Crabs versus snails

[clancaster23]

What do you prefer, hermits or snails? A combination? If snails, which type? I have read that snails are preferred over crabs cause they do a better job plus the crabs go around reducing your number of snails, therefore reducing your cuc numbers. Just curious. I have a large thin striped hermit in my 75 and saw him taking out a snail and this just sort of angers me to see it happening.

 

[Gizmo]

I preffer hermit crabs and cleaner shrimp because they scavenge things like uneaten food better, blue legs are my favorite. When they kill snails it's ussually because they want the shell. Adding some extra shells that they can swap out as they grow can help reduce or eliminate the problem.

 

[little_fish]

I like snails and then a few shrimp. The shrimp will scavenge what the scavenger snails cant get to, and they you also have guys to take care of the algae issues.

 

[spongeycrab]

Hermit crabs and cleaner shrimp they're just cooler

looks like a snail o0o lol!

 

[Bifferwine]

I like snails. I won't buy hermits for that reason -- they just kill the snails. Hermits are great cleaners, but if you have a variety of snails, shrimp, other crabs and starfish you don't really need them.

 

[juice303]

I've heard good things about turbo and nassarius snails. my starfish does a good job but eats things I don't want it to.

 

[yote]

I recommend a mix of hermits,snails,and shrimp.They all have their own,place in the tank and their own job.Even though there will be some losses due to their personal natures.

 

[ZyberGoby]

+1 Yote

Yeah I'd do a mix of snails hermits and shrimp. Just be careful of what shrimp you get

 

[spongeycrab]

I like snails. I won't buy hermits for that reason -- they just kill the snails. Hermits are great cleaners, but if you have a variety of snails, shrimp, other crabs and starfish you don't really need them.

they kill snails because they want they're shell you need extra ones

 

[wontonflip]

I'd avoid turbos...they're stupid LOL They fall, get stuck upsidedown, and can't get back upright, so they starve to death...yep...I've lost many of those. I love my bumblebee snails and nessarius.

 

[ErinCahir]

they kill snails because they want their shell you need extra ones

Adding extra shells can reduce this problem, but won't eliminate it entirely.

If you're going to have crabs, they're going to eat the snails. Maybe every once in a while, maybe more frequently than that, maybe not at all. It varies from crab to crab.

 

[Bifferwine]

they kill snails because they want they're shell you need extra ones

+1 Erin. No matter how many extra shells you give them, some hermits just like to kill and eat snails.

 

[joshuashih1]

I like hermets but I do not know what kind to get.

 

[2XAl]

I have hermits and snails, but while the hermit (blue and red leg) population has remained the same, the snail population has definitely decreased.

+1 about turbos being dumb, all of those died for stupid reasons.