How many hermits & snails?

ksartain · 03/18/2008, 07:35 PM

We've got a 75g tank that we are setting up as a reef tank. We "inherited" it from hubby's grandparents along with a clown fish, damsel and a wrasse. We had to add live rock to get up to 80#â€™s. We dumped the crushed coral that they were using as a substrate and have went to all live sand. Levels look good so we are ready to start adding snails and hermits. LFS says to add 75 of each. This seems like way to many! Any advice would be appreciated.

We are newbies and are trying to learn everything we can so that we can get our fish out of the small temp tank and back into their big tank asap.

horwitzs · 03/18/2008, 07:51 PM

That actually sounds like a good number to me. It seems like a lot but when they get all spread out over the tank and rocks you'll understand.
Might look into a cleanup crew package sold by an online vendor.

P.S. Go YellowJackets!

demonsp · 03/18/2008, 07:56 PM

This is way to many for a 75. Besides lacking food source for them all theres the extra bio load they add and the dieoff as they reduce to numbers that the tank can support. You need a balance, let tank cycle then add a few hermits and nass snails then wait a week or two and add a fish or coral then wait and add more CUC and then wait and ect..
You can adjust type and amount as you find the need. In my 75 i have 1 turbo , 5 nass , about 10 hermits a few margaritas and a conge .Tanks 2 yrs old and looking good.

demonsp · 03/18/2008, 07:58 PM

LFS just wants your money. Wait 3 or 4 months and get a sand sifting goby and never worry about the SB again.

Denver aquarist · 03/18/2008, 08:38 PM

In my 75 gal I have 4 turbos,6 nass, 1 chocolate chip star and 10 hermits. I would like a sand sifting star but im 50/50 on that still.

rxdoc_85 · 03/18/2008, 08:46 PM

in my 65 gal tank i have a dozen hermits, 5 nassarius, 2 turbos, and a serpent star. they do a stellar job of keeping the tank clean (the turbos are the best algae control i've found). i agree that if you put too many in your tank there won't be enough food and detritus to go around, and then some of the critters can potentially turn on other critters they normally wouldn't bother (your hermits might go a-wall on the snails especially).

JENnKerry · 03/19/2008, 08:11 AM

I think it's a good number. I would go with 1 of each for every 1-2 gallons of water. Hermits and snails really don't add much to the bioload. Besides, you get ALOT of uneaten foods that goes behind the rocks. Like horwitzs said, when they get all spread out and about you'll see it for yourself.

SteveNMegz · 03/19/2008, 08:42 PM

we have 8 turbos, 6 zebra turbos, 10 nass snails, 12 blue leg crabs, sepant star, couple shrimp in our 65G. we only bought so many because we had tons of algae, and will soon sell/give away most of the turbos and zebras.

this combo cleaned our whole algae covered tank in less than 1 1/2 months. 150 cleaners would probably have it spotless in a couple days haha

jarrett · 03/19/2008, 09:03 PM

in the end you will need at least 1 snail for every 2-3 gallons, having a hand full of the start wont hurt because the lack of food and such but to have 10 after 2 years is far to little.

seanb1 · 03/19/2008, 09:08 PM

i have 70 turbos, had 100 gave 30 or so away.

100 blue leg hermits

125 gallon tank/60 gallon sump

03/18/2008, 07:35 PM	#1
ksartain Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Bulldawg Country, Athens, GA Posts: 1	How many hermits & snails? We've got a 75g tank that we are setting up as a reef tank. We "inherited" it from hubby's grandparents along with a clown fish, damsel and a wrasse. We had to add live rock to get up to 80#â€™s. We dumped the crushed coral that they were using as a substrate and have went to all live sand. Levels look good so we are ready to start adding snails and hermits. LFS says to add 75 of each. This seems like way to many! Any advice would be appreciated. We are newbies and are trying to learn everything we can so that we can get our fish out of the small temp tank and back into their big tank asap. __________________ ksartain Bulldawg Country Athens, GA

03/18/2008, 07:51 PM	#2
horwitzs Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Kitsap Penninsula Posts: 470	That actually sounds like a good number to me. It seems like a lot but when they get all spread out over the tank and rocks you'll understand. Might look into a cleanup crew package sold by an online vendor. P.S. Go YellowJackets! __________________ -Seth Current Tank Info: 120g fresh, 150g salt.

03/19/2008, 08:11 AM	#7
JENnKerry Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Jersey Posts: 7,384	I think it's a good number. I would go with 1 of each for every 1-2 gallons of water. Hermits and snails really don't add much to the bioload. Besides, you get ALOT of uneaten foods that goes behind the rocks. Like horwitzs said, when they get all spread out and about you'll see it for yourself. __________________ We Don't Have a Signature..... Current Tank Info: 125 Gallon Reef

03/19/2008, 08:42 PM	#8
SteveNMegz Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Port Colborne Posts: 1,140	we have 8 turbos, 6 zebra turbos, 10 nass snails, 12 blue leg crabs, sepant star, couple shrimp in our 65G. we only bought so many because we had tons of algae, and will soon sell/give away most of the turbos and zebras. this combo cleaned our whole algae covered tank in less than 1 1/2 months. 150 cleaners would probably have it spotless in a couple days haha __________________ Steve and Megz Current Tank Info: 55G Shallow Reef (30x30x14) - Equip: Ecotech Radion XR30 G3 Pro, 2 Tunze 6055, Vertex Omega 130 Skimmer, Ecotech Vectra M1 return, Vertex Rx1.5 Zeovit Reactor

03/19/2008, 09:03 PM	#9
jarrett Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 231	in the end you will need at least 1 snail for every 2-3 gallons, having a hand full of the start wont hurt because the lack of food and such but to have 10 after 2 years is far to little. __________________ we cant stop here this is bat country!! Current Tank Info: 90g mixed reef. 45g sump

03/18/2008, 07:56 PM	#3
demonsp Moved On Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: el paso tx Posts: 7,634	This is way to many for a 75. Besides lacking food source for them all theres the extra bio load they add and the dieoff as they reduce to numbers that the tank can support. You need a balance, let tank cycle then add a few hermits and nass snails then wait a week or two and add a fish or coral then wait and add more CUC and then wait and ect.. You can adjust type and amount as you find the need. In my 75 i have 1 turbo , 5 nass , about 10 hermits a few margaritas and a conge .Tanks 2 yrs old and looking good.

03/18/2008, 07:58 PM	#4
demonsp Moved On Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: el paso tx Posts: 7,634	LFS just wants your money. Wait 3 or 4 months and get a sand sifting goby and never worry about the SB again.

03/18/2008, 08:38 PM	#5
Denver aquarist Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Denver Posts: 131	In my 75 gal I have 4 turbos,6 nass, 1 chocolate chip star and 10 hermits. I would like a sand sifting star but im 50/50 on that still.

03/18/2008, 08:46 PM	#6
rxdoc_85 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: st. louis, MO Posts: 6	in my 65 gal tank i have a dozen hermits, 5 nassarius, 2 turbos, and a serpent star. they do a stellar job of keeping the tank clean (the turbos are the best algae control i've found). i agree that if you put too many in your tank there won't be enough food and detritus to go around, and then some of the critters can potentially turn on other critters they normally wouldn't bother (your hermits might go a-wall on the snails especially).

03/19/2008, 09:08 PM	#10
seanb1 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: bettendorf, iowa Posts: 668	i have 70 turbos, had 100 gave 30 or so away. 100 blue leg hermits 125 gallon tank/60 gallon sump __________________ he who knows how, will always work for he who knows why..... David lee Roth. Current Tank Info: 125 reef/29 gal sump/29 gal fuge 3- 175w 20k xm mh/4 65w actinic, octopus nw-200 skimmer3 k-4s mag-12. 2 returns. 2 phosban reactors, GFO/carbon.