Keeping Killer the Hermit Crab Happy

GoLowDrew · 06/22/2006, 05:32 PM

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=836055

I ordered my 3rd batch of snails and they will soon be here.

This time, all of them will be smaller than Killer. Killer has grown, so he will have no interest in their shells.

Questions:

1. Will he attacked smaller snails 1/2 his size for a light snack?

2. Can I take him out to feed, and put him back in the main tank? Will a full crab be less likely to kill?

No, I don't have a sump to house him.

bertoni · 06/22/2006, 05:34 PM

1. Probably eventually.

2. Probably, but I wouldn't count on reaching the zero kill rate. Fresh food is hard to pass up.

azrednex · 06/22/2006, 05:47 PM

why don't you take it to the LFS and drop it off?

Sk8r · 06/23/2006, 12:37 AM

Sounds like you've got a crab with a bad habit.

You do know that trochus and astraea will die on flat sand if blown over by the current. They can't right themselves. This is what causes a lot of snail deaths. I don't lose snails, but I prefer the margaritas, which are a lot more self-starting. I got tired of reaching in with the net to flip the pointy-shell ones upright.

bertoni · 06/23/2006, 01:58 AM

My Trochus can right themselves if they fall on sand. Astraea do seem to suffer from that problem.

06/22/2006, 05:32 PM	#1
GoLowDrew No Title Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 390	Keeping Killer the Hermit Crab Happy http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=836055 I ordered my 3rd batch of snails and they will soon be here. This time, all of them will be smaller than Killer. Killer has grown, so he will have no interest in their shells. Questions: 1. Will he attacked smaller snails 1/2 his size for a light snack? 2. Can I take him out to feed, and put him back in the main tank? Will a full crab be less likely to kill? No, I don't have a sump to house him. __________________ Thanks for answering my questions. Current Tank Info: 29G with 30lbs Live Rock, powerhead, one Clown fish.

06/22/2006, 05:34 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	1. Probably eventually. 2. Probably, but I wouldn't count on reaching the zero kill rate. Fresh food is hard to pass up. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

06/23/2006, 12:37 AM	#4
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Sounds like you've got a crab with a bad habit. You do know that trochus and astraea will die on flat sand if blown over by the current. They can't right themselves. This is what causes a lot of snail deaths. I don't lose snails, but I prefer the margaritas, which are a lot more self-starting. I got tired of reaching in with the net to flip the pointy-shell ones upright. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

06/23/2006, 01:58 AM	#5
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	My Trochus can right themselves if they fall on sand. Astraea do seem to suffer from that problem. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

06/22/2006, 05:47 PM	#3
azrednex Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Chandler, AZ Posts: 1,805	why don't you take it to the LFS and drop it off?