Snails?

Jhigga15 · 09/26/2010, 04:10 PM

Hello everyone,
I have had some tanks for a while and I was wondering what's the deal with the snails leaving their shell? Also it seems to me that my snails die kinda quick, is there any way to make sure they stay alive longer?

shifty51008 · 09/26/2010, 04:37 PM

something isn't right, I have snails that lives for years. how are you acculimateing them?
has there ever been copper used in the tank? what are your water parameters? mostely ammonia, nitrate, and po4 levels.

Jhigga15 · 09/26/2010, 04:45 PM

none of those things, I have hermit crabs that live forever...

I see one now without a shell in my new biocube...

shifty51008 · 09/26/2010, 04:49 PM

they could be stominilla snails they are snails that look like they don't have shells, my guess is that your hermits are killing your snails. that is the main reason I don't keep hermits.

Jhigga15 · 09/26/2010, 05:10 PM

really???

shifty51008 · 09/26/2010, 07:14 PM

yeah, hermits will kill the snails for their shells, however hermits will kill snails just cause they can also.

rancoo · 09/26/2010, 07:21 PM

The blue legs hermit crabs are crazy mean. I bought 3 margarita snails the other day and right when i put them in this one crab ran over and flipped one of t he snails over and was trying to pull it out, so i banished that stupid crab.

dmarkham · 09/26/2010, 07:26 PM

yes some types of hermits are worse then others. I only keep a few. I feel they have a place in small numbers. But if your snails are not lasting that long there maybe something else wrong. My snails last years also.

nd31male · 09/27/2010, 12:09 AM

hermits like snails. band hermits

nd31male · 09/27/2010, 12:09 AM

hermits are cool got to have them

demonnite57 · 09/27/2010, 07:44 AM

Some hermits are more agressive than others. I've learned that the hard way with blue legged ones. Unfortunately after I notice one kill a snail I had tor ound up all of them and get rid of them...took hours to find them all (all 6 of em). Now I have scarlet hermits and haven't seen any issues. They haven't messed with my turbos, nassarius, margarita's or ceriths. And yes Stominilla's look like they don't have a shell...I have a couple that make their way around in my tank and each time I think it's a slug.

Lynnmw1208 · 09/27/2010, 08:47 AM

could it be that the hermits want a new shell and are killing the snails for them? did you provide different size shells for the crabs? they might be killing the snails and going "oh this is too small for me" and leaving it

just a thought.

on that note is there a difference between blue leg hermits and dwarf blue leg or are they the same?

which ones are nice? i want to have at least some hermits

rancoo · 09/27/2010, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lynnmw1208

could it be that the hermits want a new shell and are killing the snails for them? did you provide different size shells for the crabs? they might be killing the snails and going "oh this is too small for me" and leaving it

just a thought.

on that note is there a difference between blue leg hermits and dwarf blue leg or are they the same?

which ones are nice? i want to have at least some hermits

I'm not sure if there is a difference between the blue leg and the dwarf blue leg, probably the same. The Blue legs that i have do a great job of a cleanup on the rocks and the sand, but i', not sure if i would get them if you have snails. If you are set on getting them make sure you have plenty of extra larger shells they can move into or they will start killing snails. I have a few scarlet hermits and they pretty much hide during the day and are out all night, doesn't seem like they are as good for cleanup as the blue legs but they seem safer.

ROB2005 · 09/27/2010, 10:19 AM

As a safety precaution whenever I have hermits in my tank, I always buy a bag of various sized shells and scatter them throughout the tank so they will always have a home, and my snails can happily graze away without being threatened.

Nanz · 09/27/2010, 10:53 AM

My watchman goby feeds my nassarius snails to my pistol shrimp. The scarlet hermits eat the rest. I have countless shells in my tank and the hermits only go after the live snails. Putting extra shells in your tank doesn't help they still kill the snails. I buy about 50 nassarius/cerith every 6 months. My Trochus and Turban snails are not hunted though probably because of their size. They also only cling to glass and rock.

Mavrk · 09/27/2010, 11:03 AM

Have you ever seen a hermit crab sold that wasn't in a cerith shell?

Nanz · 09/27/2010, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mavrk

Have you ever seen a hermit crab sold that wasn't in a cerith shell?

Yes I have some that have nassarius snail shells that I bought at a LFS. But I agree that most are cerith shells.

Mavrk · 09/27/2010, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nanz

Yes I have some that have nassarius snail shells that I bought at a LFS. But I agree that most are cerith shells.

Yeah, they like the nassarius ones too. Forgot about that.

Jhigga15 · 09/27/2010, 12:40 PM

I like the hermit crab very much, I have some extra shells around, but I had about 6 HC (3 Red / 3 Blue) and 5 Snails. I have 3 Snails left... I thought they all lived happy in the tank...

Lynnmw1208 · 09/27/2010, 12:50 PM

what about the dwarf zebra and the dwarf yellow tips? are they like the blue legs in temperament?

09/26/2010, 04:10 PM	#1
Jhigga15 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: ft. Lauderdale Posts: 249	Snails? Hello everyone, I have had some tanks for a while and I was wondering what's the deal with the snails leaving their shell? Also it seems to me that my snails die kinda quick, is there any way to make sure they stay alive longer? __________________ 29G BioCube, Exotic Sun led, Tunze Osmolator, Tunze Skimmer, Intank Media Basket, VorTech MP10w, Marine Magic Triple Doser ---------------------------------------- Jamis Bikes are the BEST!!! Current Tank Info: 29G Biocube HQI with a LED. Set up for aboy 1.6 years.

09/26/2010, 04:45 PM	#3
Jhigga15 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: ft. Lauderdale Posts: 249	none of those things, I have hermit crabs that live forever... I see one now without a shell in my new biocube... __________________ 29G BioCube, Exotic Sun led, Tunze Osmolator, Tunze Skimmer, Intank Media Basket, VorTech MP10w, Marine Magic Triple Doser ---------------------------------------- Jamis Bikes are the BEST!!! Current Tank Info: 29G Biocube HQI with a LED. Set up for aboy 1.6 years.

09/26/2010, 05:10 PM	#5
Jhigga15 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: ft. Lauderdale Posts: 249	really??? __________________ 29G BioCube, Exotic Sun led, Tunze Osmolator, Tunze Skimmer, Intank Media Basket, VorTech MP10w, Marine Magic Triple Doser ---------------------------------------- Jamis Bikes are the BEST!!! Current Tank Info: 29G Biocube HQI with a LED. Set up for aboy 1.6 years.

09/27/2010, 10:19 AM	#14
ROB2005 Reefing Is My Passion! Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 719	As a safety precaution whenever I have hermits in my tank, I always buy a bag of various sized shells and scatter them throughout the tank so they will always have a home, and my snails can happily graze away without being threatened. __________________ If at first you don't succeed at reefing, break it down and set back up😁 Current Tank Info: 75 gallon corner overflow, 4-54W T-5 , dozen blue hermits, tiger pistol/yellow watchman goby, royal gramma, banghai and pajama cardinals

09/27/2010, 10:53 AM	#15
Nanz Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,389	My watchman goby feeds my nassarius snails to my pistol shrimp. The scarlet hermits eat the rest. I have countless shells in my tank and the hermits only go after the live snails. Putting extra shells in your tank doesn't help they still kill the snails. I buy about 50 nassarius/cerith every 6 months. My Trochus and Turban snails are not hunted though probably because of their size. They also only cling to glass and rock. __________________ S.G. = 1.025, Temp = 78.5, pH = 8.00 Ca = 550 ppm, Alk = 176 ppm (9.85 dKH), Mg = 1300 ppm NO3 = 0.97 ppm, PO4 = 0.07 ppm Nuvo 30, Razor Nano LED, Tunze ATO, Tunze 9004 skimmer, Vortec mp10,

09/26/2010, 04:37 PM	#2
shifty51008 12-5 Chiefs record Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 10,134	something isn't right, I have snails that lives for years. how are you acculimateing them? has there ever been copper used in the tank? what are your water parameters? mostely ammonia, nitrate, and po4 levels.

09/26/2010, 04:49 PM	#4
shifty51008 12-5 Chiefs record Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 10,134	they could be stominilla snails they are snails that look like they don't have shells, my guess is that your hermits are killing your snails. that is the main reason I don't keep hermits.

09/26/2010, 07:14 PM	#6
shifty51008 12-5 Chiefs record Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 10,134	yeah, hermits will kill the snails for their shells, however hermits will kill snails just cause they can also.

09/26/2010, 07:21 PM	#7
rancoo Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Ohio Posts: 128	The blue legs hermit crabs are crazy mean. I bought 3 margarita snails the other day and right when i put them in this one crab ran over and flipped one of t he snails over and was trying to pull it out, so i banished that stupid crab.

09/26/2010, 07:26 PM	#8
dmarkham Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Joshua, TX Posts: 153	yes some types of hermits are worse then others. I only keep a few. I feel they have a place in small numbers. But if your snails are not lasting that long there maybe something else wrong. My snails last years also.

09/27/2010, 12:09 AM	#9
nd31male Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 53	hermits like snails. band hermits

09/27/2010, 07:44 AM	#11
demonnite57 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Hampton, VA Posts: 253	Some hermits are more agressive than others. I've learned that the hard way with blue legged ones. Unfortunately after I notice one kill a snail I had tor ound up all of them and get rid of them...took hours to find them all (all 6 of em). Now I have scarlet hermits and haven't seen any issues. They haven't messed with my turbos, nassarius, margarita's or ceriths. And yes Stominilla's look like they don't have a shell...I have a couple that make their way around in my tank and each time I think it's a slug.

09/27/2010, 08:47 AM	#12
Lynnmw1208 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Brunswick, Ohio Posts: 3,306	could it be that the hermits want a new shell and are killing the snails for them? did you provide different size shells for the crabs? they might be killing the snails and going "oh this is too small for me" and leaving it just a thought. on that note is there a difference between blue leg hermits and dwarf blue leg or are they the same? which ones are nice? i want to have at least some hermits

09/27/2010, 11:03 AM	#16
Mavrk Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: California - South Bay Area Posts: 2,775	Have you ever seen a hermit crab sold that wasn't in a cerith shell?

09/27/2010, 12:40 PM	#19
Jhigga15 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: ft. Lauderdale Posts: 249	I like the hermit crab very much, I have some extra shells around, but I had about 6 HC (3 Red / 3 Blue) and 5 Snails. I have 3 Snails left... I thought they all lived happy in the tank... __________________ 29G BioCube, Exotic Sun led, Tunze Osmolator, Tunze Skimmer, Intank Media Basket, VorTech MP10w, Marine Magic Triple Doser ---------------------------------------- Jamis Bikes are the BEST!!! Current Tank Info: 29G Biocube HQI with a LED. Set up for aboy 1.6 years.

09/27/2010, 12:50 PM	#20
Lynnmw1208 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Brunswick, Ohio Posts: 3,306	what about the dwarf zebra and the dwarf yellow tips? are they like the blue legs in temperament?

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