Final stocking questions

[ArrowCrab]

Hi all, I want to get some feedback on my final stock for my tank. I want to add a little more but am afraid the bioload might already be at max. Anyway I have a 34 gallon tank, sandbed averages about 3.4-4.5 inches. About 40lbs live rock. I have a filter and biocube skimmer running. Tank is about 5 months old.
Current stock:
2 juvy occellaris
1 neon goby
1 citron goby
1 diamond watchman
1 feather duster

I still want to add a firefish and either a cleaner shrimp or 2-3 sexy shrimp. But, I feel like this may be too heavy on the tank. Any thoughts?

My current parameters are all within the required ranges. The only thing annoying me is that I can't seem to keep many of my snails alive. Every time I've added nerite or turbo snails, they all turn belly up and die. I've only had luck with nassarius snails, although I haven't seen as many as usual lately... (should be 8) I had 8 hermits total, although, there are only 3-4 scarlets and a red tip left, though they seem to be doing fine and there haven't been any hermit deaths recently. Any feedback on the CUC situation would be appreciated as well.

[Zeus30]

Hermit crabs are most likely the cause of your snail deaths and some being part to turning belly up. I bought bumble bee snails which are similar to the nassarius but have a nice look to them.

[ArrowCrab]

Originally Posted by Zeus30

Hermit crabs are most likely the cause of your snail deaths and some being part to turning belly up. I bought bumble bee snails which are similar to the nassarius but have a nice look to them.

I could see that explanation except the nerite snail are so tiny. Would the hermits really attack and kill nerites just out of sadistic pleasure, because the shells are way to small. I haven't seen any hermits sporting nassarius or turbo shells either.

[thegrun]

I wouldn't worry about the addition of any of the shrimp since they are basically scavengers and will not add much to the bio-load. I would agree however that your fish population is about as high as I would recommend you going. Listing your water parameters rather than "My current parameters are all within the required ranges" would be helpful.

[MrJawfish]

Originally Posted by Zeus30

Hermit crabs are most likely the cause of your snail deaths and some being part to turning belly up. I bought bumble bee snails which are similar to the nassarius but have a nice look to them.

I elected to only go with blue leg hermits for this reason. Do you know if these are as aggressive as other hermits in attacking snails?

[ArrowCrab]

Originally Posted by thegrun

I wouldn't worry about the addition of any of the shrimp since they are basically scavengers and will not add much to the bio-load. I would agree however that your fish population is about as high as I would recommend you going. Listing your water parameters rather than "My current parameters are all within the required ranges" would be helpful.

I was afraid of that but oh well. Would you say that 2-4 sex shrimp are absolutely fine to add?

Params are:
salinity 1.026
alkalinity 196 ppm
Calc 580, a bit high i know
phosphate 0
nitrite 0
ammonia 0
nitrate 10
pH 7.8-8

As a side not, I managed to find almost all the nassarius snails today, so they're still doing fine.

[sponger0]

First...get a magnesium test. Should be something to test for if you have a reef.

Seondly, yes your stocked plenty. I wouldnt add anymore fish.

And finally, if you are concerned about hermits taking snails out, get scarlet hermits. They have never gone after snails in my tank. Those are the only hermits I will buy.

[ArrowCrab]

Originally Posted by sponger0

First...get a magnesium test. Should be something to test for if you have a reef.

Seondly, yes your stocked plenty. I wouldnt add anymore fish.

And finally, if you are concerned about hermits taking snails out, get scarlet hermits. They have never gone after snails in my tank. Those are the only hermits I will buy.

Mag test on my list next tim eI go to the store.
Ah well, guess it'll just be the sexy sexy shrimp, no biggie.

Actually the hermits I do have are scarlets, (and one very small red tip). I just don't get the feeling that they are killing my other snails. The nerites and turbos I don't actually find dead, I just find them belly up, unable to right themselves, and then of course they die if I don't get to them. I've never seen any aggression by the hermits to snails ( except once when my biggest crab picked up a nassarius and chucked him, which was hilarious to see). And like I said earlier I found almost all my nassarius' so I don't think it's the hermits doing the other snails in.

[Zeus30]

I actually discovered my bigger cleaner shrimp tearing into one of the snails as it sat upside down. It was really aggressive towards it and saw an opportunity to feast on it.

I have both red and blue hermit crabs and have seen both kinds attacking them as well.

[sponger0]

Yes a cleaner will go after a turned over snail. This isnt uncommon

[Zeus30]

Originally Posted by sponger0

Yes a cleaner will go after a turned over snail. This isnt uncommon

I also found hermit claws floating around.......Could the shrimp be a culprit to this as well?

[sponger0]

Originally Posted by Zeus30

I also found hermit claws floating around.......Could the shrimp be a culprit to this as well?

Most likely its just a molt.