one) hawaiian black and white hermit crab. We removed it and put it in the other tank (that had nothing in). As soon as I put snails in that tank the hermit attacked it. So no use to say that hermit guy lost his house. For that reason, the newer tank will not host hermits. I have tried nassarius snails. They are good at keeping the sand *white* I have also some cirith snails, which so far I do not really appreciate. I haven't seen them do much so far. They found something on a rock they liked and stayed there since I got them (a week ago). I also have one turbo in that tank that will have to go. They are hard workers, cleans better then any other snails I have tried, but bulldoze all around, could eat polyps and this one ate macro algae I had in there. Depending on what kind of tank you have, they could be a good thing to add or something to avoid. Astrea snails we have in the older tank. None of them died so far from falling. We count them almost everyday

They do a nice job.
Next thing I would like to try are those margarita snails. I heard they were good cleaners and stay small (but I can not say anything about them, like I said I did not try them yet)

 

[McReef1]

What is the scientific name for the small "Bumblebee snails" that I have in my tank? They seem to do a great job of getting into the tiniest of places wthout doing any harm.

McReef

 

[Goldmoon]

They are from the nassarius genus.

On the petwarehouse website they call them:
Bumble Bee Snail Tiny
(Pusiostoma mendicaria)

I have read though on a message board (can not remember where though

) that some people had problems with them attacking things(?).. if I find the place I will put a link to it.

Now I am lost.. Ron Shimek says they are from the genus Engina (see here):
http://www.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=34921&highlight=bumblebee
http://www.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=13392&highlight=bumblebee+snails
http://www.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=27172&highlight=bumblebee

On other hand I have seen them called nassarius by Robert Fenner:
http://support.software911.com/ffexpress/faqdetail.asp?fid=999

Now I am totally lost..

[ September 14, 2001: Message edited by: Goldmoon ]

 

[dvmsn]

I prefer Astreas to Turbos. Turbos get to large and are not as hardy.

 

[DennisL]

I know there are many that disagree, but I would stay away from hermits. Dr. Ron Shimek characterizes them as "eco-terrorists" and I think he's right. I pulled about 50 of them from my 140G, and within weeks I saw an explosion of small snails, worms, and lots of little things.

 

[Anonymous]

Blue legs are murderers. They killed off most of my nassarius snails along with others. I love my scarlet hermits though - they have plenty of grow out shells and have never hurt anything. I watched one give a snail with algae growing on it an nice little mohawk - well kinda - he shaved a stripe down the middle of him - never hurt the snail though. My blue legs will probably ed up in the sump. Unless my new wrasse wants to eat them - he comes home tomorrow!

 

[Anonymous]

Oh, and nassarius snails are neat to watch - they are fast!

 

[gka]

I have blue leg and red leg. The blue leg are definitely more aggressive. Hermit crabs are just too cool to leave out of a tank. If I had to do it over I would stick with a few red legs and more snails. Everyone that see my tank is amazed at the colors etc... but they love to watch the little crabs run around...

 

[fishfarmer]

These are the snails I like:
Trochus, tough snails with regard to shaking off crab attacks, excellent grazers.

Hawaiian turbos, smaller than the Trochus but an active grazer, they have reproduced in my tank.

Strombus, small snails that are very prolific and active.

Nassarius, detritus consumers that bury in the sand and actively come out for food.

I also have some Ceriths, very small snails, which breed in my tank as well. I also had some Nerite snails which weren't the most active snail and tended to crawl out. I've heard they also prefer cooler water, below 80 degrees.